Since he was appointed the conference’s youth coordinator, Fr. Eyrah, SJ, has actively sought new ways to engage with young people. He has fostered collaboration by building connections with existing conference apostolates. The first initiative was a virtual meeting with AJAN on November 13, 2025, which brought togetherr the AJAN Secretariat team in Nairobi and the Africa North West Province (ANW), all committed to youth empowerment. In the meeting was the AJAN director, Fr. Ismael Matambura SJ, Fr. Eyrah Foli, SJ, the Conference Youth coordinator, who is also the ANW Magis Youth coordinator. The ANW Province Youth Ministry board member and Magis Youth assistant coordinator, Mr. Michael Chibuzor, the AJAN Capacity Building Officer, Ms. Sergon, and the AJAN Liaison Officer, Agi Peter Onah, SJ, were also present.

As this was the first meeting, participants introduced themselves and shared their experiences in youth ministry. The director, Fr. Ismael, SJ, then provided a brief history of the African Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN). He explained that AJAN began as a Jesuit response to health challenges, integrating youth development across conference countries. Through its secretariat, AJAN coordinates programs, raises funds, conducts research, and empowers individuals through capacity building and support for intervention centers.

The director highlighted AJAN’s commitment to youth through its advocacy and HIV and AIDS prevention programs, as well as its compassionate care for those affected. A key initiative is AHAPPY (AJAN HIV&AIDS Prevention Programme for the Youth), launched in 2014, which uses value-based modules to support the psychosocial growth of young people. This program serves youth in schools, parishes, prisons, and vulnerable communities, providing guidance and hope where it is most needed.

Building on this momentum, AJAN introduced JYSEA in 2024, a program designed to empower unemployed youth and vulnerable communities to become agents of social change. JYSEA (Jesuit Youth Social Entrepreneurship Action) is promoted across various centers to strengthen HIV and AIDS prevention efforts.

The AJAN Capacity Building Officer, Ms. Sergon, added that the AHAPPY Programme is not targeted at HIV and AIDS, poverty, or climate change, but this Jesuit initiative focuses on the youths, helping them to grow spiritually, psychologically, and in other good dimensions to address social issues. It enables them to be responsible for engaging their world, not only to address HIV/AIDS, but also through innovation and creativity to address their challenges. “The youth are left out in every society, and the Jesuit response enables them to respond integrally to their environments. AJAN, through the Jesuit character of cura personalis, designs AHAPPY for the formation of the young people, integrating the Ignatian spirit and contextualising culture for a change of mindset. The AJAN programs enable the youths in the conference to see their world as an opportunity for creativity and innovation; people who are formed in the right values.” This, however, will empower them to seek personal and community development.

She also noted that social entrepreneurship is an effective model for supporting youth, shifting the economic focus in Africa. Young social innovators are empowered to address community challenges through enterprise, using these challenges as opportunities for innovation and development. Unlike other centers, the training is tailored to promote sustainable social enterprises that address the specific needs of participants.

During the meeting, participants focused on charting new paths for social innovation within the ANW Province and beyond. The meeting concluded with several positive resolutions. The first was an agreement to begin training in Nigeria, starting in Lagos, Abuja, and Benin City in April 2026. Participants also agreed on key workshop logistics, including budget, training schedule, and demographic data to support planning. This meeting marked a significant milestone, opening opportunities for continued collaboration between AJAN and the ANW Province as they work together to support youths.

By, Peter Onah Agi,

AJAN Liaison Officer.