2023 Young Life Africa/Middle East Impact Report — Known: Psalm 139

Psalm 139:1-2 | ESV

Photos: Cover - Camp in Sierra Leone / Left - Capernaum camp in Kenya / Opposite -Tanzania

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.

We are excited to present this 2023 Impact Report to you for so many reasons. The Lord has been good and faithful to Young Life in Africa and the Middle East. From a bird’s eye view, we have seen tremendous growth, with leaders knowing a half a million MORE teens than a year ago, with over 110,000 of those teens going with their leaders to Young Life camp, and with more and more new leaders and ministries joining us. Close up, it means that Patricia in Tanzania walks alongside both teen moms and the rest of the teenagers in her neighborhood as they learn about the love of Christ; that Ahmed in Tunisia found Young Life as a way to channel his love for Christ and explore ways to meet teens in his country; that Idil in East Africa has a place to learn about the free and extravagant grace of God even though she lives her life under a repressive and constricting government. You’ll have a chance to read more about them inside this report. Jesus is calling his people across Africa West, Africa East, Africa South, and North Africa and the Middle East.

This tremendous growth in ministry means big changes in the ways we will operate. For many years, Young Life Africa and the Middle East has operated as one large division. We have outgrown this structure. As a result, this one division is being split into four: Africa East, Africa South, Africa West, and the countries in the north of Africa and the Middle East are going to be a division along with India. That means that the three of us are changing position from vice president to senior vice president of our respective divisions. This is a first for a non-American in the history of Young Life.

Our group senior vice president, Steve Larmey, is going to lead the charge in India and oversee the work in Morocco and the Middle East as a senior vice president. Chad Edwards, who has been group vice president of the western half of the United States for the last four years, is going to lead these four divisions as our new group senior vice president.

This is a lot of change. This change is necessary for us to continue to do the good work of introducing Jesus Christ to adolescents and helping them grow in their faith. We will still reach out to new frontiers and still dream of reaching groups of kids and countries where we have not been before. This August we got to hold the first ever Young Life camp in South Sudan. Despite regime changes and coups, the ministry is growing in Burkina Faso. Capetown has developed to 9 separate clubs in just two years. We continue to train and recruit women to take leadership positions. Our ministries to teens with disabilities and teen moms continues to grow. And in all of this, we continue to work together. “Pamoja pamoja,” which means “together together,” has been our resounding call since Young Life in Africa began. Being separate divisions will not change that, for we are with and for each other even as we grow in new directions.

We are grateful to you. You support the ministry by prayer and generosity, by love and travel. A million and a half adolescents that are known by their names would not be known were it not for you. As a result, many teens have experienced great change in their lives because they got to experience the love of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit first hand. Thank you.

Kamau Senior Vice President

Senior Vice President

Vice President

is to introduce young people to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith.

Photos: Capernaum camp in Liberia

is simple: to make disciples, one kid at a time. As the Lord continues to uphold us, we will not stop until every kid across Africa and the Middle East has heard the gospel.

Where We Work

MIDDLE EAST NORTH AFRICA

Israel

Morocco

Palestine

WEST

Burkina Faso

Cameroon

Côte d’Ivoire

Ghana

Liberia

Mali

Nigeria

Senegal

Sierra Leone

SOUTH

Burundi

Congo Brazzaville

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Eswatini

Malawi

Mozambique

Rwanda

South Africa

Tanzania

Zambia

Zanzibar

Zimbabwe

EAST

Ethiopia

Horn of Africa

Kenya

South Sudan

Uganda

60%

By 2100, 13 of the most populated cities

Sixty percent of the population in Africa is under the age of 25, making Africa the youngest continent in the world.

Photo: Kigali, Rwanda

Pillars of Known

Photo: Campaigners camp in Kenya

MODELING RELATIONAL MINISTRY

DEVELOPING KINGDOM LEADERS

Follow Jesus by knowing young people, inviting them to the faith and purpose, and making disciples who make disciples. Establish a courageous culture of life-on-life leadership and development, growing as ministers of the gospel at every level.

VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT

Pray for, recruit and equip volunteers who share the life of Jesus, make disciples, and inspire others.

GOING TOGETHER

Proclaim the wide and welcoming gospel that reveals a joyful, diverse, global community on mission.

What it Means To Be Known

Patricia’s Story|Tanzania

Patricia lives in the Bokocalifornia section of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. As a teen she loved to live large — she played soccer and she and her friends loved to hang out with the boys that were part of the football fraternity. She met a Young Life leader in the neighborhood, and added Young Life club to her activities. She thought it would be fun to go to camp; while she was there, she heard about the love of Jesus and realized that the life she was leading could only leave her wanting. She stood up at camp to say yes to Jesus.

When Patricia came back home, she embraced following Jesus. She volunteered for work crew and was chosen for leadership development. However, it proved difficult to return to her old life as a changed person, and sometimes the new life had some of the old pitfalls.

As she moved into a volunteer leadership role, a local prayer partner offered her a place to be with kids in the neighborhood. It turned out he really had eyes for her. When she didn’t reciprocate, he threw her out. She then tried to use her own house as a gathering spot, but her dad said no. She then convinced her pastor to let her use a space, and the success of this opened up the joy of ministry for her.

Photo: Salomé, Mariam, and Patricia in their neighborhood

Patricia and Precious

She continued to grow in faith. Eventually she became part of the Developing Global Leaders program, enabling her to go to school and volunteer for Young Life while having all of her expenses paid. Then in 2020, she became pregnant.

All her plans were derailed. Patricia thought about ending the pregnancy. She was rejected by her church, lost her position in leadership in Young Life, and was despairing. But God was with her, and instead, she delivered Precious, who she is holding in this photo. Patricia reconciled with the church and came back under care. She also began to lead again. Her mom agreed to move to a house that Patricia could use for ministry. In a mostly Muslim neighborhood, Patricia uses their home to host Campaigners and a neighborhood club. Living there, she and her mom show the very heart of God for those around them.

She has become friends with neighborhood teen moms who can’t go to school and who suffer a lot of humiliation because of their situation. They get to hear from her how much their Father in heaven loves them and their babies. In addition to that, she runs a club at a local school and is hoping to start another! Besides being a volunteer, she works a job that enables her to support her family. Patricia was changed by the love of Jesus through her Young Life leader, and she wants to replicate that by offering her life to His service.

Changing The Lives of Others

Wilfred’s Story|Liberia

Wilfred’s life changed when he met a Young Life leader named Carlton. Carlton was doing contact work on his school campus, and he introduced Wilfred to the world of Young Life and invited him to go to a Young Life camp. Despite being nervous and unsure, Wilfred decided to give it a try.

At camp, Wilfred was blown away by the love and acceptance he felt from his peers and leaders. For the first time in his life, he felt like he truly belonged somewhere. He was inspired by the story of Jesus and was amazed by the sense of community and connection he experienced. On the final night of camp, Wilfred made a decision that would change his life. He gave his life to Jesus and committed to living that life as an act of faith and service.

The Young Life mission is to disciple people who then make new disciples. Reflecting on his transformation and new desire to serve, Wilfred says, “Young Life changed my life, and now I want to change the lives of others.” A high school graduate, Wilfred helps his mother run a small business while attending an institution of higher education. Wilfred is a volunteer leader, does contact work, co-leads a Campaigners group with Carlton, and gives talks at club. He is passionate about sharing his story and helping other young people find the same sense of belonging and purpose that he found through Young Life.

Wilfred still faces challenges and struggles in his life, but he knows that he is never alone. He has a community of friends and mentors who support him, and he has a deep and abiding faith that sustains him through the ups and downs of life. Looking back on his journey, Wilfred is grateful for the Young Life leader who introduced him to this life-changing ministry. He knows that he wouldn’t be where he is today without the love and support of Carlton and the Young Life community, and he is committed to spending his days helping others find the same hope and transformation that he found through Young Life.

Photo: Wilfred with his leader Carlton

The Safest Place On Earth

Sundiata’s Story | Zanzibar

It’s Saturday morning in the coastal city of Zanzibar. For most Young Life leaders, it is a busy day, one used to connect with club kids and create activities that build relationships with teenagers.

Unlike most leaders in her area, Sundiata spends the ministry day in her home. As both a wife and a mother of a 3-year-old, this season of her life has challenged her approach to meeting with kids for Young Life.

Instead of seeing this as an obstacle, Sundiata is using this as an opportunity to bring the girls she is mentoring into her home. Each week, her girls show up at around 10 am. The sight of several pairs of ad olescent shoes arranged by the door indicates that this is holy ground.

They begin with a Discovery Bible Study session, a hallmark of Young Life Campaigners in Africa. They are in week three of a study. Girls read and understand how the scripture speaks into their lives. “Sometimes, when my mom sends me on a task, I drag my feet for no reason. I think I can apply this scripture to change my behavior,” shares one girl.

Photo: Sundiata with her Campaigner group

Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.

The study ends with a prayer, and then they move on to some fun time with a snack and some juice, but it does not end there. The girls make their way to the living room, greet Sundi’s husband, play with baby Mika, and one of the girls flips through the TV channels until she finally lands on Joy TV, the one with the most danceable gospel songs. What follows is a 20-minute dance session. Girls dance as if they are in their own homes, illustrating how Sundiata is living out Paul’s words, “Because we loved you so much we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”

Isaac, a fellow leader, says, “As you can see, the girls really love coming here and being themselves. This house is the only place they can feel safe enough to express themselves and their faith. There is nowhere else they can sing and dance like this.” This safe space makes the time these girls spend together so valuable.

“When we go to school, we make it a point to invite our friends to club. Every week we bring new friends so that they, too, can experience the fun we have at Young Life,” shares Tania. Because Sundiata has loved Tania so well, Tania has begun the process of becoming a Young Life leader herself. Towards that end, Tania stays after the other girls have left, and Sundiata and Tania sit one-on-one to walk through the 8-week Quest training for new leaders. When Sundiata is not spending time with teenagers, she runs her own online clothing business from home. “I love that my business gives me the flexibility to spend most of my time with teenagers, which is what I love to do.”

The Beauty of Being Seen Idil's Story|Africa East

Idil was born under the authority of a large military organization fighting in her country in Africa East. In her words, “We lived an unstable life, full of fear and terror, where we were made to go to camps by force, and they filled our hearts with hatred and urged us to violence.” This is what she knew and understood when she heard the word “camp.”

We can’t share a lot of details, but Idil’s story is so important. Because of Young Life leaders working quietly in her world, loving her and loving kids like her, she got to be part of a radically different camp. She says she was attracted to it because it is the opposite of what she experienced before.

Idil went to camp, and instead of hatred, found love. Instead of violence, she found joy. As a sixteen-year-old, she had seldom been given the opportunity to play the way she played at Young Life camp. Growing up, Idil had been taught that the love of God comes with conditions and violence. Now she heard the word of the Lord from the Bible, and was affected by learning of His love for her with no conditions. For the first time in her life she understood forgiveness and compassion, and she was moved beyond measure by His goodness.

She still lives in a hard and violent world, but she knows the goodness of the Lord for all His children…especially for Idil.

Extravagant Love

Pecome’s Story|Burkina Faso

After losing his father at a young age, Pecome and his mom struggled for survival. An uncle saw their struggle and stepped in to help after a few years. Pecome now had the means to enroll in school, where he first met one of the Young Life leaders who introduced him to the ministry.

Pecome started to go to club and Campaigners meetings after his leader invited him. The more involved he became, the more he learned about a loving and present God who would do anything to be with him. Once he understood this truth, he accepted Christ and then asked for a Bible to learn more. This new Bible was like treasure to him. The more he read, the more he wanted to know. One day Pecome’s cousin caught him reading his Bible in secret. His cousin took it and showed it to their uncle, who disapproved of his nephew’s faith. Life became difficult for Pecome and his mother again, but still he believed the Bible’s promises.

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

The church Pecome was attending heard of their dilemma and stepped in to help. Pecome and his mom moved in with one of the church members,

ANNUALImpact

Photo: High school club in Rwanda

1,570,371

This number represents every kid a Young Life leader knows.

KIDS TO CLUB

Teens who attend weekly events where we share the gospel.

KIDS TO CAMP

Teens who come away to play and hear the gospel.

DISCIPLESHIP GROUPS

Teens who gather in small groups to study the Bible and learn to walk with Jesus.

NUMBER OF MINISTRIES

Every separate outreach ministry, including high school age, middle school age, college and university students, teens with disabilities, and teen moms.

Every Kid Deserves to be Known.

Camp

No one does camp like Young Life. It is a place of fun, laughter, and friendship woven together with the message of Jesus Christ’s unending love – all experienced with leaders who live in their towns, go to camp with them, and will be there for them as they go back home as changed people.

In 2023, we took 120,358 kids and volunteer leaders to camp!

Photo: Camp in Blantyre, Malawi

Young

Lives

WyldLife Capernaum Young Life University

As middle-school aged kids seek to figure out who they are and what they believe, WyldLife leaders express God’s love to them by hearing their stories and honoring their God-given desire for fun, adventure and purpose.

Young supports pregnant and parenting teen moms through mentorship, community, and a life with Christ. Leaders aim to not only teach young moms about God’s love, but also equip them with life skills and new ways to connect and play with their babies.

Lives

Capernaum gives teenagers with intellectual and developmental disabilities the chance to experience fun and adventure, to develop fulfilling friendships, and to challenge their limits while learning who God created them to be.

At a time in their lives when young adults hear who they should be and what they should do, Young Life University invites students to experience Christian community full of love, adventure, and significance.

Photos from L to R: Wyldlife camp in Kenya, YoungLives contact work in Uganda, Capernaum ministry in the Middle East, Young Life University camp in Tanzania

LEADING in Africa. are WOMEN

Photo: High school camp in Kenya

Women's Leadership Accelerator

Through the , women develop professionalism, enhance leadership skills, and grow confidence in who God is creating them to be. Unlike any other program in Young Life, the Women’s Leadership Accelerator elevates the skillsets of women within cultures that traditionally do not value women’s leadership abilities.

Since the program began in 2018, the number of women on staff has increased by 108%.

Photo: Zimbabwe opposite - Malawi, Rwanda, and Burundi

ThankYou

YOUR GENEROSITY IS LIFE CHANGING.

Because of you, teens across Africa and the Middle East are known and loved. They hear about the love of the God who came down to be with them, they meet adults who lay down their lives to walk alongside them, and they grow into disciple-making citizens in the Kingdom of God who know and share the love of Jesus. The impact you make is eternal, and we are grateful.

Photo: Camp in Bagamoyo, Tanzania

Go to Africa

Travel with us to see countries and ministries firsthand.

Contact Tina Atkinson tatkinson@younglife.org

Join a Regional Team

Engage with others to support a country or region of minstry. Contact Kent Reinhardt kreinhardt@younglife.org

Become a Staff Sponsor

Develop deep cross-cultural friendships that support the mission of kids in Africa and the Middle East meeting Christ. Contact Matt Ward or John Thompson rmward@sc.younglife.org jpthompson@intl.younglife.org

africa.younglife.org

Photo: Rwanda