THE YEAR OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
2024 AFRICA IMPACT REPORT
MISSION
Introducing adolescents to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith.
VISION
To make disciples one kid at a time. As the Lord continues to uphold us, we will not stop until every young person across Africa has heard the gospel.
To set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
— Romans 8:6 (ESV)
MEET THE TEAM!
From left to right: Zinnah Yallah, Aissata Deborah Samaké, James Mungai Kamau
From left to right: Moges Berassa, Fireselam Assefa Desta, Martin Wamalwa, Richard Odongo
From left to right: Sharon Intauno, Alexis Kwamy, Sithandizile “Stha” Moyo
James Mungai Kamau
Senior Vice President
Africa West
Martin Wamalwa
Senior Vice President
Africa East
Alexis Kwamy
Senior Vice President
Africa South
What an honor it is to present this 2024 Impact Report to you. This last ministry year saw the first time that Africa operated as three separate divisions; and still we worked closely together, cheering each other on and encouraging one another as each division both grew and faced new challenges. The number of teenagers that Young Life leaders in sub-Saharan Africa know by their names grew by 35% last year, to over 2.1 million. The number of volunteer leaders getting to know those teens, praying for them, and walking alongside them through life grew by 38%. The opportunity to raise up staff in leadership to provide more training and care for leaders is paying off.
Again and again, God says to His people, “Behold, I am doing a new thing.” (Isaiah 43:19) The three of us (Martin, Alexis, and Mungai) changing positions to senior vice president opened up opportunities for other staff to move into new positions of leadership. As a group, we went from three vice presidents serving one division to seven vice presidents serving three divisions, four of whom are women. Those vice presidents have more focused geographies and smaller maps to pray for, which means that they can support the work in those geographies better than just the three of us could.
On the ground, it means that a former Young Life kid, Frey Desta, is now a vice president in Africa East,
overseeing 196 ministries in Ethiopia. It means that Rose in Burundi leaves behind a life of abuse and wondering if she is loved and instead knows the unshakeable love of Jesus. And it also means that Dèduie in Burkina Faso meets the God who loves him and stops worshiping other gods.
Working together, Pamoja Pamoja, continues. We, Martin, Mungai, and Alexis, declared this past year the “Year of the Holy Spirit,” dedicating a day a month to prayer and fasting, as well as the last 40 days of the fiscal year. God has met us. The people who follow us, the volunteers who pour their lives out for others, and the teens who are affected know the love of Jesus more intimately than ever.
Thank you. Your prayers, your donations, your visits, and your attention has changed the outcome of the lives of so many teens in Africa. Whether your heart goes out to one division or all three, we need you and we are grateful. Together, we anticipate the Holy Spirit continuing to do more than we can ask or imagine.
With great and humble love,
Photo from left to right:
Chigonjetso Gomani
Chigonjetso Gomani is a Young Life leader from Lilongwe, Malawi. She has been passionately serving her team in Lilongwe Central since 2019. The inspiration for this poem is what she has experienced God doing in her life. “Finding Christ was like finding a guiding light,” and she is excited by this opportunity to share her testimony through poetry.
That Light
In the midst of the storm
In that darkness
A light shone bright
Paving a way for me in that tedious night
Young Life is the light
The light that helped me find my footing
The love, the care and support really was and is my guiding light
For I was once lost but through it I find my way back to the Father
For with all the activities I find my way back
With every club, camp and Campaigners I found joy, peace and love
For I now have a stamp of God’s love
The love that lifted me from darkness
Right now I hold a light
As a torch that lights a way for others
For them to know and see the kind of love that surpasses the human understanding
The love that sees no race
The one that knows no weather
The one that is genuine to be used by all
Chigonjetso Gomani (Malawi)
PHOTO: SIERRA LEONE
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.
— Psalm 139: 1-2 (ESV)
Different Ministries
WyldLife
282 Active Ministries
This is a ministry to young students between the ages of 12 and 14. WyldLife leaders seek to model and express God’s love to them by learning their names, hearing their stories, and honoring their God-given desire for a life of fun, adventure, and purpose.
Young Life University
“University is the time when most people are making lifechanging decisions. As a student, I was lucky to have a Young Life leader caring for me. This gave me the passion to be that person for other young people, to help them make the right choices and gain direction for their lives, and introduce them to Jesus.” — Nagu Joseph, Young Life University leader
Young Life Capernaum
24 Active Ministries
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.
YoungLives
This ministry reaches teen moms with mentorship, community, and a life with Christ.
“I am excited about helping in the transformation process of kids, reconnecting them with their parents, restoring their hopes, and helping them grow spiritually. Where relationships have been broken because of disobedience, there is a need for forgiveness and restoration. Because of our relationship with these kids, many of their parents have forgiven them and accepted them back home. Our role as mentors has helped redefine them and has given them a purpose even in what they considered the worst stage of their lives.” — Caroline Dennis, YoungLives coordinator, Liberia
Young Life International Schools
“There are over 30 countries represented in the student body of Haven of Peace Academy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Through meaningful relationships with students, leaders are providing positive, Christ-centered role models to walk beside them. God has changed the hearts of students and grown them into young disciples of Jesus who seek to increase God’s Kingdom.” — Frank Sanchez, area director
Young Life Hope
Young Life is currently piloting a ministry for teenagers living with cancer and other terminal illnesses. We’ve begun in Rwanda and Uganda to learn how leaders can best reach this vulnerable population and their families with the gospel.
Zimbabwe
Malawi
Kenya
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Kenya
The VOLTS Program:
1. Identify and Recruit: Each leader recruits three leaders.
2. Train and Develop: Train these leaders for 12 weeks.
3. Commission and Send: Newly trained leaders are sent to strengthen existing clubs or start new ones.
Projected Impact of the Volunteer Movement by 2030:
• Kids Known by Name: 3–5 million
• Volunteer Leaders: 45,000–80,000
• Kids to Camp: 450,000–600,000
• Kids at Campaigners: 350,000–500,000
• Kids in Club: 880,000–1 million
Volunteer Movement
Volunteer Leaders Training and Sending (VOLTS) Program
Volunteer leaders are the heart and soul of the success of Young Life in Africa. They know over two million teens by name, and carry a clear mission to become disciples who make disciples. By 2030, the vision through the KNOWN campaign is to connect with three to five million teenagers across the continent. We’re well on our way. To achieve this, however, we need more volunteer leaders.
Young Life Africa is promoting volunteer-led initiatives through the program. Team leaders are empowered to become trainers of trainers, which will lead to self-sustaining growth. Leaders across Africa, from vice presidents to club leaders, are committed to recruiting and developing three leaders in three months, guiding them through ministry using the VOLTS program.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Photo: Associate Regional Director Behailu Girma, Area Director Mikiyas Mereke, Regional Director Wonde Baye, Ethiopia
SENEGAL
7% increase in volunteer leaders and 72% increase in kids known by name
SIERRA LEONE
45% increase in volunteer leaders and 94% increase in kids known by name
ZIMBABWE
42% increase in volunteer leaders and 44% increase in kids known by name
By empowering and encouraging team leaders, we are equipping them with the skills and knowledge to train and develop their teams within the mission, vision, and values of Young Life.
— Mungai Kamau
Growth from 2023 to 2024
ETHIOPIA
46% increase in volunteer leaders and 40% increase in kids known by name
KENYA
19% increase in volunteer leaders and 25% increase in kids known by name
TANZANIA
12% increase in volunteer leaders and 44% increase in kids known by name
Women in Leadership
We engage all staff and volunteer leadership — men and women — across Africa with tools and vision to reach more young women. Female leaders are empowered to exercise the call and gifts God puts in their lives. This engagement is a part of every training and leadership gathering throughout Africa. Top leaders empower each other, share best practices, pray together, and strategize. Senior women leaders are selected to meet regularly for extensive leadership training and development. Country coordinators meet throughout the year via technology to create synergy, pray, plan, and expand women’s leadership in their geographies.
Founded by Dyan Larmey in 2018,
The Women’s Leadership Accelerator empowers women across Africa, India, and the Middle East to know and understand their leadership abilities within their roles and the potential to develop new skills. The women who participate join a two-year cohort that meets on a regular basis over Zoom and in person.
As a result, thousands of women across Young Life Africa, India, and the Middle East are built up in leadership at every level in the mission. With new engagement strategies, all leaders (both men and women) have the vision and tools to reach more young women and to help them grow the call that God has placed in their lives.
In Young Life Africa we are intentional about bringing women to the table. But even though we are at the table, we don’t say much, we’re just observant. Going through the Women’s Leadership Accelerator changed my whole perspective on leadership. I am at that table for a purpose: to speak and for people to hear me. Now I can confidently speak up for myself, and I can share my thoughts and my ideas at every table that I am invited to.
— Vice President Frey Desta
At the Table with Frey
A Young Life kid during her high school days, Fireselam (Frey) became a volunteer leader in 2002 and then later joined staff. Frey is a trainer of volunteer leaders, liaison to local churches, an administrator, prayer warrior, and advocate for the love of Jesus. Frey served as an area director and regional director in the capital city of Addis Ababa, running clubs for three different high schools. This community is 80% Muslim, and over half of the population is made up of teenagers, making it a perfect but challenging place for Young Life ministry. Today, Fireselam heads ministry across Ethiopia while serving as vice president of the Ethiopia Geography in the Africa East Division. As someone that women in the mission look to, we asked Frey what the Women’s Leadership Accelerator meant to her.
1. How did you start following Jesus?
I came to know Jesus when I was a high school student through my older sister, Emebet. She told me about her new relationship with Jesus, and it made me want that too. She invited me to church with her, and I said yes to Jesus there.
2. What did you learn about God from attending Young Life as a teenager, and how did that nurture your faith?
I wanted to grow my relationship with Christ but didn’t know how. I heard about Young Life from a leader who was visiting my school and decided to check it out. I was excited to know the leaders and see how willing they were to help me grow. They taught me how to read my Bible and pray. Because of this, I knew I wanted to be a Young Life leader to impact others in the same way. When I first joined Young Life, I was very new in my faith. But Young Life taught me how to have quiet time with the Lord every morning to grow a relationship with Him.
3. Tell me about going through the Women’s Leadership Accelerator. How did you grow? What did you learn? What surprised you? My experience being in the first cohort of the program was amazing. I didn’t know what I had said yes to, but just being part of that helped me understand myself more and also helped me have confidence in my leadership. I learned how to identify my dependable strengths and my gifts and how to use them in the mission. Self-awareness was the most surprising thing I learned.
4. How did you use what you learned from the Women’s Leadership Accelerator in your roles as area director and regional director? After I learned how to identify my gifts, I started leading with confidence and knowing myself better and investing in my leaders. It changed my leadership style; also, I brought professionalism to everything that we were doing. So even my leaders understood there was a change in me.
5. As you transitioned into the role of vice president, what skills have you found to be most helpful that you learned from the program?
Being a regional director and now being a VP, the program helped me to turn around and give the training to others. It’s a different experience. I’m going back to the same lessons that I learned before and teaching it! How to lead up and lead in and how to have crucial conversations and how to stand up for yourself and lead in confidence.
6. How have you seen growth in the women around you that went through the program?
I have seen lots of change from the women leaders who have gone through the program. I see their confidence built up and their leadership change. People start seeing them. Senior leaders start seeing them and are looking for them. They are able to bring themselves out with confidence. A lot of them got promoted afterwards because they started showing their potential instead of hiding it. In our culture, we are quiet and reserved, but this opens up an opportunity for them to be seen.
Kids Known by Name
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.
Kids in Campaigners
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. Kids Known by Name
2,113,760
Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. — Isaiah 54:2 (ESV)
Kids to Camp Kids in Campaigners Number of Ministries
166,636
129,906
3,970
AFRICA WEST
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: MARIAMA AND CHRISTINA
It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. — Luke 5:31-32 (NIV)
Leaving Addiction Behind
Mariama’s Journey of Faith and Forgiveness in Sierra Leone
Suffering from drug addiction, Mariama was expelled from school after getting caught taking the deadly drug, Kush. Then she became pregnant and her father, a Muslim, sent her out of the house. Mariama was reduced to sleeping on neighbors’ porches or the street, where she was abused.
Christina, a Young Life leader, observed Mariama and befriended her. They became so close that Mariama felt like she was a sister and shared her past with her. Mariama agreed to go to a Young Life club with Christina, but felt shy and ashamed of her past. The speaker quoted Luke 5:31–32 which says, “Jesus answered them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call
the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’” Mariama was moved by the Holy Spirit, and she gave her life to Jesus.
Mariama started going to a local church which has become her church home. Her pastor encouraged her to apologize to her parents and ask for forgiveness. Seeing that Mariama had changed, they forgave her. Her pastor visited their home once Mariama was back, ministering to Mariama’s parents, and they too have decided to live for Jesus. Not only that, they have now extended the hospitality of their home as a place for Campaigners to meet. While Mariama awaits the birth of her baby, she continues to learn more about the love of Jesus as she grows her faith.
From Animism to Faith
Freedom in Burkina Faso
Dèdui is growing up in a household that practices animism, a belief system that imbues everything with a soul. In animism animals, rocks, plants, mountains, rivers, and stars all have powerful spirits that are to be worshiped and feared. They use spells, amulets, charms, and talismans to protect themselves from evil spirits and appease the good ones.
The practice of animism does not prohibit the consumption of alcohol or harmful substances, so Dèdui went out to nightclubs almost every night — a life he was proud of. Then he met Sia, a volunteer Young LIfe leader who invited him to Young Life club. He turned down the invitation, but Sia did not give up. Instead, he continued to build a relationship in order to win the right to be heard. Dèdui eventually acquiesced, deciding to join Sia at a Young Life club.
Dèdui could hardly believe how many people his age there were, and he was astounded by the fun and crazy games they played. Strangers felt like friends, and the joy was overwhelming. Dèdui heard about
Young Life camp and really wanted to go. Of course Sia got him there!
Dèdui couldn’t wait to share a room with his new friends. Camp proved to be a safe space for him, and he attended every activity, always with a huge smile on his face. He listened carefully to the talks from the speaker and asked a lot of questions during cabin time. He asked Sia to better explain the Bible. They had a long talk, and all of his questions were answered. Knowing that Jesus was the way, Dèdui accepted Jesus into his life on the last day of camp. He surrendered his life to God and has not returned to his past life. His parents have accepted his Christianity, so he is set to grow in his faith unencumbered, and he is praying that his parents will learn to love Jesus as well.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (NIV)
MARIAMA
AFRICA WEST YOUNG LIFE CAMP
DÈDUI
AFRICA EAST
Mercy Muraga
A Beacon of Hope for the Next Generation in Kenya
When Mercy was 5 years old, the first Young Life Kenya club was established in her neighborhood, Kahawa West, Nairobi. Now, as Young Life Kenya celebrates 20 years of ministry, Mercy serves as the neighborhood volunteer team leader of this renowned Kenyan Young Life club.
Born into a Christian family, Mercy was introduced to God by her mother. She sought to know God for herself as a teen, and in 2015, she met Jamila Wangui, a Young Life leader who invited her to a Young Life camp. Mercy started a personal relationship with Jesus while at camp, one that was independent of her mother’s influence. Her relationship with Jesus has since grown stronger, and she has introduced many teenagers to Him in her neighborhood, Soweto Slums.
Mercy’s involvement in Young Life Kahawa West has been a journey of building friendships and connections. Mercy’s drive shows the next generation that success is possible, even from Soweto. Growing up, Mercy faced significant stigmatization due to her body size, which led her to withdraw from social interactions. However, through Young Life, she found a supportive community and friends who have become like family.
In a neighborhood where few venture out to achieve success, leaving girls without role models, Mercy aimed high. She benefited from the Developing Global Leaders (DGL) program and graduated from university, becoming an inspiration for other girls to strive for higher goals. Mercy’s drive comes from her desire to be a role model for the next generation of girls, showing them that success is possible even in Soweto.
As a neighborhood team leader, Mercy oversees three types of Young Life ministries: WyldLife, Young Life Neighborhood Ministry, and YoungLives. These ministries collectively reach over 200 teens weekly, supported by 15 leaders, with five focusing on each ministry. Mercy finds joy in developing these leaders who reach out to more teenagers and help them grow in their faith.
“I feel incredibly encouraged when I see leaders step out of their comfort zones and grow in ministry,” Mercy says. “An example is Agnes, who I challenged to start a WyldLife club, and she did. Now she leads one of the strongest WyldLife clubs in Nairobi, and the kids absolutely adore her. Watching her grow into a leadership role gives me hope that we will continue to cultivate great leaders for tomorrow.”
A significant challenge is the migration of leaders seeking better opportunities or more education. This creates a gap in the ministry, making leadership continuity difficult. Mercy addresses this by ensuring that a new group of leaders begins development immediately after a previous group is commissioned, sustaining leadership within the ministry.
Mercy’s involvement in Young Life has empowered her to become a leader in both her area and the broader community. In addition to her role as a Young Life volunteer
Mercy Muraga
leader, she is a community advocate, frequently interacting with teens and families in her neighborhood. She has earned the trust and respect of parents, facilitating her work during contact work and Campaigners meetings.
Mercy also runs a feeding program in her neighborhood, providing hot meals to children on the weekends. This program also serves as a mobilizing strategy, reminding kids that they are invited to club after lunch and helping her reconnect with Campaigners who might have drifted away during the week.
Mercy’s vision for Kahawa West is to rejuvenate the school ministry in both high schools and primary schools, as well as at a neighboring university. Mercy says, “Young Life Kahawa West is more than just a club; it is a family where members
Young Life Kahawa West is more than just a club; it is a family where members learn from each other, have fun, and grow together both as a family and in their Christian faith.
— Mercy Mugara
learn from each other, have fun, and grow together both as a family and in their Christian faith.”
Hope Immeasurable
Babra’s Journey of Healing and Forgiveness Through Young Life
in Uganda
Eighteen-year-old Babra is part of the Obwanai Pallisa Young Life club in Eastern Uganda. In her younger years, Babra was so loved by her parents. As she grew older, secure in their love, she began to believe she could behave without consequences and started acting out. This broke trust with her parents. Like many teenagers, Babra felt her parents were constantly picking on her, and she was sure she could never please them. As a result, she built emotional walls and frequently found herself in trouble.
Babra’s parents confronted her about her behavior, sharing their disappointment. Deeply resentful and feeling misunderstood, Babra attempted suicide. She was rushed to the hospital where she recovered physically, but she continued to harbor bitterness, all the while longing for the love and care she once received from her parents.
A few weeks later, Babra met Oliva, a Young Life leader who invited her to Young Life club. In 2023, Oliva took Babra to a Young Life camp. Here Babra heard about the immeasurable love and forgiveness of Jesus to set her free. She surrendered her life to Jesus Christ as her personal savior. She began to feel hope for the first time in a long time.
After camp, Babra longed to reconcile with her parents, but didn’t know how to begin. She asked Oliva and a senior
Young Life leader, Michael, to come with her to her home and help her talk to them. They visited Babra’s home and the Holy Spirit intervened, successfully beginning to heal the breach. This reconciliation restored her relationship with her parents, and she has since found peace and returned to school.
Babra is grateful to God and Young Life leaders for the love and support they have given her. She is grateful for Oliva and Michael for continuing to journey alongside her. She says that she has seen Jesus in the love and care she received in Young Life; she hopes to share the same with other teenagers. Babra knows that she might not have lived without God’s loving-kindness, and she gives Him glory.
BABRA AND OLIVA
AFRICA SOUTH
SELEMANI TEACHING FROM THE BIBLE
From the Streets to Salvation
The Transformation of Selemani from Malawi
My name is Selemani Mussa, most of my childhood has been spent in the bustling streets of Malawi’s commercial city of Blantyre. My parents passed away when I was young, I grew up with my grandmother and then eventually I found myself living in the street as what some would call a “Street Kid.” I spent my days and nights in the streets, surrounded by my gang life, moving from one market to another, begging for food, and fighting to survive. I became the most notorious gang leader, my family distanced themselves from me, and I often found myself in trouble, either with the law or with people I tried to rob. I was lost, with no hope for a better future.
One day, I met a man named John Disi. He saw something in me that no one else did. John invited me to live at Mthunzi Ministries, a shelter for boys like me who had grown up on the streets. Even there, my behavior didn’t change immediately. I still stole food, bullied others, and caused trouble. It seemed like nothing could change me.
At Mthunzi, there was a volunteer caretaker named Charles. He would take us to a club called “Young Life.” At first, I thought it was just a fun place to hang out. But over time, I realized it was more than that. It was a place where we were taught about Jesus, something I had never encountered before. I found it hard to relate to the other kids at Young Life because their lives seemed so much easier than mine. The only person who truly took the time to understand me was Charles.
Charles was patient and kind. He would sit with me and teach me basic life skills that I had never learned before. He never gave up on me, in fact, he made it a point to visit me
and teach me more about the Bible. We started doing DBS (Discovery Bible Study) together, and although I initially found it difficult to understand, Charles was persistent. He would share verses like John 3:16 and explain their meaning to me. Growing up as a Muslim, I had never heard about Jesus in this way. Charles fed me the word of God slowly, like a mother feeding her baby, and gradually, I began to understand that Jesus died for me.
One day during a DBS session, Charles shared the story of Zacchaeus, the man who wanted to see Jesus but was seen by Jesus first. This story spoke to my heart. Just like Zacchaeus, I realized that Jesus had seen me first and wanted to save me. That day, I gave my life to Him.
After accepting Jesus into my life, I continued going to Young Life club meetings and Campaigners with Charles. He invited me to camp, and I saw how the leaders and kids interacted with each other. It made me want to become someone people wanted to be around. My notorious past made it difficult for anyone to trust me, but now I had a chance to build new relationships. I wanted to inspire other kids who had grown up like me. Some of my friends saw the change in me and came to Mthunzi for a chance at a better life.
If I hadn’t met Christ through Young Life, my life would have taken a very different path. I am completely transformed. I am the captain of our foster home’s soccer team, and the caretakers trust me with money, food, and other important responsibilities. They see me as a trustworthy young man. In the future, I want to finish my studies and become a pastor, so I can reach out to kids who grew up on the streets like me. For now, I want to be where God’s work is being done, wherever the people of God are gathered. I currently help Charles as a team leader for his area, leading a team of seven leaders at the BCA club in Blantyre, Malawi. My life has changed in ways I never thought possible, and I owe it all to the love and patience of people like Charles and the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
A Heart to Know God
A Journey of Hope and Inspiration in Burundi
Rose met Obeissance at one of the local spots in her neighborhood where young girls love hanging out. As a good Young Life leader does, Rose soon learned about Obeissance. Obeissance was unhappy and carried a lot of burdens from growing up with an uncle who mistreated her. As the friendship grew, they talked not just about the problems in life, but also about Jesus. Obeissance remembers the life-changing day when she gave her heart to Christ. “That day reminds me of the strengthening words that Rose said to me; it is from that day that I understood that the love of Jesus is unconditional.” Obeissance has been walking with Jesus since that day. “Although I
was experiencing the grace of God in my life, it was not until I went to Campaigners that my eyes were opened. I was amazed at how Rose was teaching us how to read the Bible, it felt like I had been reading the Bible wrong my whole life. The things I was learning began to strengthen my heart.”
Obeissance desires to be a Young Life leader as well. She has courage, and her dream is to add to the number of female leaders in her neighborhood of Bujumbura, the capital city of Burundi. Rose is encouraged by Obeissance’s faith, and even though she is young, she has a heart to know God day to day.
Camping Across Africa
The year 2023 was a year like no other for teens in South Sudan. After months of contact work and clubs, Young Life volunteers finally held the first camp. Like many Young Life camps, the leaders and work crew welcomed teenagers for the best experience of their lives. They danced, shared stories, and laughed, setting the tone for an unforgettable experience.
Deborah from the Tent of Meeting Club shared her joy about being a camper. She had so much fun playing games and dancing. The gospel message from the speaker had a great effect. Although she didn’t come in with much experience of Christ or church, hearing about God’s love and sacrifice inspired her to draw closer to God and serve Him.
South Sudan
Deborah found it difficult to open up to others, but the love and kindness of the leaders made her comfortable enough to share deeply with both her leader and cabin members. She is grateful to the Young Life leaders for bringing this good news to their community and country, and she hopes to one day become a leader herself.
Camp was a huge success, and the South Sudanese team is preparing now for a second camp this year. They’ve grown so much, know so many more young people to invite, have more volunteer leaders, and know that all of these things will help make the gospel available to the next generation in South Sudan. There is great privilege and power in being able to share the good news of Jesus with the newest country in the world!
ETHIOPIA
SOUTH SUDAN
HORN OF
Polycap Timoh was orphaned at age 12. No relative or friend of his late parents was able to shoulder the responsibility of raising him and his siblings, and he grew up feeling disappointed and abandoned. Polycap became selfdestructive, choosing drugs, alcohol, and immorality. He often stayed away for weeks at a time only to return late at night.
He saw a sports camp going on in Cameroon, and thought it would be a great place to sell drugs. Instead, he began listening to Donald, the camp speaker. The willingness of Jesus’ sacrifice to save his life from sin touched Polycap. Overcome with emotion, Polycap fell to his knees and cried out, “Jesus Christ, please help me, please help me out of this lifestyle, please.” Donald noticed how affected Polycap seemed and approached him to pray with him. Polycap accepted Jesus Christ into his life and asked for forgiveness.
After camp, Polycap asked Donald and other Young Life leaders if he could stay with them for a while as he tried to change his ways. Donald said yes. Polycap’s relationship with Jesus grew stronger through regular prayer, fasting, reading the Bible at home, and attending Campaigners meetings. Polycap’s rehabilitation lasted for four months, after which he returned home, strong enough to resist his old temptations.
“My rehabilitation is not only physical but also spiritual. I did not just leave my bad lifestyle, but I have made Jesus the center of my life and feel good about my new life. Thank God for saving me, and thanks to Donald and the Young Life family.”
CAMEROON SIERRA LEONE
BURKINA FASO SENEGAL GHANA
OF AFRICA KENYA
UGANDA
Thank
You
Thank you. Because of you, teens in Africa get to hear the good news of a God who sees them and loves them. Leaders walk into communities and are catalysts for change. Teens hear that good news, know the love of Jesus, and they themselves grow into followers of Him. They become leaders: Young Life leaders, community leaders, faith leaders, leaders in their families. Disciple-makers are making disciplemakers. Without your generosity, none of this would happen. We are grateful.
Côte d’Ivoire
Sierra Leone
Ghana
Ways to Get Involved
Go to Africa
Travel with us to see countries and ministries firsthand.
Contact Tina Atkinson tatkinson@younglife.org
Join a Regional Team
Work together with others to build community as you support a country or region of ministry.
Become a Staff Sponsor
Develop deep cross-cultural friendships that support the mission of kids in Africa meeting Christ.
For Africa East, contact John Thompson jpthompson@intl.younglife.org
For Africa South, contact Matt Ward rmward@sc.younglife.org
For Africa West, contact Casey Prescott cprescott@younglife.org
africa.younglife.org