Sister Led Youth Initiative (SLYI)

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SR. Carol Bacia – LSMIG

National Coordinator, ARU-SLYIU

SR. Elizabeth Musau

Assistant National Coordinator, ARU-SLYIU

History

History of the Initiative:
Gulu Ecclesiastical Province covering the four dioceses of Arua, Nebbi, Gulu and Lira had suffered rebel instability from 1987 to 2006, which caused a lot of internal displacement of the people, abductions and rape, social unrest, death, disease and escalating poverty. With such a situation, the outstanding victims were and continue to be mainly children, women and youth.
As a starting point therefore, the Association of Religious in Uganda, using its network of member Institutes of Consecrated men and women in the region, came up with a Youth Empowerment Initiative first piloted in Gulu Ecclesiastical Province targeting the youth between 15 to 25 years old. This was to address the pastoral concerns raised by the Maijor Superiors during their Annual General Meeting (AGM December 18, 2019) at the Secretariat. Six representatives of Religious Institutes from Northern Uganda actively involved in youth ministries participated. These were:
1. Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate of Gulu (LSMIG).
2. Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (SHS) of Moyo in Arua.
3. Missionary Sisters of Mary Mother of the Church (MSMMC) in Lira.
4. The Brothers of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (BIHM) (Mariam Brothers) in Arua.
5. The Franciscan Brothers in Nebbi, Catholic Diocese.
6. Daughters of Merciful Love of Jesus and Mary Queen of Apostles (DMLJMQA) in Arua.

The expressed plight of the youth was a call to urgently intensify every effort possible in evangelizing the youth who rapidly teem in numbers. This was translated into a GOAL “To Strengthen the Pastoral and Social involvement of Women and Men Religious for greater Evangelization”, hoping to see an increased number of Religious with greater involvement in Family Apostolate and social concerns of the people of God.

Achievements

i. 2021/2022- 2024: So far the initiative has reached 1,100 beneficiaries skilled in assorted trades.

ii. Working with religious of one mind grounded good progress. The religious are motherly to the youth who experienced trauma due to domestic violence before enrollment. Through Mentorship, counselling and guidance and accompaniment, the youth acquired skills, built confidence, feel empowered emotionally and they are psycho-socially balanced, promoting peace with no cases of crime committed by them.

iii. The gift and reception of the Assistant National Program Coordinator (March, 2024) Rev. Sr. Elizabeth Katunge Musau, from the Institute of the Sisters of Mary Reparatrix (SMR) is an achievement.

Our Impact

  1. Vocational training (2021-2022): 338 youths skilled. Sustainable Agricultural Training (2021/2022/2023): 70 Youths Skilled
  2. Mentorship, counselling and guidance (2021/2022/2023): 776 youths profited to be emotionally balanced
  3. The youth believe that hard work can shame poverty. The changed mindset of the youth toward a culture of work and productivity for wealth-creation/self-sustainability is key to this. So far, the impact is more than what was projected at the beginning of the project because the community as key stakeholder has benefitted from the skills of the youth.
  4.  Good Collaboration with the institutions and participation of the religious as administrators and key mobilisers.

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