Youths urged to develop resilient hearts, shun despair

South Ankole Diocese Bishop Rt Rev Nathan Ahimbisibwe prays for the Commissioner Sports and Physical education Rev Can Dancuns Mugumya during the Closure of the south Ankole youth Convention on Sunday. PHOTO | PEREZ RUMANZI
What you need to know:
- Bishop Rt. Rev. Nathan Ahimbisibwe emphasised the importance of engaging young people in behavior change to increase positive thinking.
Youths have been argued to develop resilient hearts and avoid despair even when they feel they may have done a lot of sins, violated rules or injured many feelings or have been hurt by others.
The call was made as over 3,000 youths gathered at Kyamate Secondary School in Ntungamo municipality for the 10th annual youth convention of the South Ankole Diocese. The event, which aimed at spiritual renewal, brought together young people from across the region to reflect on their lives and faith.
Rev. Can. Dr. Dancuns Mugumya, Commissioner in charge of sports and physical education, emphasised the importance of resilience and hope among young people.
"Most young people lose hope because they have been abused, they become desperate and hate life at times because they have sinned and done wrong," he said. "But I tell you, God can restore you and make you someone important."
Mugumya also highlighted the challenges facing young people, including participation in strikes, substance abuse, and sexual immorality. He encouraged them to stop looking at their past mistakes as setbacks, but rather as motivating factors to push forward in their life development.
Ms Lillian Ahimbisibwe, wife of the Diocese Bishop, spoke about the dangers of social media, which she described as one of the greatest challenges facing the current generation.
"While many of you are using social media for good things, it's becoming a great challenge," she said. "Many have become lost in it. We need to have young people who know what to look for, know how to use social media to spread the Gospel of Goodness of God."
Bishop Rt. Rev. Nathan Ahimbisibwe emphasised the importance of engaging young people in behavior change to increase positive thinking.
"The youth form a bigger part of the population of the country," he said. "As leaders, we must focus on their development. We must engage them in all activities, but most importantly, train them to live positively."
The convention was held under the theme "Imitating God's Goodness by Doing Good." It featured speeches, prayers, and reflections, and was attended by young people from across the region.