JCAM

I was introduced to Ignatian spirituality about twenty years ago during my religious formation. Looking back, I believe that this prepared me for this special journey and mission.

Economically, the country was experiencing run-away hyper-inflation that set a new world record. There was shortage of basic goods in shops, and when they were available their prices simply prevented the majority poor from accessing them, especially given that many had been rendered jobless by the closure of several companies.

I first started with CEPAS to work on their Congo-Afrique journal, the centre's organ of communication which publishes articles on topics such as; the economy, politics, and social and cultural life.

For many years as I grew up, I lived by the conviction that my destiny was to develop myself in the engineering career. I grew up in a mining town, in Mufulira, Zambia and seeing the prospering lives of engineers of all kinds who worked for the mines, I felt attracted to the good life that those engineers led. At the same time, I grew up in a very Catholic family and so from very early on I had a strong desire to become a priest. So, for the first three decades of my life, my vision of life oscillated between serving my own personal career goals and the deeper goals of serving God and humanity.

My first involvement in HIV and AIDS ministry happened in 2003. I was sent as regent to the new Jesuit organization, African Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN), created by the Jesuit Major Superiors of Africa and Madagascar and put under the leadership of Fr Michael Czerny. Being part of the infancy of AJAN became also the beginning of the journey into the reality of HIV/AIDS and issues related to it.

Père Stanislas’ concern is to make the children and youths living on the streets understand that children are not born of the streets, that life continues to be sacred, that family continues to be the basic unit of society and that each person has a unique value in the eyes of God. May Mgr. Munzihirwa intercede for the centre, which carries his name, so that we may give renewed spirit, joy and love for life to the so-called street children.

In 2016, I found myself elected delegation leader to two foreign business trips on behalf a huge government corporation with interest in a variety of business sectors. This came about following my appointment to sit on the Board of Directors of the same the corporation.

When one hears about South Sudan in the news, one is most likely hears news about the civil war or sad news from the many refugee camps where the South Sudanese people live. That is only one part of the story. There are other positive stories coming out of South Sudan which need to be told.

Being a young, optimistic, enthusiastic and charismatic catholic, I am strongly moved by ecology and how people behave on matters to do with ecology. The environment is a gift given to us by God.

For a long time Africa has been considered as a “hopeless” continent, a continent whose story is that of wars, violence, injustice, dictators, poverty, disease and a lot of other misfortunes. However, there are clear signs across Africa that this ‘story’ is about to change as we witness a new generation of young Africans taking action.