CWM News: Good shepherds to Zambian youth

Delinquency and poverty are major issues for Zambian youth found returning missionary Rev Fereti Tutuila. The church can provide direction and care for them.

Flowers laid on gravestones don't last long in Lusaka. Children scour cemeteries for flowers hoping to resell them. Others roam around looking for a chance to steal.

Day by day children are on the streets begging. They accompany blind people asking for help, getting their meals from trash bins, sleeping by the roadside with plastic bags tied round them for warmth.

Young people are in a critical state in terms of moral values. Debate is raging as to why this is so and who is responsible.

Church youth are addressing the problems their generation faces

The youth are also crying out for the kind of equality where anyone's problem is everyone's problem and where nobody is marginalised.

As CWM missionary Rev Fereti Tutuila ministered at St Andrew's Church in Lusaka he noted that elders and clergy are only minimally involved with the youth. "With our 100 per cent involvement we will know them and they will follow our direction because they recognise our voice," he says.

St Andrew's Church youth department comprises of Sunday school, youth fellowship and a Boys' Brigade and Girls' Brigade. Church youth are addressing the problems their generation faces by getting involved in a wide range of church activities such as small projects, fundraising, visitations and counselling.

Tutuila says: "Although HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria and high poverty levels are hitting them, their faith is firmly anchored onto the Lord, leading to growing in mission."

Tutuila helped respond to youth problems by putting in place a social welfare committee to give whatever the church could manage to homeless children, and creating youth projects, such as a brick-making scheme.

He tried to be with families grieving over sick children, and constituted an HIV/AIDS committee to work with the church marriage guidance committee.

"I still have a passion to go back to the ministry in Africa," he says.

Rev Fereti and Sosefina Tutuila from the Congregational Christian Church in Samoa served the United Church of Zambia at St Andrew's Church in Lusaka for five years.