Undergraduate Projects/Long Essays

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End date: 2009Subject: search.filters.subject.Youth

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    Challenges in Evangelization Among the Youth in Embu Diocese
    (Tangaza University College, 2005) Erastus Njagi, Nthiga
    What is known as Embu Diocese presently was a part of Meru diocese. Embu became a diocese only in 1986 under the leadership of Bishop John Njue; The Salesians of Don Bosco Set foot on what would be later called Embu Diocese in 1980 to be a part of great force in evangelization among the youth started by the Consolata Fathers in 1920s.2 My essay is organized in four areas each of which provide a broad view and insights to possible solutions to challenges in evangelization. In Chapter one I will try to bring out the essential elements in evangelization and their implications. The nature of each of the elements will be explained in relation to evangelization. I will attempt to show how these elements could affect evangelization if they are not accorded their due importance. Lastly I will indicate how these elements lie within the plan of God for humanity. In Chapter II, I will expound how young people could fail to acquire the essence of evangelization. In this section under review will be youth and the evangelizer, youth and catechesis, and youth and communication. In Chapter III I will investigate how the nature of the evangelizer is a pastoral challenge while Chapter IV will be my recommendations and lastly conclusion.
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    YOUTH SCCS: A Critical Analysis of How the Youth SCCs can be an Effective means of Evangelization in
    (Tangaza University College, 2004) Mwanza, Silvester
    In my first three years as a student in the Society of African Mission (SMA) 1995-98, I was involved in the weekend apostolate with the SCCs in my home parish, St. Charles Lwanga in Kabwe, Zambia. My work involved visiting the SCCs and helping them in anyway they wanted. However, I was intrigued to discover that in all the 30 SCCs I visited, most of the Youths and most of the Men were missing. During a couple of occasions, 1 tried to ask the members who were present of which the majority where women as to why there was an apathy especially among the Youths. The answer 1 got was that 'the Youths of nowadays are just too difficult to understand. We have tried to encourage them to come but all our efforts have been fruitless'. On one or two occasions, I tried to engage my Parish Priest on the same issue but his response was that, 'the Youths of these days have rebelled against the church. We just hope the Holy Spirit is going to intervene soon'. These responses never satisfied my whims. Therefore after four years, I decided to revisit the same issue through this opportunity, which we have been given here at Tangaza College. I was motivated to analyze critically this issue and find out what are the main reasons, which make the Youths not to attend the SCCs. I chose the Youths because I believe that the quality of Church of tomorrow depends on the quality of the Youths of today. This has been my main goal in this research; to try and go to the root causes that make the Youths lose interest in participating actively in the SCCs and then try and offer some suggestions on how this apathy could be alleviated.
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    Youth and Vocation Promotion
    (Tangaza University College, 2002-02) Nyalazi, Ruth Christine
    Our true and ultimate meaning in life is God who is able to bring us to the realisatiorpof who we are and what our human destiny is in the real sense. Our life is a gift from God. God who created us in his own image and likeness, wants us to become the best we can and to make our world a better place. All of us are created with a particular purpose in life and to co-create and to sustain life in different and various ways. We often ask ourselves in life: How can we know what God wants of us? How can we discover the gifts God has given us? In the family, the basic unit of human society, we experience our first encounter with life in human society. The invitation to full participation in life begins here. As we grow up, we feel the need to be involved in life beyond ourselves, to contribute to the growth of the human society, to care for God's creation and to be life giving. There are challenges to embrace a life that is life giving. To say yes to life and then to live it, we need someone with whom we can share about ourselves and our vocation in life. Vocations are currently flourishing in Africa and this is a blessing. However, it calls for a lot of prudence and courtesy in helping discern genuine vocations. Looking at the situations we face in Africa, we need to assess the surge in vocations with other socio-economic factors like rising unemployment, low standard of education. poverty and war. We need to assess properly the motives of those opting for Religious life/Priesthood. This is a challenge to most African communities, but God calls us from where we are, in the situations we are in. to serve him in diverse ways. No vocational choice is better than the other. Consecrated Iife is an option that is not so much understood in most African cultures; yet more and more young people express their desire to embrace it. How do we help them answer this calling, especially the call to Religious life/Priesthood? This paper will serve as a manual for vocation promoters who need first to know what it means to be involved in this ministry. In Chapter One, we will try to define what vocation is in the context of our times, bringing to awareness that all of us are called to a particular mission in life. We will then go to Chapter Two where we will explore different youth issues that can be of help in making life choices and which vocation accompaniers need to know. Chapter Three follows and we will look at Youth, Environment and Vocations where we see factors that surround them in daily life that can hinder them in realising a genuine response. This calls for vocation accompaniers to journey with young people in ways that will allow them to open themselves to God's prompting through discernment. We will then proceed to Chapter Four by looking at the crucial issues that we need to encounter in helping young people discern vocation to Religious life/Priesthood; where we assess their motives using different way,. The accompaniers need to be aware of elements in discernment and we will suggest a tentative programme for a discernment workshop. In Chapter Five, we will do some theological reflection on vocation promotion. It is here that the vocation stories in the Bible form a basis for our own calling. We will conclude this paper with apostolic exhortations and other documents, which are practical suggestions that address the youth, themselves, parents, men and women of good will and the consecrated people. Vocation Promotion is a work that each of us must contribute to.
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    Use of Alternative Media to Rethink Agikuyu Traditional Practices Among Agikuyu Youth Of Mweiga Location
    (Tangaza University College, 2006) Wamaitha Kibicho, Rose
    Chapter one deals with the introduction, statement of the problem, objectives, research questions, assumptions of the study, justification and significance of the study, scope and delimitations and purpose of the study. It also reviews the relevant literature on the specific problem of the investigation. The review concentrates on traditional practices, electronic media and Agikuyu youth of Mweiga Location. Chapter two goes further to detail the methods that were used in gathering and analyzing the data. It has the description of the research instruments (interview guide, case study and observation guide). The chapter points out the role of communication and its theories namely: cultural imperialism, selectivity and ethnocentrism and relates them with the research. Chapter three presents the elaboration of the application how alternative media can be used to rethink Agikuyu traditional practices especially female initiation and traditional medicine. Bringing about electronic media and traditional medicine awareness to Agikuyu youth of Mweiga location. The aspects, which can be borrowed from initiation and relevance/application today. 'the chapter goes further to propose a project.
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    The Youth, Alcohol and The Media Focusing On How the Radio Can Be Used to Highlight The Issue of Alcohol Abuse Among the Youth
    (Tangaza University College, 2007) Wanjiku Mbogo, Sarah
    The research focuses on the youth studying in higher learning institutions like College and Universities who live in Umoja I estate. They comprise both genders, between the ages 18-30. The study focuses on how the radio as a form of media used by the young people can be used to sensitize the issue of alcohol influences among the youth. Umoja 1 Estate is located about 11 kilometres from Nairobi's Central Business District on the eastern side of Nairobi province. It is in Embakasi division and one of the most densely populated areas in Nairobi. Umoja has a population of about 43.526, occupies 149 EIHS and 18Sq/ Km and has two market places; one open air market, and collection of stalls. The youth of Umoja I have varied occupations. some in school and college and, others are employed, self employed, and many others unemployed. There are several recreational places in Umoja where the youth can be found, examples include pubs, video show rooms, and youth clubs.
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    The Impact of Television on the Concept of Marriage among the Youth
    (2006) Maagu, Beatrice
    The media is the latest agent of socialization. As such, its pervasiveness has raised a lot of concern. The media has been variously used as a power tool by the elite in society from time immemorial. Whilst Gutenberg's invention brought the masses into the previously exclusive world of enlightenment, it did not reverse the balance of power. Whereas knowledge was officially a preserve of a few people and guarded jealously before the advent of mass media, now it is generated by a few people and sometimes with the purpose of misinformation'. It has had both negative and positive effects on society.
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    Impact of the Radio and Television in Pentecostal Movements on the Catholic Youth
    (Tangaza University College, 2005-02) Jenga, Fred
    The permanent bureau of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar meeting in Accra Ghana in 1993, issued a document New Christian Movements in Africa and Madagascar' in which it observed that contemporary Africa is witnessing an explosion of new religious movements. Mainline Churches such as the Catholic Church have been greatly affected, losing substantial numbers of the youth to these new groups. The new movements are promising quick happiness, contentment and purpose in life to the hundreds of thousands of young people they are attracting into their ranks. This constitutes an urgent pastoral challenge to the Catholic Church.
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    Identity Formation of the Youth in Nairobi: The Role of Television
    (Tangaza University College, 2007) Murigi, Mwangi Stephen
    Over the last decade, in relation to the liberalization of the economy and the airwaves, most Third world countries have seen an incredible development of media outlets, especially in urban centers. Because of global media monopolization and higher advancement in media technologies from the West, many African countries have found themselves receiving information and media content coming from the West. This one-way flow of information has led to a kind of contemporary colonization, which is psychological in nature. Through the media, Africa has progressively embraced 'western" values and ideals that have lead to the loss of indigenous cultural identities in the continent. The urbanized dwellers are generally consistent with the style of life proposed by the media. Some of the youths even consider their cultural practices as backward, without first understanding what they represented. Being a youth, I have noticed that, it has become very fashionable to be 'westernized'; to dress in the latest 'western' designer fashion, talk with an American accent and even adopt the western types of food. The mass media can be used both positively and negatively, and this applies for the consequent effects as well. My project suggests that we can use the media positively. It attempts to counter the effects of television resulting from the negative use of the media, effects such as identity loss and confusion, which ultimately leads to a low self perception or image.
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    Discipleship (A Series of Retreat Conferences)
    (Tangaza University College, 2006-01-31) Maloba, Charles
    The term disciple-mathetai is rather broad. It includes 'apostles,' the twelve,' [c.f. Mt 10:1; 11:1; 13:10, 14:15.22.29, Lk 6:40, 19:161, 'The multitude' or 'the crowd' that trails Jesus, Lk 6:13.17, 19:37 etc. Discipleship is an offer and invitation which Jesus makes to any persons and everyone he chooses; apostles Mk1:16-20 or otherwise Lk 9; 23 and the responses by those called/chosen/invited. Discipleship is an act of God, miracle by divine grace; c.f. Gen 18:14, Zech 8:5-8. A person receives a call to discipleship only in obedience and surrender c.f. Mk 1:16-20, 2:14-17, 3:23-29 Acts 9:1-22. Discipleship and following of God involves whole nation- Israel is called and chosen, groups-apostles, special groups-singers of temple liturgy c.f. IChron. 25:8, families-Simon Peter and his brother James, individuals- Judas Iscariot. Part of this discipleship is follow me, walk after me. This goes on to explain relationship between realities of higher and lower orders, teacher-pupil expressing deference and service of the taught to the teacher or leader-follower indicating loyalty and service of the latter to the former, Jesus-disciple relationship. The new discipleship demands understanding like which Jesus himself shows to his disciples. It is inspired by Jesus and demanded by him. This new discipleship does not fit with the usual rabbinic phenomena prevalent then. Let us have a glimpse of how it is in comparison with the new discipleship that Jesus brings: Jesus calls each person to discipleship. In his time he called groups, individuals- the rich young ruler. And he calls you and me today. The disciple is a person called by God- Jesus to be with him and to be sent our [vertical and horizontal dimensions]. Jesus does not have a specific age which he prefers. Each age is preferable for discipleship. He calls young people as well as older people. He calls different people to different ministries in the church and the world. Jesus calls some people to a very specific ministry in the church and others to very specific professions/ ministries in the secular world. This retreat wants to speak to hearts about discipleship both for lay young people and candidates for religious life and ministry. Retreats are special moments to reach out to people. They can be powerful, life changing events for young people. They have proved to be effective in evangelizing and community building. A retreat provides an environment go grapple with faith issues and learning ways to pray and live. People have opportunities to share their faith stories and build relationship of trust. A retreat can awaken in young people the sense that they have a central place in the church. It assists the young people to discover that the church needs their gifts ad talents and calls them to fuller participation. Again a retreat is a chance for everyone to have lots of fun- a chance to help the young people realize that they do not need computer games, televisions or recreational drugs to have fun. Fun is encouraged in retreats whichever topic may be. The first three conferences are directed to a group of lay young people and how they respond to the discipleship of Jesus amidst all their giftedness and temptations. And the second series of retreat conferences are directed to a group of candidates for religious life. The young people who join religious life think that discipleship waits till they make their final profession and get ordained to the ministry. The two conferences want to show them that discipleship begins immediately a person is called by Jesus. Most young people hold to the fact that discipleship is a reserve for the older people. We want to tell them that it is not necessarily so and that young people are disciples of Jesus. It is time after high school, college, or university, early in employment, jobless etc. They are still grappling with proper self-identity, testing their values, developing character, deciding who they are. This retreat will try to translate the message of Christ into action for everyday living. We need also to encourage them to take what they have learned and live it.
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    A Retreat Conference on the Gospel Message to the Youth
    (Tangaza University College, 2007) Kidus, Weldegiorgis
    This retreat on the Gospel message is for the youth aged approximately between 17-25 years. The youth are not a separated group of people but they are a group that forms part of the church, as the people of God. As a matter of fact, the youth are challenged by the present world's situation and not being committed to Jesus in the Church. Yes, the youth are the future leaders of the Church and the society at large but something hinders them not to accept this fact and see forward. Some youth are incapable of realizing their good talents in them. At timcs they appreciate the Church less; to the extend of being pessimistic. Many Christians rather Catholic youth take Christian life just for granted. They think to be a Christian, the most important thing is just to be baptized, and that is all. And they forget to take seriously their responsibility of following Jesus in whom they are baptized as Christians. Those who don't have strong faith, try to move from one church to another. At last they even lose their little faith they have in God. Therefore, it is everybody's responsibility to understand them and give quick solutions to their challenges; and also to accept them as they are.