Overview of Youth Office - Catholic Diocese of Eldoret

The Youth Office has four movements:

Youth in Parishes (YIP)
Young Christian Students (YCS)
Catholic Students’ Association (CSA) for higher institutions of learning
Catholic Agricultural and Rural Youth Movement (CARYM)

Youth in Parishes (YIP) - All those youth who are neither in secondary nor colleges/universities but are in the parishes fall in this category. There are several activities undertaken by youth in this category. These activities include: - Attending Diocesan council meetings, National meetings & formations including Metropolitan meetings. Participating in; Mission Week, Flag-Days, Ball Games, Music Festivals, Athletics.
Young Christian Student (YCS) - These are youth in the secondary schools. The youth activities under this category include; Rallies, Workshops and Flag-Days (mass with the Bishop)
Catholic Student Association (CSA) - These are youth in colleges/ universities. The youth activities under this category include; Rallies, Fun-Days, Youth Mass (with Bishop - end of Year)
Catholic Agricultural & Rural Youth Movement (CARYM)

OUR MAIN FOCUS

The main focus of the department is to reach out to all the youth in the planned activities, both in parishes, high schools and colleges/ universities. Moreover to address the social, spiritual and the economic growth of all the young people in the Diocese in line with the Diocesan strategic plan.

ACHIEVEMENTS

1. Youth in Parishes (YIP)

Very successful National youth Mass at Mji wafuraha Nairobi where some youth from different parishes attended Last year.
Very successful Diocesan mission week/Flag day. Young people were sent to parishes to evangelize on basing on last years theme Luke 1:38. It was only the parishes who sent their representatives that they receive youth from other Parishes. We had a total of 406 youth who went for a mission.
Participation in the National, and the Diocesan meetings and activities. Many thanks to parishes who sponsored the young people for the National prayer day that was held at Subukia Marian Shrine.
Successful Diocesan Athletics that was held at Kaiboi Parish.
Successful Diocesan music festivals. Kapyemit, Huruma, Tiryo, Majengo and Ziwa Parishes proceeded to the National Level on 7^th December 2019.
Attached below is the calendar of activities for 2020, it is our prayer that we shall achieve all the activities planned from Diocesan to National levels.

2. Young Christian Students/ Catholic Students’ Association (YCS/CSA)

YCS/ CSA planned a total of 11 Rallies per term (one for Colleges/ Universities), and three workshops. All the rallies and two workshops have taken place, December workshop to take place at Our Lady of Glory Girls-Kaptagat as from 2^nd to 7^th

In all the rallies the youth office staff attended and participated and there was a registration of new schools/colleges among them protestant schools/colleges. There is ongoing formation and registration of new members across all the planned activities. YCS workshops for April and August well attended with a record of over 607 students and 645 respectively and the December workshop was not well attended we had 220 Students and over 20 teachers also participated.

The patrons had their annual one week retreat in August in Mombasa, and the attendance was good.

Very successful Diocesan youth Flag Days held in April and June of every year. Top school (YCS category) appreciated with a 5 day retreat in Mombasa, Second and the third school will be appreciated in this month from 16^th to 20^th
Support from the stakeholders, Bishop and the other departments.
Attached below is the calendar of activities for this year.

3. Catholic Agricultural and Rural Youth Movement (CARYM)

This is a movement that empowers the youth in the different parishes economically. Formation and enrollment of members is going on.

We have a piece of land in soy which is our demonstration farm though it is not doing well as we expected due to limited resources we have chicken cows and a section for planting different crops we have also two houses one for a care taker and one in incomplete which we intend tom rent out one room and the other two rooms for CARYM members for their work camp.

CARYM leadership has been divided into different teams namely:

Communication,
Development/finance,
Welfare and
Spirituality.

CARYM is also connected to international and African body called MIJARC

Head office being Brussels in Belgium.

We have one of our youth from Kimumu Parish who is the Africa Coordinator for MIJARC whereas Rev. Fr. Jonas is the Chaplain for Africa.

Partnership

We have a partnership with the Diocese of Mainz and Augsburg in Germany where we normally have exchange programs. Last year they visited us in Eldoret and next year we shall visit them as we will be celebrating 20 years of partnership.

Achievements

We hosted 181 youth from Spain called HAKUNA group. They were able to visit different small homes together with some CARYM members.
We also hosted 15 youth from Germany (KLJB) for workcamp they were able to visit different families at Kapsoya Parish Kipkorgot station.
Some members participated in the mission week cum Flag Day.
We were able to attend world and continental meetings.
This year we have a plan of having adoration every Friday at 6pm to 7pm starting from March 6^th.
Also to start a group called Abudu