Archbishop pleads with youth to embrace education

“This world, which God has given over to you to live in it, needs youths who are educated. It also needs youths who respect one another, and those who have the respect of the elders as well.” Those were the words of the Archbishop Elias Miriri of the United African Apostolic Church (UAAC) during the youth conference at Mailaskop on Saturday.

“Mudzimu vho sika muthu munwe na munwe vhe na mushumo naye (God has created each one of us with a purpose),” Miriri said. “So, do not let the unfavourable situation of your family or home be an excuse for your failure in life. Let the Word of God be your light; let it guide your path.”

The annual Mailaskop youth conference had attracted many people from around Vhembe district. The main aim of the conference is to create a space of motivation and encourage for the youths who are still at school. The issues of HIV and Aids, substance abuse and teenage pregnancy were tackled during the conference.

The chairperson for the UAAC's Tshitale district youths, Vhaingameli Vho-Azwindini Khorombi, said that he was satisfied by the response the youths showed in the conference. “We hope speeches by different speakers will be helpful to guide these youths in the right direction in life,” he said.

The conference organisers also invited some representatives from skills institutions. Ms Mudzunga Mathelemusa, a representative of the Sukuma Training Academy in Makhado, said that many youths were suffering because of a lack of information. “It is unimaginable that there are a lot of youths out there who still fail to access information relevant to their lives,” she said. “At Sukuma, we offer bursaries to deserving students. So we are vouching to give a computer skills bursary to two Grade 12 pupils who pass at the end of this year.”

Date:14 August 2015

By: Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

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