Journey of Empowerment: 2024 Student Leadership Summit

Feelings of excitement and anticipation bubbled up in Namazzi (not her real name), a student from the Hope Alive! Kampala site, as she traveled to Masaka for the annual Hope Alive! Student Leadership Summit. She was looking forward to meeting other Hope Alive! students, making new friends and visiting a place she had never been before. 

The three-day leadership summit was hosted at Nabugabo Sand Beach, through Hope Alive!'s partnership with Masaka Baptist Church. Namazzi joined 54 other student leaders, mentors and staff from all four Hope Alive! sites for the event. To be selected as a leader, students must apply, meet certain qualifications, be recommended by their mentors and be voted for by their peers. 

As is our custom, each day begins at 5:30am with a time of praise and worship, personal testimonies and time in the Word. Namazzi participated in many sessions led by the Hope Alive! team. Topics included how to study the Bible and lead a Bible study, healthy social media use, personal values and overcoming addiction. 

Namazzi spent her time outside of sessions getting to know and having fun with other students through games and activities, including swimming in the lake (an adventurous activity for many Ugandans). She enjoyed movie nights with her peers and especially liked watching Queen of Katwe, an inspiring move of a Ugandan girl who overcame many obstacles to excel as an international chess champion. 

Emotions peaked on the last night of the retreat as Namazzi and other students shared testimonies around the campfire. Namazzi shared how grateful she was for her mentor, Pastor Obed, and his wife and the impact they had on her and her family. Last year, Namazzi was struggling with loneliness at home due to her family not being invested in her life. The Hope Alive! Kampala site hosted a parents' meeting to challenge parents to be active and interested in the lives of their children. This session and the personal connection her mentor Pastor Obed and his wife have forged with her family have made huge impacts on Namazzi's relationship with her family. 

Namazzi and the other leaders returned from Summit committed to impacting their community and fellow students. They immediately got to work on a plan for community service and outreach. Students led a session at Saturday Club (Hope Alive’s weekly program for all their students at each site) sharing all they had learned at the summit and challenging their peers in the same ways they were challenged. They also led a session on how to lead a Bible study. The student leaders also put their convictions about the amount of time they spend on their phones into practice,and put them away during Saturday Club.

The summit was a holistic experience and has already shown much fruit by reigniting students’ zeal for Christ, serving others and honoring the Lord in their decisions. We are praying these students continue to meditate on what they learned and use it to impact their communities for Christ.