What happens when 127 high school grads from 5 East African countries take over Morogoro for 5 days? The entire atmosphere shifts! This May, youth from Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania joined forces to mobilize Morogoro for Jesus.
Under the stewardship of One Hope and Life Ministry, they were not only equipped in sharing the gospel and apologetics but trained in digital evangelism. Trading passive scrolling for online active discipleship, they ran social media campaigns that reached over 6,000 views—revolutionizing TikTok and Instagram!
An experience that inspired 38 passionate youngsters to step as Digital Missional Network Leaders, who will later in the year go through an intensive discipleship program that will equip them to be effective missionaries in the digital space. But they didn’t stop there!
These vibrant youth hit the streets and visited local orphanages in the city, reaching 436 people with the Good News and witnessing 103 salvations! Leaving the lives of those impacted forever changed. Beyond training and outreach, they formed lifelong bonds. From team building games to hiking Mt. Uluguru and celebrating their roots at Culture Day—they became a family. One that arrived expectant and left empowered, ready to change the world one soul at a time
A 21-year-old student in Burundi was equipped through Catalyze leadership training to identify and respond to a pressing need in her community. She recognized that many young girls lacked access to menstrual health education and sanitary products, which affected both their well-being and education. With support from her facilitator, she launched a project to produce and distribute reusable sanitary pads. Last year, she reached 150 girls in a local school, combining menstrual health education with the sharing of the Gospel while providing practical support to those in need. She credits Catalyze with equipping her with the confidence and leadership skills to create change in her community. In recognition of her impact, she was selected by One Hope to attend the Hope Summit in Florida this year.
TESTIMONIALS
1. In Uganda, the impact is already multiplying! Through a new partnership with Every Bible Counts, a ministry running an 11-month discipleship program reaching 1,200 pastors, One Hope is expanding opportunities to equip children and youth workers and engage church leaders in strategic conversations to advance the gospel.
2. In Western Kenya, digital ministry is gaining momentum! Through a Digital Ministry Conference hosted in partnership with YouVersion and The Chosen, pastors were equipped to reach and disciple children and youth more effectively. They were also introduced to YouVersion Connect, a platform that places local churches on a visibility map within the YouVersion app, making them more accessible and discoverable to their communities while expanding opportunities for gospel engagement.
3. The impact did not stop there—but is spreading across Kenya. A new partnership has emerged with the Pentecostal Assemblies of God (PAG) Kenya, where One Hope has been invited to equip a group of 22 master trainers who will serve as key disciplers within their network. These leaders will, in turn, train children and youth ministry leaders nationwide using Spark, creating a sustainable model for scaling impact.
4. Across urban churches, a content creation initiative is underway as countries identify churches whose sermons can be repackaged into devotionals and discipleship materials for children and youth ministries to be featured on the One Hope page on the YouVersion app—expanding access to contextualized digital discipleship content for the next generation.
5. Following recent vision-casting engagements with the Anglican Church of Uganda, several pastors expressed interest in roundtable discussions and collaborative initiatives for children and youth ministry. Conversations are underway to strengthen relationships and explore areas of partnership with One Hope.
Rooted and Rising – Catalyze Camp Kenya
Roots don’t show up in photographs. They stay hidden beneath the surface, quietly anchoring everything we can see. But without them, nothing in the picture would be standing.
This May, over 130 high school graduates from churches across the ACK Diocese of Nairobi gathered at East University – Kitengela Campus for a camp that reshaped the chapters ahead of them.
Since February 2026, these students journeyed together through Step Up, a discipleship and leadership program that equipped and inspired them to rise to their calling as young adults, preparing them for the next season of their lives. And Rooted and Rising camp was where that journey culminated. Derived from Colossians 2:6-7, this camp was a call for the students to stay rooted in Christ even as everything else in life starts to change.
With the insightful conversations ranging from Faith Under Pressure, Mental Health to Living on Mission, no topic was treated as too small or too heavy to name out loud. Their mentors created a safe space for the students to address all that weighed on them, allowing them to be honest about their dreams and doubts without fear of being judged.
They did not just gather to be equipped and mobilized to take on the world, but to have fun too! Their camp was full of recreational activities such as swimming, zip lining, hiking and sporting games, all of which played a role in forming lifelong bonds that will carry them through the seasons ahead.
By the time the camp ended, something in these students had settled – not certainty about the future, but steadiness. They left feeling grounded, encouraged, and ready, carrying something no photograph could ever capture. Not because every question had been answered, but because they now knew who they were rooted in as they went looking for the answers
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