By KT Reporter
The Catholic Church in Masaka Diocese has undertaken a special program that focuses on addressing the mental health needs of adolescents.
The Diocesan Pastoral Council Executive has, in its six-month performance assessment report, noted with concern the high number of youth who are becoming naughty and lost to drug abuse, which puts the future of the church and society at great risk.
The report prominently highlights that while the youth make up a bigger percentage of the Church and general population, their numerical strength does not directly translate into active participation in Church and community development activities, wasting their energy on dangerous habits.
The Bishop of Masaka Diocese, Severus Jjumba, says the report has prompted the administration to devise urgent interventions that can help to restore hope and provide proper guidance for the youth, who he says are a population at risk.
Bishop Jjumba observes that the report brought to light the increasing cases of adolescents suffering from mental disorders resulting from drug abuse, high levels of idleness and criminality among other social vices among the youth. //Cue in: “a very important….
As a remedy, Bishop Jjumba has directed that each of the sub-parishes in the diocese put special emphasis on growing the youth ministry, to ensure that the youth are actively engaged to participate in social clubs and other productive activities, as a strategic way to disassociate them from harmful behaviours.
He has also considered appointing a Youth Chaplain and Coordinator in all the 62 parishes that make up the diocese, to take charge of the spiritual growth and nurturing of the adolescents into responsible people.
He directs that the youth be mobilised into self-help groups that can be supported with various income-generating projects, for their socioeconomic reliance and sustainability. He is optimistic that if well organised, such a structure can also be used to provide charity to the needy population, especially the elderly and promotion of social justice in communities.
Regina Nalubega Kitaka, the Head of Masaka Diocesan Laity Commission, observes that the youths are currently exposed to a lot of inappropriate content on the various digital media platforms, which has compromised their moral standards.
She says they have also decided to strengthen the idea of the Basic Christian Community Model, to emphasise the need for proper child upbringing and monitoring of their social behaviours right from the household level, saying that will help to avert the habits.
According to her, some of the children as struggling with emotional stress and depression arising from family breakups, domestic violence or neglect, hence resorting to drugs for solace.
She says that part of their approach, they intend to emphasise strengthening of the family bonds, youth clubs in schools and communities, as a way of establishing a network for tracing the children all through their journey of life-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
