Nji Mabih tells us about the five day campus held in the Coast of Ivory: seventy youth have worked on a new vision of themselves and the world, concentrating on the spiritual, social and professional formation.

“Dare to take care of yourself, the others and the planet”. This title, together with the “Hombre Mondo Planetario¹” proposal have attracted seventy youth of different age groups, ethnicities and nationalities at the campus promoted by the Focolare Movement at the Victoria Mariapoli, citadel of the western Coast of Ivory.

For five days, the youth were involved in activities with themes related to self-reliance, how to stimulate each person’s potential, caring for others and the planet. There were various workshops and spiritual formation moments inspired by the values of the Focolare Movement, like dialogue, unity and testimony of the Gospel, that allowed the youth to acquire useful instruments for their own professional formation as well.

«There was an atmosphere filled with life, love and light – narrates Nji Mabih, young entrepreneur and a Cameroonian Ambassador for a United World² – in this atmosphere, the youth understood of the importance of the moral, spiritual, emotional and psychological self – formation, to be prepared to face this new era».

For Mabih, this type of multidisciplinary formation educates the youth to search their own personal growth, «like a seed that has already been planted in each of us that has to grow». In particular, the spiritual formation, according to the young entrepreneur, is essential, because it strengthens and prepares the person to face an increasingly demanding world.

Facing the theme “dare to care of oneself”, the youth have been encouraged to research their own dreams through life goals and objectives, to be able to contribute incisively to the cure of others and the planet. «It’s important that we learn to take care of ourselves, before presenting ourselves to the outside world. It’s only in this way that we learn to take care of the others, without being influenced by our peers» added Mabih.

The program of the campus reached its peak in the entrepreneurship workshop, with a focus on the Economy of Communion³ as a mean to create a sustainable business, guided by a perspective centred on the “culture of giving” instead of from that “of having”. «At this age, many youth are interested in entrepreneurship. The Economy of Communion has fascinated and has raised their desire to do business through this new culture and to see the present economy with new eyes, knowing that their contribute is important».

To put in practice all the theory learnt, the youth had the opportunity to participate in internship activities like the plantation of trees, the cultivation of natural medicines against malaria (Artemisia), learning the process of making chocolates.

« All these moments brought out the genuineness of the youth and left them with the idea that nothing is impossible if one believes in oneself and if God is put in the first place in everything that we do» concluded Mabih.

For the young entrepreneur, the days at the Victoria Mariapoli were emotional and lively, especially because the multidisciplinary formation stimulated the desire of the young to bring changes in the place in which they live in and to contribute for a better world. These themes have also stimulated the youth to become, like her, Ambassadors for a United World in their hometown.

«We started over from there with this slogan “Worrying too much isn’t the answer, but contributing positively is a solution” ».

¹Hombre Mondo Planetario (Hombre World Planetarium): International workshop promoted by the Teens for Unity every three years, to be formed in the culture of fraternity at a global dimension, to learn and to know, to love, to respect the nation of the other like one’s own.

²Ambassador for a United World: the program of the “Ambassadors of the United World” is promoted by the New Humanity International ONG, a non – governmental organization of the Focolare Movement. This program aims to create a worldwide network of young spokespersons for New Humanity NGOs nationally and internationally, “bridges” between the local and global forces for a united world.

³Economy of Communion: EoC involves entrepreneurs, workers, managers, consumers, citizens, business operators, all committed at different levels to promote a practice and an economical culture imprinted with communion, with gratuity and reciprocity, proposing and living with an alternative lifestyle with respect to the dominating one in the capitalistic system.