The Smooth Stone Sport (SSS) Project, which the Scripture Union of Malawi (SU Malawi) has been implementing targeting young people in residential areas of Lilongwe City, has yielded impressive results as over 200 youths have given their lives to Christ.
SU Malawi National Director Amon Chanika confirmed the development, disclosing that at least 87 boys and girls surrendered their lives to Christ during the first year of the project while over 140 followed suit in the second year.
“We are quite impressed with the results of the project. We are overwhelmed with the response the project has received from the youths,” said Chanika.
SU Malawi launched the project to develop Christian youth leaders who use sport and mentoring to reach their peers in the communities they live by leading new Christian communities supported by the Scripture Union Malawi.
The SSS project traces its roots to Sport Malawi Project and the union believes it will help address leadership problems among Christian youth and further contribute to the reduction in moral decay in the society, including rising cases of child and sexual abuse.
Findings from a study completed in 2017 established that young people are alienated in church activities as most of the young people were not given a chance to participate in decision-making at the church level.
For instance, when the churches are preparing their annual budgets, rarely do they involve or engage young people. Even when young people have planned to travel out of their church station to carry out evangelism work, their churches do not support them as they give priority to building projects.
Chanika said it was against this background that the union has been using sports to equip young people with skills for protecting children who will be placed under their custody during the sporting activities to prevent abuse and sexual exploitation
“Through the project, we engaged young people to give them a chance to go and reach out to their peers,” narrated Chanika.
SU representative from England and Wales, Mark Wagstaff, said he was equally impressed with the impact the project has had on the lives of young people in Malawi.
Speaking at a certificate presentation ceremony, which took place at Simama Hotel in Lilongwe on Friday, one of them, Evance Naluso, said the project had helped him to realize the importance of living for Christ.
“I was like a prodigal son, but I am now a born-again Christian having surrendered my life to Christ. I am very grateful to the SU Malawi for initiating this project,’ said Naluso, who has since been employed to head an SU camp at Liwonde.
