Saint Francis Ministries’ also focuses on empowering young adults (ages 17 – 25) through employment, and spiritual and linguistic education in order to cultivate a true understanding of Christ, the Catholic Church, and the Sacraments.
In Uganda young Deaf adults are often jobless, uneducated, and targets of ridicule and discrimination because of their deafness. Many Deaf adults are not able to work because of this and so often spend their days and nights on the streets.
In May of 2016, God began molding together a friendship between our founder and the young deaf adults in Paidha that started with interpreting Sunday Mass, something they’ve never had before. After Mass they would eat at a local restaurant where another Deaf woman works at. Their company, laughter, love and simplicity – all amazing.
Since the opening of St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf in 2017, the young adult program has developed, through God’s grace, in beautiful ways.
In 2018, carried by the hands of many, Saint Francis Ministries has been able to send four young adults to secondary school. Six young adults moved up to the village our primary school is located at where we provided them with housing as they began working at our school as well as attending catechism and sign language classes.
While working at the school the young adults are in close contact with the younger students there and serve as superb role models for our students in order to form a supportive Deaf community reflective of Christ’s eternal love.
Our hope for these young adults is for them to know and understand the love of God and be received in full communion with The Church. Along with this, we hope to be able to continue to provide education and/or employment to each of them according to their desire!
During 2020 – 2021 all schools in Uganda had to be closed. During this time we continued to provide housing and support to each of the young adults.
2022 is here and we have one student who will be returning to secondary school. Two secondary students will now be joining two other young adults who have been working at our primary school and they will all be attending vocational training at the Ugandan National Association for the Deaf. Our fourth secondary student has decided to discontinue studies to focus on and pursue starting a family. And finally, four others decided to continue working and learning at our primary school!
