The local Genfest 2024 in Angola took place in its capital city, Luanda, at the Mariapolis Center from 28th August to 1st September. We received around 70 young people from the various cities in the country, including the capital city.
On the 29th, we had as a highlight a moment of dialogue with James (Focolarino) and Marly (Volunteer), where he was approached on “the challenges of the 21st century and their influence on the life of the young Christian.”
On the 30th, we visited an orphanage and host center. We spent half the day there delivering donations and spending time with the young people, braiding the girls’ hair and shaving the boys’, while others played with the much younger ones. Also on the same day we had a moment of conversation with Father Diviol on emotional intelligence.
On the 31st, we prepared a journey for all young people who could not participate in the days of Genfest, especially for the juvenile groups of the community to which the Mariapolis Center belongs. We started with Mass, then a program filled with staging, traditional dance, capoeira, performance of the Gen band and a small interview with Castro … all moments were linked / related to the theme together to Care.
On the 1st, the final day of the event, we heard some phrases from Pope Francis, in Sofia’s voice (stern), about young people being hopeful (phrases said during JMJ). We concluded with the experience of a couple of volunteers (Ivete and Cláudio Sundays) who were also once Gen.
