Helping People Live Healthy Lives E-Newsletter February 2018 Vol. 13 No. 1
Greetings! In this issue, I'd like to highlight some recent stories from UCE's programs in Africa that are saving lives! A beautiful 42,923 youth signed chastity cards in 2017! Since 2004, when UCE was founded, 408,165 have signed chastity cards! Thank YOU for helping save lives!
Rejoice in Christ,
Sarah Smith
USA Director, Universal Chastity Education
Masaka, Uganda: "There is a Time for Everything"
On 1/4/18 Fr. Deusdedit led an outreach to the Youth by introducing the UCE program, mission and vision. He also had them recite the UCE slogan "True Love Waits" and reminded the students that "Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit." One girl (Sophia) gave a testimony about the UCE card she signed and carries with her. "One time I was approached by a man for sexual favors, I pulled my UCE card out of my wallet, showed it to him and he walked away."
Fr Deusdedit continued to share with the students that there is a time for everything. He said that as young people, they must concentrate on their studies now. Arthur shared how premarital sex has severe consequences including death and that they should wait to have sex until marriage with one spouse. Students should learn how to say refuse premarital sex. Francis continued, asking the students, "How many of you would want a woman or man who has who has been with many women or men? Therefore if you want a healthy, faithful spouse, you must be good yourselves. You should start today!" He encouraged them to stay away from contraceptives and abortion because they are against God's commandments and also harm a woman's body. Resty conducted the Q/A session and explained the UCE chastity commitment. 142 students signed the UCE cards.
Fr. Deusdedit prayed for the students.
Kasese, Uganda: Ministering to Youth in Karambi on 1/20/18
Karambi is located in a heavily populated mountainous area. Early school dropouts, teen pregnancies, premarital sex, polygamy are common problems. The youth shared with the UCE team that most of their parents are polygamous with no capacity to provide the basic needs to their families and children.
After the parents' failure to provide, the children look for other ways to make ends meet. Men and boys often exploit girls sexually in disguise of providing them with things they want. This places them at risk for HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. The team explained how one can earn a living in an ethical way blessed by God and offered encouragement. They explained that if they follow God's commandments, God can create a way even if it is not apparent to them at the moment. UCE Kasese reported that "44 youth boldly came out and signed cards pledging to abstain."
Burundi: Chastity Outreach to Couples Inspires Hope!
On December 26, 2017 the UCE Burundi team held a chastity outreach to couples. Among couples, the same issues (polygamy and early marriages) were raised as the main factors which propagate HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
The UCE team encouraged the couples to avoid such behaviors because they lead to disease and destruction. Many of them thanked the UCE team for the encouragement and requested that such message should be extended to more couples if possible. UCE Burundi proclaimed, "We thank God for all 25 couples who signed faithful cards."
Tanzania: Chastity Inspires Young Catholic Students!
TYCS is Tanzania Young Catholic Students. They are students from different secondary schools and colleges that came together for the seminar at Tosamaganga church on 12/12/17.
Because the team had the whole day they decided to divide the time into different sessions. The session topics that the UCE team presented included "societal expectations toward youth" and "living a chaste life", which included how chastity has helped thousands of people. They discussed causes and temptations to premarital sex, the reasons to avoid premarital sex, sexual transmitted diseases and gave an opportunity for those who had already engaged in premarital sex to commit to secondary virginity. The team explained the effectiveness of abstinence, the ineffectiveness of condom use and the plan God has for their lives through chastity. Questions came up about sexually transmitted diseases, how to avoid temptations, and about self-awareness. The UCE team answered all questions effectively. Many of the students appreciated learning about the chastity message and 94 students signed chastity commitment cards. The host of the outreach thanked the UCE Team for the "great presentation" and she further insisted the students live this chastity message!
Donors, we THANK YOU: 408,165 people have made
life-saving commitments to chastity through UCE programs
Universal Chastity Education, Inc. (UCE) is an educational organization established in 2004 and determined to be a public charity, exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Its promotes through education sexual abstinence until marriage and marital fidelity as healthy lifestyles free from sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS. UCE operates in rural Uganda. and launched in Burundi in 2007 and Tanzania in 2009 and in the USA in 2012. Visit the UCE website Click to DONATE to UCE
