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Thousands of youths this week gathered at the Anglican Ankole Diocese headquarters on Ruharo hill in Mbarara city for the 12th Annual Anglican Youth and Children Convention.

Young participants from neighbouring Tanzania joined their Ugandan counterparts from the different archdeaconries of the diocese and neighbouring districts.

Hosted at the diocesan bishop’s grounds, this year's convention was organized under the theme 'Where are you?', a biblical extraction from Genesis 3:9.

The five-day gathering was officially opened Thursday evening by the Bishop of Ankole Diocese, Rt. Rev. Assoc Prof. Fred Sheldon Mwesigwa. It will end on Monday.

Mwesigwa told the young people that the bible is the basis of their success in their Christian life.

Bishop Fred Sheldon Mwesigwa addressing the young people. (Credit: Abdulkarim Ssengendo)

He said many young people lose their lives because they are not grounded in Christian values.

Dr Mwita Akiri, the founding bishop of the missionary Anglican Diocese of Tarime in Tanzania, was the guest speaker along with Bishop George Turyasingura of East Rwenzori Diocese.

Bishop Akiri said that in Africa, there has been a marked commitment to get nearer to Christ, which is evident from the numbers of youth conferences organized on the continent.

He urged young people to know their God wherever they are, amid the many worldly pressures on their lives.

On his part, Bishop Turyasingura tasked young people with investing a lot of their energies and time in working for the Lord.

By the conclusion of the convention, over 3,000 participants are expected to have attended, with activities including bible study, physical exercises and skilling workshops.

Some of the participants that New Vision spoke to hailed Ankole Diocese for organizing the conference and vowed to use the different messages delivered to transform their lives and those of others in their respective communities.