It was great to connect with Seth Naicker, one of the VYLTP leadership team members, in Johannesburg this week!

Our thoughts and prayers today are with Anna Carmichael (a supporter of VYLTP) who has made herself available to become the Episcopal Bishop for a diocese in California. Strength to you, Anna!

1. This week was spent with a wonderful group of American visitors, who has been visiting South Africa and wants to support VYLTP. We thank them all, especially the Avram and Erskine families for buying 2 of our drums and for great support! One of the delegates (Mary) is trying to connect us to her Peace Corps friends in Tanzania.
2. Friends from West Chester University were also in contact and they will visit us again in May 2026. We are being invaded by American friends in January, March, May, June, July, August and possibly September next year! The July group wants us to visit them in 2027.
3. Our drummers again made it to the Village news! Please see https://online.fliphtml5.com/xkcxj/boep/#p=2
4. For the first time, we have three incredible young people (Inathi, Cleo and Masixole) volunteering together at the Taizé community in France. They have committed to write a weekly reflection. We look forward to reading that!
5. A friend of Kevin Johansson (Trevor) visited the drum-making project this week and we will meet again soon to see how we could collaborate.
6. We are again at the Saturday market at St Peter’s parking lot. Come say hi to the young people!

The young people of our country give me hope despite the many challenges. This week I listened to the Johannesburg Youth choir. What a gift they are! We must continue to invest in all our young people –especially the most marginalised – to build a good common future together. We can do it … thank you for all your support!

Edwin Arrison