"We need to give back the future to young Africans." In a crowded hall of the Mairie of Yopougon, which is a large town hall in the Abidjan district, a prayer was held last night in memory of Laurent Barthélémy. He was a 14-year-old boy who was found lifeless in the undercarriage of a plane that landed in Paris from the Ivory Coast. After the memorial, which occurred a week ago in the French capital, the Community of Sant'Egidio wanted to organize a further one in the city where the young African came from, specifically in the heart of the neighborhood where he lived with his family. "Dying of Hope" is the title they wanted to give to the event, by reconnecting in this way with the prayers that Sant'Egidio promotes every year in Rome. In particular, these prayers aim to remember the thousands of people who died on the journeys across the desert and the Mediterranean Sea because they wanted to reach Europe.
In an atmosphere of great emotion, the presence of an icon of adolescent Jesus and a photo of Laurent Barthélémy, Fr. Didier Tshibangu of Sant'Egidio highlighted there is "a duty of remembrance" in the face of the many shattered dreams of the young Africans. Dreams of a future that needs to be restored. For instance, the head of the Community of Sant'Egidio in Abidjan, Georges Adon, during his greeting, said: "Guilty silence, at all levels, fosters a resigned attitude. Young people want to be heard, but they cannot find anyone who will listen to them. Instead, we are here not to forget them and we want to give them the spotlight." In front of him, there were ordinary people from the neighborhood along with local authorities. The latter ones ranged from traditional leaders to religious ones, which are both Christians and Muslims. The public was huddled around the family, who was seated in the front row.
The Community has been present in Yopougon for several years with the Peace Schools and recently also opened a home to help street children out of their plight. Hence, in the coming days, the Community will go through the neighborhood schools to talk to the young people, learn about their dreams, and begin to build together a different future in the Ivorian land.
