I went to the hospital not as a researcher or policy analyst, but as a priest responding to a pastoral call. A parishioner had been admitted, and my intention was simply to offer prayers and presence. What I encountered was not only illness, but quiet abandonment. The corridor was heavy with heat. Electricity failed intermittently. A nurse apologized repeatedly for…
On the Feast of St. Josephine Bakhita, February 7, 2026 — celebrated on the 7th this year because February 8 fell on a Sunday — a day dedicated to prayer and reflection on human trafficking, a coordinated outreach effort brought critical awareness training to students in two secondary schools in Eastern Nigeria. The initiative, conducted in partnership with the Pan-African…
On a humid afternoon in a public secondary school in southeastern Nigeria, I was asked to address students preparing for their final examinations. After speaking about discipline and hope, I posed a simple question: What does faith mean to you? A boy in the front row raised his hand and replied without hesitation, “Faith means not asking questions.” The class…
Human trafficking increasingly exploits digital spaces, turning technology into a tool for deception and exploitation. In this timely interview, Sr Leonida Katonge reflects on the enduring legacy of Saint Josephine Bakhita and on how faith-driven digital evangelisation is mobilised across Africa to defend human dignity, protect the vulnerable, and confront trafficking through prayer, truth, and collective action. VoiceAfrique: We’ve been…
The Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN), a community of Africans committed to the sanctity of life, the sacredness of our land, and the universal brotherhood of our peoples, expresses its grave concern over the continued detention of a Catholic priest in Uganda and the growing pattern of repression against civil society actors, peaceful protesters, and members of the…