Frankly Speaking is a media initiative that was started by the Jesuit Youth Office of Southern Africa in collaboration with The National Movement of Catholic Students Zimbabwe, Area 46, a media company in Zimbabwe, and Jesuit Communications Zimbabwe.

The main objective of this initiative is to create a platform for the youth, especially Catholic youth that they can use to tackle social, political, and economic issues that are peculiar to them. The main thrust of this initiative is to have these conversations and see where the gospel can give positive input, bringing light and new life, thus, facilitating holistic development to our youth. The youth office sees this initiative as a pastoral tool, a way to evangelise in the 21st century without necessarily using a pulpit.

Frankly Speaking targets, the age group of 16 to 35, that is students that are in high schools, tertiary education, and young professionals. Though the primary audience is catholic youth, this production is also open to being enjoyed by Christian youth and all young people of goodwill.

Frankly Speaking is taking a multivariate approach, engage in discussions that cover areas such as:

● Mental Health

● Entrepreneurship from a Christian Perspective

● Culture and Societal Relations.

● Spirituality

● Politics

● Professional Mentorship and Development

In the past season Frankly Speaking has done 6 episodes and one documentary with links that will be posted below. Frankly speaking as part of voter education, working towards the 2023 Harmonised elections in Zimbabwe has initiated a programme known as Pray Register Vote.

What is Pray, Register, Vote?

Pray, Register, Vote is a voter education campaign by the National Movement of Catholic Students (NMCS) that runs through election periods since 2013. The campaign provides an unpolarized platform for young people to actively participate in civic issues, particularly in constitutional and electoral processes.

The Pray, Register, Vote initiative started off to engage youths, promote youth to youth dialogue, and for the church to provide a neutral ground for political dialogue. This resulted from the realization that the youth, despite being the core demographic group constituting about 62% of the total population in Zimbabwe, barely participate in civic processes like voting. Hence, we saw the need to create neutral platforms through which they can dialogue, be capacitated, and be encouraged to participate in the electoral processes.

The campaign mainly targets

● Catholic students in tertiary institutes

● Youths who may or may not be Christians

● General citizens

This is because NMCS membership mostly constitutes Catholic Students in tertiary institutions. The belief is that the capacitation of these intellectuals enables them to go out and be the voice in their different communities and constituencies encouraging others to participate fully in civic issues. More so, through the use of online platforms and regalia we also then manage to reach their other peers.

Issues Pray, Register, Vote will address

● Understanding the electoral processes and constitutionalism in Zimbabwe

● Voter apathy

● Voter Education and Registration

● The Church and Civic Participation

● Engagement with political players

Through our social media handles, people have the opportunity to be part of the conversation and even contribute to content creation by suggesting topics that can be put up for discussion. The Pray, Register, Vote episodes are live streamed monthly on our Facebook page titled National Movement of Catholic Students Zimbabwe.

Below are the handles for our Facebook and YouTube channel

YouTube (The Jesuit Youth Office of Southern Africa). Click {HERE}

Facebook (The Jesuit Youth Office of Southern Africa). Click {HERE}

Instagram. Click {HERE}

Twitter. Click {HERE}

List of Episodes and Links to them

The Church and the Youth: Building Bridges. Click {HERE}

The High Road: Agribusiness in Zimbabwe. Click {HERE}