On January 24th, Talitha Kum marked an important milestone with the first online meeting of the “Talitha Kum Youth” initiative, a global networking group created to connect young leaders across borders and strengthen collaboration within the Talitha Kum network. This initiative brings together more than 170 young people from over 40 countries, representing every region of the world. 

This first session was hosted by the Youth Ambassadors from Talitha Kum Japan, and each online gathering will be hosted by youth from a different network, on a rotation basis. The meeting opened with inspiring remarks from Sr. Abby Avelino, Talitha Kum International Coordinator, who expressed her joy at witnessing the first-ever online global gathering of young people within the network. She emphasized the crucial role of youth in shaping a better future and bringing hope, stating that the initiative “reminds us that young people are powerful agents of change.”

The Talitha Kum Youth global initiative is the fruit of many years of efforts to form young leaders within the network. The Youth Ambassadors training program began in 2021 in the Talitha Kum Asia region, and later expanded to Talitha Kum Africa, Middle East, Latin America, and Canada. Coordinators of these training programs – Sr. Ana Maria in Latin America, Sr. Jackline in Africa, and Sr. Paula in Asia – were present at the meeting, highlighting the continuity and growth of youth engagement across regions.

This new global networking initiative was launched with several key objectives:

• to foster stronger connections among young leaders within the Talitha Kum network;
• to support the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and best practices; 
• to coordinate global youth-led initiatives, such as online events, awareness and advocacy campaigns.

The creation of this shared space for dialogue and collaboration reinforces Talitha Kum’s mission to end human trafficking through global solidarity and collective action.