Romana

For three days (October 1-3, 2025), nearly three hundred participants from a dozen countries gathered at Strathmore University in Nairobi for the third edition of BeDoCare, the first meeting of this global initiative held in Africa. Leaders from across the continent (academics, entrepreneurs, professionals), inspired by a Christian vision of the human person, presented proposals, shared experiences, and exchanged ideas with the aim of transforming Africa through education, work, and solidarity.

In his welcoming address, Dr. Vincent Ogutu, President of Strathmore University, encouraged participants to look at Africa not only as a land of challenges, but also of enormous opportunities: “We need to train creative, ethical, and compassionate young people who are capable of shaping their nations with integrity.” On his part, Julie Gichuru, President and CEO of the Africa Leadership and Dialogue Institute, passionately invited participants to “tell Africa’s story from within,” recovering the narrative of a creative and resilient continent. Francis Okello, President of the Serena Hotels group, also spoke on the first day in the morning.

The second day – October 2, anniversary of the founding of Opus Dei – began with an intervention by Father Javier del Castillo, Vicar General of Opus Dei. He invited participants to rediscover human dignity through generosity and care: “The world changes when each of us begins to treat the people around us as gifts. That is the heart of Christian development.” The presentations that day focused on work. África Ariño (IESE Business School) spoke about governance, business competitiveness, and the common good.

Luis Franceschi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, opened the third day’s proceedings with an address in which he presented justice and ethical leadership as the “invisible infrastructure” that Africa needs most urgently. Throughout the day, there were opportunities to highlight the Church’s contribution to social progress, thanks to presentations by the Archbishop of Nyeri, Anthony Muheria, and Sister Rosemary Ndege.

During the afternoons each day, workshops explored the challenges and possibilities of various aspects of human development in Africa. The second day concluded with the presentation of the Transform Africa Network, a Strathmore initiative that promotes collaboration among different social actors committed to this goal. The last day also featured the presentation of the BeDoCare Hub, a network that will connect the participants in order to continue encouraging dialogue and cooperation.

Born in Rome in 2022 as a space for dialogue on education, development, and human dignity, BeDoCare seeks to foster collaboration among people who believe that the integral progress of humanity begins by caring for others at work, in education, and in social life.