THOUSANDS of Christian youths from across Guyana were empowered through the ‘One Mega Weekend’ Youth Summit, which zeroed in on helping them elevate themselves in the education and employment sectors.

The ‘One Mega Weekend’ was a collaboration between local Gospel recording artiste, Samuel Medas, and the Kaneville Full Gospel Church. “We decided to collaborate to do something big and impact for young people in a way that would be very impactful and as something that’s positive,” Medas explained to the Guyana Chronicle. “We really impact young people and to challenge them to be ready for whatever God has planned for them, not only on the spiritual level but also in academics and their careers.”

The mega weekend began with the ‘Ready Empowerment’ Youth conference at the Love and Faith World Outreach Ministry in Sophia. First Lady Sandra Granger, while delivering remarks here, noted that the young people must focus their energies on “relevant” educational avenues, particularly in the context of an information and technology-driven world.

The First Lady, however, stressed that education is not only “academics”, but is also “social and cultural development that helps to define who we are as individuals and as a society.” She also encouraged them to position themselves to benefit from the wealth that Guyana will soon possess once oil production commences.

In similar vein, Medas related that it was the aim of the organisation to impact the thousands of young Guyanese in attendance with more than just music and the inspirational vibes. Instead, he said, “We wanted to challenge them to get ready even for where Guyana is going.” Subsequent to the conference, a Praise and Worship Experience was held at the Outreach ministry in Sophia on Friday night. The weekend eventually culminated on Saturday night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall with a massive gospel concert.

Here, the parking lot was filled with thousands of youths shouting praises as they enjoyed the night of Gospel with performances from Trinidadian gospel stars, Jaron Nurse, Mark Isaacs and Positive, alongside local talents such as Rochelle Benn, Lion Cub, Disi and Carl Damon.

While the Trinidadians seemed to attract much of the attention, Medas was given the limelight for the show, where he launched his fifth studio album ‘Ready’. His performance blended his older music with some of the newer songs on the album, and the Guyanese crowd showed the ‘country boy’ that he had their support by singing word for word. Minister within the Ministry of the Presidency, Simona Charles-Broomes also graced the stage earlier in the evening and left her own praises for Samuel and team. Shedding some light on her own experiences, she related to the crowd, “If it had not been for God, I would not have been here. As such, she told them that they ought to trust God whenever they encounter struggles.