Twenty years of combatting attempts to control fertility and destabilize families in East Africa has garnered honors for a regional director of Human Life International (HLI).
HLI recognized Emil Hagamu at a conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on July 18-20.
“We are a peace-loving people. We are life-loving people,” Hagamu said. “We love children. We love life. And we are all out to protect life and our families.”
In his work with HLI, Hagamu has traveled across Africa to start and support affiliates for the organization. HLI said Hagamu’s successes and experience from the last two decades should encourage the future pro-life leaders present at the conference.
“What Tanzanians need currently is assistance in infrastructure … good roads … good hospitals … and good schools,” said Hagamu. “We don't need condoms. We don't need contraception. We don't need abortion.”
The conference, on the theme “Life: Gift of God, God’s Property,” drew 70 participants with pro-life representatives from Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria, Malawi, New Zealand, and the USA.
Brian Clowes, HLI’s research director, said they drew the event’s discussion topics from the social and moral teachings of the Catholic Church, including Church teaching on natural fertility awareness, traditional marriage, and the need to honor life from conception to natural death.
“Twenty years ago, our only affiliates were in Nigeria, Kenya and Tanzania,” Clowes said. “Emil’s courageous and creative leadership has effectively produced pro-life leaders in 16 nations through HLI-supported conferences.”
When nations are the targets for destructive population reduction campaigns, Clowes said, it is the mission of HLI to train, equip, and organize Christ-centered communities, and promote programs that mobilize more pro-life warriors like Hagamu.
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“Emil Hagamu has successfully defended Life and Family in Tanzania and across Africa for 20 years,” said Father Shenan Boquet, president of HLI. “This success is an inspiration to the international pro-life movement.”
HLI provides support to fight the heavily-financed, international anti-life campaign that pushes contraception, abortion, sterilization, euthanasia and same-sex ideology, Clowes said, something people on the ground in those nations see first-hand.
“Children are an asset to any nation. These are our future leaders, our future parents,” said Hagamu. “So once you attack children, you attack the nation.”
There is hope for Africa, Hagamu said. “But as Pope Benedict said, this hope must not just be some feeling. It must be transformative in our lives.”
Speaking to conference attendees, Hagamu said that it is at events like these where emphasis is given to training in subjects such as natural fertility awareness, organizing life marches, and recognizing the tactics of the large anti-life NGOs.
In order to uphold life, faith, and family values in East Africa, he continued, people must first serve right where they live, evangelizing in their homes, workplaces and communities.
“We must then go out into the public square and expose the plans of the wealthy nations to promote abortion, contraception and homosexuality,” he said. “And in doing so we must promote the hopeful alternative of the culture of life.”
“But our hearts must be formed first in faith, hope and love,” he said. “So that we may be effective witnesses to the truth.”