Möt Aivan: från Bukoba till Luleå

I ett antal inlägg framöver presenterar årets internationella deltagare i Ung i den världsvida kyrkan sig själva. De är i Sverige under mars till maj. Här möter ni Aivan Tumwesige från Bukoba Tanzania som har haft sin första församlingsperiod i Luleå.

My name is Aivan, and I am 27 years old. I come from Kashura Parish, ELCT–North Western Diocese, Bukoba. I am the firstborn in a family of four children, with three siblings—two younger sisters and one younger brother. I have graduated from my studies in Economics with Finance. I am also interested in sports, especially playing football.

I am grateful to be among the participants of Young in the World Wide Church 2026 in Sweden. As a youth, this is a good opportunity for me to learn, explore, and connect with people from different cultures, ideologies, and life systems.

Being in Sweden has been a different experience for me. In my early days, I experienced many things that differ from where I come from, such as the weather, environment, infrastructure, and people’s culture. This has driven me to want to learn more from people in Sweden.

It is good that through this, I have made new friends and shared experiences about youth life.

Therefore, I have had a wonderful start to my first parish period in the northern part of Sweden, Luleå. I have attended and participated in most day-to-day activities, such as attending masses, children’s choir, after-school church gatherings, and meetings with youth and elders for questions and answers, among many other activities, just to mention a few. It is good that through this, I have made new friends and shared experiences about youth life.

I have also visited some areas that carry Swedish church history, such as Gammelstad Church Town, where I visited one of the oldest churches, which is among the World Heritage sites, and learned about its history. Therefore, visiting various places here in Luleå has opened up many opportunities for me to ask questions and learn from every new experience I encounter.

The parishes and host families have also been very helpful to me in almost every step during my stay in Luleå. I really appreciate their endless efforts and cooperation during my time here. Another interesting thing about this first parish period in Luleå is that I have tasted a variety of Swedish foods, and I am now interested in some of them. The anxiety I had about Swedish food is now gone.

As I am still continuing with my first period in the northern part of Sweden, I expect to see and learn more from the people of Sweden and the Church of Sweden in general.

Regards.

– Aivan