What happens after the research is done?
At OneHope, we’ve seen time and time again that when local leaders are empowered to respond to research findings in their own context, powerful things happen. That’s exactly what took place in Kenya after the release of the Global Youth Culture (GYC) Africa report, part of a 20-country study exploring the beliefs, struggles, and spiritual openness of the next generation.
In December 2021, following the Kenya report launch, members of OneHope’s Eastern Africa and Kenya teams invited key youth leaders to a writing retreat with a challenge: take what the data revealed, and build something meaningful for teens in their nation.
What came from that gathering is a powerful picture of what’s possible when research fuels ministry innovation.
A Writing Camp with Purpose
The four-day retreat brought together 20 local youth leaders, many of whom had already engaged deeply with the GYC Africa findings. Their task? Develop a new kind of content for teens, inspired by what the data showed and grounded in Scripture.
The result was The Teen Kulture Show (TKS), a digital video series created with teens, for teens, focused on the real issues they face every day.
The writers worked from the five main report themes (including identity, influence, and digital habits), breaking them into 20 relevant topics. Each script included story-driven discussions, youth-led conversations, and short reflections from relatable pastors.
To guide each episode, they used the LACT framework:
- Listen to teens’ lived experiences
- Affirm what’s real and relevant to them
- Correct lovingly when needed
- Truth—bring them back to the Word of God
The series was produced in partnership with a local ministry and piloted through OneHope’s Digital Ministry Group (DMG) process. The Africa team is now considering how to scale it to reach more teens across the region!
Example Episode:
Socialite vs. Social Light
This episode explores social media and its effect on identity and mental health. Research showed:
- 57% of Kenyan teens say social media sometimes or often makes them feel sad or anxious
- Kenyan teens are among the top in Africa for daily social media use (3 hrs 17 min/day)
- Social platforms are a key influence on teens’ views on gender, relationships, and morality
The episode helps teens evaluate the impact of their influences and encourages them to be a light in digital spaces rather than be shaped by them.
Why It Matters
This is more than a video series; it’s a story of collaboration, creativity, and contextual design. From the very beginning, teens played a central role in shaping this program: brainstorming, writing, and producing content designed to speak directly to the hearts of their peers.
By equipping youth with a voice and a platform, the initiative modeled a vision for empowerment, one where young people are not just reached with God’s Word, but released to reach others. While the program was piloted in Kenya, the hope is that it sparks more locally driven, research-informed solutions that equip the next generation to lead and disciple within their own cultures.
To explore the research that equipped and inspired the team in Africa to create this incredible program, check out all of our Global Youth Cultureresearch here!
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