WHEN THE ODDS MAKE WAY | KAIROS GLOBAL | JULY 2026

Author:  Dr Chackochan Njavallil

Intro: Numerous were the obstacles Kairos Global had to overcome in its journey to survive. Kairos Media Director, Dr Chackochan Njavallil, remembers the road thus travelled. 

You’ve often said that Kairos Global didn’t start in a boardroom, but in a dream. How did that dream finally find its way onto paper back in 1997?

It’s a story of persistent whispers. Long before the formal magazine, we had these simple newsletters – Snehapoorvam – just little lifelines to connect youth across different regions. But as we held programmes outside Kerala, the question kept coming: Do you have an English version? We realised that even within Kerala, about 20% of our people weren't comfortable reading Malayalam. We felt the ‘why’ deeply, but the ‘how’ was a mountain. We were struggling financially just to keep the Malayalam edition alive, and the leadership was sceptical. They weren't sure we could live up to the standards of an international English magazine. It was a classic case of having a vision that far outsized our pockets.

You’ve been very candid about your own struggles during those early years. What was the greatest hurdle for you personally?

Honestly? My own inadequacy. I was a full-time college professor, so time was already a scarce resource. But the real ‘embarrassment,’ if you will, was that when I joined the first Jesus Youth campus team in 1986, my biggest handicap was English – both written and oral. Imagine being tasked with leading a magazine that is supposed to meet global standards when your own language skills are lacking. We needed ‘unicorns’ – people with exceptional language skills, a mature Catholic background, and the willingness to work for almost nothing. It seemed impossible.

But then, the right people appeared. How did the journey change once the team began to form?

It was divine timing. We found Sharrol Jose, who met all our requirements. Her presence made my role as Editor-in-Chief manageable. While she handled the craft, I took on the humbler, harder tasks: I became a ‘beggar’ for finances, a promoter of circulation, and a bridge to the Jesus Youth leadership.

Then came 2018 and the great Kerala deluge. Our office remained underwater for three days. We lost everything – our archives, our equipment, twenty years of history. We didn't lose money, though, because we didn’t have any in the office! But into that wreckage, leaders like Shoy Varghese Manavalan and Manoj Sunny stepped in. They didn’t just help salvage; they helped us start afresh in the JY International office. We even made the bold choice to have Mustard Tree in Delhi handle our design. It was expensive for us, but we knew the mission deserved that level of excellence.

You mentioned that you receive an SMS alert every time the Kairos bank account receives a contribution. What goes through your mind when that phone pings?

It humbles me every single time. I call it the ‘widow’s mite.’ I know these people. I know they face job losses, the aftereffects of the pandemic, and the strain of war and inflation. Yet, they send money – sometimes even before taking care of their own personal needs.

When we decided to offer Hindi Kairos Buds practically for free to share the Gospel, the team was nervous. But these ordinary people stood by us. We are ‘nobody’s child’ – not officially tied to a specific diocese – which can be a disadvantage, but it has taught us to rely entirely on Providence.

There have been moments where it seemed the magazine might actually fold. What were the obstacles that felt most threatening?

Beyond the floods and the spiralling costs of paper and transport, the ‘silent’ threats are harder. The pandemic cut off our distribution to the Middle East, and we haven't been able to restart it yet. There’s also the social media explosion; many don't realise the power of spiritual reading anymore.

Even internally, allegations were raised against the team at one point. It was heartbreaking and a total blow to our morale. But we didn't hide; we demanded an inquiry. In a beautiful twist of Providence, the committee’s report became our greatest blessing. It cleared the air and gave us more operational freedom than we had before.

It sounds like a community effort. Who are the people who kept the fire burning when things got cold?

There is a cloud of witnesses! Dr Midhun Paul, our International Coordinator, promotes us in every presentation. Dr Edward Edezhath is our champion in the USA. When we hit our deepest crises, the support of Fr Thomas Tharayil, Fr Joseph Ezhumayil, and Fr Bitaju Mathew was unforgettable.

If we ever need to connect with global Church leadership, Manoj Sunny is our refuge. And then there are the hundred ‘invisible’ people – writers, reviewers, and staff who never see the limelight but work every week to review our progress.

Looking back from the 100th issue, do you see a ‘Divine Design’ in the chaos?

Absolutely. Even before the pandemic, we had moved to online tools. We didn't have to ‘adapt’ – we were already there. Even with the office underwater, we didn't miss a single issue.

We see Kairos Buds being used as catechism material in Africa, and we simply marvel. People would appear on the scene at exactly the right moment to help, like the late Jerin Vakayil. We’ve learned that when we take one step, the Lord takes several. We aren't just a publication; we are a testimony. And today, we are content, happy, and ready for the next hundred.