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Saturday, August 25, 2018

Workin’Bozoum.2

orchidee a Bozoum

Workin’Bozoum.2

In Central Africa the rainy season at present is worsening. But the rhythm of our activities doesn’t slowdown. On Saturday August 18th the two weeks of training for girls and boys of our high school that have obtained the final promotion are ending. We ended up with a morning of reflection on "Workin'Bozoum", and about the possibilities of creating development, business and wealth in the broadest sense of the word: not just money, but life, work, passion, creation, service, etc. The various groups discussed in a very positive way of what exists, what is missing, sharing new ideas. Four sectors were involved: jobs, the Savings Bank, agriculture and entrepreneurship.
Sunday, after the celebrations of the two Masses, I went to Bouar to accompany the four trainers of the Czech NGO SIRIRI in Bouar. There too for the first time, there will be a training for teachers going to apply the "Learning with fun" method. On Monday, at the same time, we begin training fifty teachers in Bouar and two hundred and twenty in Bozoum. It is a demanding job, which requires a lot of energy and effort, together with money, but all the children attending schools with this method, learn quickly to read and write, and to reflect.
Meanwhile, the construction site for two classrooms for our St. Augustine High School continues. We have finished the foundations and the floor, beginning already to assemble the walls.
On Wednesday I went back to Bouar to see how the formation of teachers was going on, visiting also our Yolé Seminary. Today there is a greeting for Mario Mazzali, who after three months of work, a lot of work, is going back to Italy to hug his family. He is a tireless worker, with great skills, and very able in many fields: mechanics, turning, electricity, electronics, and hydraulics. Mario never rests. He is of a great example for all of us!

Workin'Bozoum

apertura formazione a Bozoum
ouverture formation à Bozoum




 
formazione a Bouar
formation à Bouar

Mario Mazzali




le aule scolastiche in costruzione
les salles de classe en construction



Sunday, August 19, 2018

Friends passing by

Alba "on the road"


Friends passing by
Despite the insecurity, the long distances, and all the other “special attractions” which don’t usually feature on the list of requirements for your average tourist (!), nevertheless, in Bozoum there are always people passing by. In recent weeks we have welcomed Fr. Pesce, twin brother of Fr. Matteo, who in these days celebrates the first year of his arrival in Bozoum. Fr. Marco works in Arenzano, in our Seminary, and during this visit he was able, once more, to see our Mission, meet his confreres, and share with us the beauty of pastoral work. On Sunday afternoon I left for Bangui, stopping off again in Bouar. The road is longer than the one that passes through Bossemptele (600 km, instead of "only" 400 km), but besides travelling on a road in better conditions, it also allows me to greet and meet the communities of Bouar (Yolé and St. Elie) and Baoro. I got back to Bangui on Tuesday morning. Maria Cottone was travelling with me. She will leave in a few days going back to Italy, after visiting (and working, especially with needle and thread) our missions. In the afternoon I stop to visit the Nunciature which is the official representation of the Vatican for Central Africa. It is the "house of the Pope", where those who live and work, live and work not only with the Central African Authorities, but above all to serve the Church in this country. Here I met with the Secretary, Fr. David Charters from England, who after four years will go to New York, where he will work for the Vatican at the UN. I also met his successor, Don Natale Albino from Puglia, who has just arrived full of enthusiasm. On Tuesday afternoon a large group of volunteers arrived: they are fourteen members of the NGO SIRIRI.ORG, from Prague. Most of them come from the Czech Republic while some come from France. We managed to get just a part of the luggage, the part intended for training work, is blocked by customs officers. We hope to be able to get it back in a few days, having nothing to pay for school supplies, intended for teachers and students. This is the "Learning with fun" project, now in its fourth year, with which we are revolutionizing the elementary education. The result is a more participatory approach, together with learning and speaking the national language,  Sango. After a rather short night, at 5 am on Wednesday we left for Bozoum. Thank God it didn’t rain too much in these last days. Frequently the road between Bossemptele and Bozoum (90 km) is in very bad shape. It often remains closed because of the trucks that remain bogged down, sometimes even for a few days. Despite two flat tires, we arrive around 1.00 pm in Bozoum, where the beautiful veranda welcomes us. On Thursday morning the formation of the trainers begins: 26 teachers who, next week, will work together with the Siriri volunteers for the two training sessions that will be held in Bozoum with the participation of around two hundred teachers and in Bouar with about sixty.
Keep up the good work!
p.Marco & p.Matteo
Maria e sr Anne Marie
don David Charters - don Natale Albino














Monday, August 13, 2018

Workin’Bozoum





Workin’Bozoum
Bozoum is a hard-working city. During the rainy season, people spend a lot of time, sometimes even few days in a row, in the fields to cultivate corn, millet, cassava, peanuts, sesame, rice... To help young people, especially our St. Augustine High School students, who have just finished their High Scholl exam, last Tuesday we began two weeks of intensive training on Accounting, Personnel Management, Project Design, Computer Science, and other subjects to make them ready to start a small business, and to build up their future. It is with this in mind that we have decided to create "Workin'Bozoum": a project to help young people create their small businesses (agriculture, services, trade or others) having access to small loans (to be repaid!), an opportunity for those looking for, and for those offering jobs, and to create opportunities for trade and exchange.
In these days has arrived a container, that each year the Organization for our Missions prepares to send us the most urgent tools. Thanks to the work of Fr. Anastasio, Fr. Davide and Fr. Paolo, and the team of the “Procura” (Aurelia, Paolo, Domenico, Beppe, the “alpini” and many people of good will and great heart) we can receive what is of basic necessities, but also some special gifts. Among the various items received, there is a huge printer that the Italian Cooperation has financed: with this we can print the books for our high school (otherwise unobtainable or inaccessible). There is also an ultrasound machine, for the Bozoum hospital. It will replace the old device, donated fifteen years ago by the Siriri Association. And there is some sowing rice that my friend Daniele Borando sent me to improve and diversify the locally produced variety.
And now the last news: this morning, Thursday, August 9th, mama Suzanne, Hyppolite's mother (he left Bozoum five years ago, following a paralysis of the lower limbs, and other complications), has finally arrived in Italy, and has been able after this long five years to re-embrace her son!



L'adorazione Eucaristica del lunedì pomeriggio
L'adoration Euucharistique du Lundi après midi



La nuova stampante Risograph



Gauthier
the logo of Workin'Bozoum (@PaoloSilvestro)

La formazione



Maman Suzanne, Hyppolite e Fr Régis






Saturday, August 4, 2018

Work continues...




Work continues...
The work in the church which we began last week is over. Saturday we raised, about 6 meters high, the large steel beam (almost 12 m.) which is intended to reinforce the wooden truss. Despite the weight (about 12 quintals), we pulled it up with hoists. When we had finished, I told the workers we could go to Egypt to rebuild the pyramids! Here at the Mission, there is also a construction site in order to build two new classrooms at St. Augustine’s High school. For this construction we have chosen to use stabilized, self-locking bricks. We've just started manufacturing them! It is a new technique that allows to use less cement, and to put local resources to good use. In this period, Father Norberto is in Italy for a time of rest, and we are delighted to host Father Marco Pesce, the twin brother of Father Matteo, for a few weeks. He is sharing in our everyday life, prayer, work, and the discovery of this part of the world too. On Sunday, July 29th, in Genoa, there was a great moment of celebration. Our new bishop, Mgr. Mirek, was present along with many missionaries, to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the ordination to the episcopate of Mgr. Armando Gianni, the first Bishop of Bouar.










P.Marco


Mgr Armando Gianni (seduto) e Mgr.Mirek Gucwa