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Monday, April 27, 2020

Build, destroy ...



Kpari


Build, destroy ...
Due to the coronavirus, schools are closed, parochial activities have slowed down a bit, but there is still work to be done.
P. Norberto put the roof on the "cathedral" of Kpari, a village 10 km from Bozoum.  We started to mount the walls of the church of Bokongo, 15 km from Bozoum on the Bossemptele road.
Monday was the first meeting of the "coronavirus crisis committee", called by the prefect of Bozoum. Unfortunately, the scenario remains bleak: the prescriptions (distances, gatherings and, above all, travel) are not respected, and there is nothing ready, at the health level. In Central Africa there are 19 positive cases, but in neighboring (too close) Cameroon there are already 1,440.
The borders should be closed, but people pass quietly: between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning I passed by 4 large buses that went to the border, full of people. Among the latest reported cases, there are already three cases of people coming from Cameroon, by land.
 On Wednesday afternoon we had a meeting in Bouar with the bishop and with the heads of the hospitals in the diocese. Despite Italy being hit very hard by the virus, the Italian Episcopal Conference has allocated money so that Africa can face the pandemic, by purchasing medicines, equipment, protective materials, and training.
Just in these days, a report was published by Amnesty International, which examines the problem of Chinese companies that extract gold from the Ouham river in Bozoum. The title of the investigation is very clear: "THE EST URGENT QUE LE GOUVERNEMENT SUSPENDS THE EXPLOITATION DES MINES D'OR À BOZOUM" (it is urgent that the government suspend the gold mines in Bozoum ".
The report denounces the pollution, the violation of human rights, the wild exploitation that benefits neither the local population nor the state.
Another IPIS Research dossier, released in recent weeks, studies artisanal mines (including also mechanized mines in Bozoum). It makes me angry to know that Central Africa officially produced 142 kilograms of gold in 2019. But in reality at least 5,720 kg of gold have been extracted. Kilograms! 5,720!
A very rich country, yet a very poor country!

 

Bokongo




Carmel, Bangui

Fiume Ouham, gennaio 2020
Fleuve Ouham, janvier 2020


Saturday, April 18, 2020

Broadcast School






Broadcast School

The whole world is dealing with the coronavirus, and Central Africa is also getting ready.

For now there are only 12 cases, all in Bangui, the capital city. In the neighboring city of Cameroon there are already 996 sick people from Covid-19 and Cameroon is closer than Bangui!

The decisions taken to slow the spread of the virus (closing schools, keeping distant from one another, hand washing, the rather theoretical closure of bars, travel restrictions and number of passengers able to travel) has been extended for another 15 days.

Thousands of children have had to stay home with not much to do (apart from going out to hunt for food). We considered broadcasting lessons for the children by radio. In Bozoum we have the new "Radio la Voix de Koyale", and together (both the public school and the Catholic school) we have committed to doing 3 hours of lessons every day over the radio. How they have organized it is there is a teacher with 2 or 3 students in a class and a tape recorder and the lesson is recorded by the technicians, then broadcast.

Half an hour of lessons for each of the 6 elementary school classes: it may not be much, but enough to capture the attention of the children, and allow them to continue their learning. It also allows the adults to take care of the future, and to build it, slowly.









Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Another 600 km of charity, prayer and hope





Another 600 km of charity, prayer and hope
Sunday, with the celebration of the Palms, we started, in a strange way, this very different Holy Week.
No procession, this already a very different start! The procession with the palms is a moment very much felt by everyone, but we could not do it.
We celebrated 2 Masses, to give people a little more opportunity to participate, because we cannot and do not want to bring too many people together, so as not to take unnecessary risks, in this time of coronavirus.
Unfortunately, the situation continues to be rather underestimated. Here in Bozoum the authorities (prefect) have not created any crisis committee, nor held any meetings. Apart from the closed schools, and the limited number religious services, there are no limitations: the market and shops are full of people, and many laugh about catching the virus as if it were a joke: “we won't touch it! ".
Unfortunately, even though there are still few cases in Central Africa (11 in the capital), in the neighbouring Cameroon there are already more than 730 people infected by Covid-19, and we are closer to Cameroon than to Bangui. Despite the official closure of the borders, there are still many people who come and go with little regards to the closures. It only costs a little bit more than usual!
On Tuesday and Wednesday I left to finish the visits to the parishes. On Tuesday I was in Niem, about 75 km from Bouar, and on Wednesday in Baboua, 100 km from Bouar, near the border with Cameroon.
I was able to meet all the parish committees of Caritas and all the communities. Everyone is very interested and, above all, ready to help those in need, especially the elderly, the poor, and the most fragile people.
It's nice to see interest and generosity. Here and elsewhere: although the whole world is touched, from Italy (diocese of Massa Carrara-Pontremoli) and the Czech Republic (from Siriri.org) we have received help, which allows us to buy masks, gloves, soap, disinfectant and rice, oil and concentrated tomatoes that we have already distributed.
Today we began the Easter Triduum: three days in which the history of men and that of God have become one, in the sacrifice of the cross.
We all come together in prayer. In each cross there is the sprout of a Resurrection.
Happy Easter!

Bocaranga

Mercato settimanale a Bocaranga
Marché hebdomadaire à Bocaranga


Niem