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Friday, September 25, 2020

Photos and more

 

 

Photos and more

Last week I stayed in Bangui, busy with various meetings and projects.

Sunday morning I went to the award ceremony for a photo contest, the Festiphoto de Fatima.

The parish of Fatima, in Bangui, is located right on the border between two worlds: the most Muslim and the most Christian (even if the borders are not clear, and there are people who live indifferently on one side or the other). Due to this situation, the parish itself has been the scene of attacks and violence in recent years. It is for this very reason the parish community tries to get children, young people and adults involved in the construction of a more peaceful and serene world.

Father Moses, the parish priest, contacted me months ago to tell me about the issues and the struggle for the protection of the environment here in Bozoum. This is why I was invited as the "godfather" of the award ceremony. The theme of the photo contest was: "Central Africa, human and environmental wonders" (here is their site with the winning photos: http://ndfbanguifilmcentre.com/home.html#).

I met many of my alumni among the organizers, and I am very proud of the work they accomplished. It was nice to see that the work of so many years is beginning to bear some fruit!

The winner of the 1st prize was Molenguela Rodrigue, a young photographer from Bangui, with a beautiful black and white photo. The other photos on display were also very beautiful and meaningful.

I returned to Bozoum on Monday, and on Tuesday about a hundred pupils began the examination of the BC (Brevet des Collèges), which allows pupils to start high school.

Upon returning to Bozoum, I received good news: many people and friends have taken steps to help us buy a new car, after the accident last month. We already received over half of the necessary funds.

A big thank you to everyone, there are many of you! For some I have names, others I don't. I begin my thanks by starting with; Silvano, Eva, Maria, Roberta, Regina, Paola, Lorenzo, Guido, Roberto, Maria, Antonio, Maria Luisa, Bruno, Angela, Maria Elena, Patrizia, Ilaria, Anna Maria, Roberto, Rosanna, Marcella, Paz Vidal, Maurizio, Elisabetta, Maria, Francesco, Blanca, Ignacio, Vicente Alberto, Alejo, Franco, Maria, Carlos, Lourdes, Cristina, Bertran, Ugo, Tiziana, Giuseppe, Parish of San Maurizio martyr, Mauro, Roberto, Giovanni, Giovanni, Ornella, Cristina, Maria Grazia, Ferdinando, Sarah, Francesco, Silvana, Gianfranca, Laura, Angelo, Giannina, Maurizio, Elisabetta, Maria, Anna.

Thank you!

Il Primo premio
le Lauréat du Festiphoto 2020

 










Esami esami
Examens de BC




 

Friday, September 18, 2020

Beginnings

 

 
Beginnings 

Saturday September 12th is a big day for the small village of Bokongo, 15km from Bozoum, on the road to Bangui. Today we inaugurate the new chapel, and it is a great celebration for everyone!

As we prepare for Mass, I see some new faces among the people, and people who have come from nearby villages. There are also pastors from various Protestant churches, and many others.

Father Matteo blessed the chapel from the outside, and then we all entered together in procession. It was nice to see the space filled with people praying, singing, dancing and joyfully celebrating God's grace.

People were very happy. We arrived with some people from Bozoum (catechists, the choir, bricklayers and carpenters). Today there were two offertory processions. The first was for the community of Bokongo, and the second for the poor of Bozoum and the village. At this point we saw, with surprise, that the Peul also entered. Even though they are Muslims they also wanted to give a small sign of gratitude.

After Mass, there was an air of celebration: while people danced, talked and met, some of the mothers finished preparing lunch for guests, catechists, bricklayers ...

The following day, Sunday September 13, in the parish we celebrated the start of the pastoral year. After the slowdown in activities, due to the coronavirus, it was time (with caution) to resume catechesis and daily activities.

They also, today, presented themselves with gifts for the poor and orphans of the parish. In Bozoum people are very generous!

On Monday I went down to Bangui with some confreres: in these days our Provincial Superior, Fr Saverio, was visiting. We are at the beginning of the three-year period, and it is time for travel and new destinations for many of us. During these days we meet and try to see what is best to do, to respond to the needs of the people and the Church in Central Africa, and, above all, to understand what God's will is.


P.Matteo










Bozoum




 

 

Friday, September 11, 2020

Building and rebuilding

 

La nuova cappella di Bokongo
La nouvelle chapelle de Bokongo



Building and rebuilding

After a few months of work, tomorrow, Saturday September 12th, we will bless the new chapel in the village of Bokongo.

Here, a few years ago, thanks to the generosity of good people, we dug the well, and built a beautiful school. Again thanks to the generosity of another person, a priest, we were able to build a beautiful church.

Rectangular, with an iron cross-bell tower on the front, to create a covered space, the church measures 12m by 7m. Very bright and airy, it is built with stabilized earth bricks (a new technique, here in Central Africa).

Inside there are benches for the people, and the area of the Eucharistic celebration has a wooden altar.At the end there is a cross, and a terracotta bas-relief, which represents the Holy Family (to whom the chapel is dedicated).

This village, 15 km from Bozoum, will thus have a beautiful place to pray and celebrate.

In this village there are also 200 families of Peuls (nomads, ranchers) who have returned. These are nomadic tribes, whose only wealth is the breeding of cows. They were here in February, and we had already tried to help them then. The village welcomed them without too many problems. They then tried to go further south, but have now returned here.

They are a very ancient peoples, with very ancient traditions, the Peul come from Chad and from countries such as Nigeria and Cameroon. They have been in Central Africa since the beginning of the twentieth century, and for them borders and laws are rather abstract concepts.

But in these years of war and disorder, they have lost almost all their livestock. So they are forced to move, in search of a permanent place. They are often the victims of abuse and oppression, both by the various rebel movements (such as the 3R, which use them as shields to justify their existence, and then use and rob them), and by the authorities.

Just a few days ago the Prefect sent me the list of Peul, asking me to assist them, which we will, and gladly. However, it is sad to see that, while the authorities are asking Caritas to help these people, the authorities themselves are taking advantage of it. They forced all the Peuls families to get an identification document (which has practically no legal value), and they got paid. The sum paid to the prefect (5,000 francs, equal to 7.5 euros) is enormous, for those in need and have practically nothing left.

It hurts to see that those who should really protect the population take advantage of them to get rich.









 





A scuola
à l'école

Peuls à Bokongo





 

Monday, September 7, 2020

Gold sought, gold wasted

 


Gold sought, gold wasted

After the Chinese companies left Bozoum a few months ago, it remained to be seen how severe the damage to the river and other areas where they dug was.

Amnesty International also made a statement about the issue entitled: "Despite the departure of Chinese companies, there remains the need to conduct an investigation, to give an account and to make amends". Here is the document in French and English:  

https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr19/2708/2020/en/

https://www.amnesty.org/fr/documents/afr19/2708/2020/fr/

Last Saturday I finally had the time to go and take a look. I discovered desolation: hectares of rivers and river banks ruined by mountains and holes and where dense, whitish water sits stagnant. No refurbishment work has been done, despite the promises of the Prime Minister, the Ministers of Mines, the Environment and the Water and Forestry ministers. Despite the presence, in Bozoum, of authorities who should precisely carry out control work (Prefectoral Service of Mines, Prefectoral Service of the Environment, the Mining Brigade). Despite the assurances given by the Prefect, the Sub Prefect and the various authorities.

The various sites are very dangerous. A resident of Boyele village told me that when someone has to go to the area, he always gets accompanied, for fear of falling into a hole, or that the earth will collapse. Unfortunately, there have already been many drowned deaths. Too many.

While I look at so much desolation, I am convinced, once more, that we need to work harder and better, starting above all with education.

For this very reason, on Tuesday September 1st and Wednesday the 2nd we are reopening our schools.

Closed due to coronavirus at the end of March, we want to reopen them now to try to make up for lost time, and to ensure a new school year. The work will be hard, but the longer we wait, the more boys and girls will risk losing practically 2 years of school.

 

The government has not yet set a date for the opening of schools, which are likely to remain closed until January 2021. And this is not acceptable!

Gold sought, gold wasted!