Plans and contingencies

 

 

 

Plans and contingencies

Plans don't always work out as expected and in Central Africa it often happens that plans change at the last moment.

I expected to be able to return to Baoro on Friday, after a few days in Bangui. The idea was to welcome Fr Davide and 8 other Italian volunteers at our Mission in Central Africa. But on Friday morning a big storm broke out: it had already rained most of the night, and the rain continued until the afternoon. The plane failed to land, and returned to Douala, in Cameroon, where Fr Davide and friends spent the night.

Saturday morning, getting to the airport was a small undertaking: the unpaved slopes were slippery and I risked getting stuck in the mud, and along the way I saw many areas still submerged by water, which the day before flooded many parts of the city.

Father David and the group of volunteers left the airport around 9:30, and we left immediately for Baoro, where we arrived around 16:30. I stopped here, while they continued to Bouar and Bozoum.

The next day, Sunday, I celebrated in Dobere, 50 km from Baoro.

Finally in Baoro, I am able to follow the various activities in progress: the driving school, the training of teachers and kindergarten teachers, and the work of our parish church. We are almost at the end, and in these days Romain is completing the chapel-sanctuary of the Child Jesus.

Wednesday afternoon I went to Igwe, the smallest village, 60 km away. There was a local company making the well for water. They left on Monday, and had some adventures because of the trees and branches in the road. They started drilling anyway, and found water about thirty meters away.

For the village it is an exceptional event: adults and children stood around, watching the trucks and the workers.

Better than TV (which is not here anyway!).

Formazione maestre e maestri d'asilo, a Baoro
La formation des monitrices/moniteurs des écoles maternelles, à Baoro

 

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La cappellina di Gesù Bambino
La chapelle de l'Enfant Jésus

Marcelin

Blessed fantasy!

Blessed fantasy!

I often meet children, whether here at the Mission, in the villages, or in the city. They are always smiling, have great skills and initiative.

A few days ago I saw 3 children busy around a sort of "machine", made of wire and pieces of plastic and sheet metal, a rod was connected to the steering wheel, wheels that were made with pieces of rubber from old slippers. The best part was they used a couple of old batteries that turned on a small light bulb!

The day before I saw another child, who was trying to whiz by on a contraption with ONE wheel made from a suitcase: he had invented his version of a "scooter"!

For the children, we organized a training session for about twenty teachers of the nursery schools of Baoro and of the villages. A 2-week training, which will allow them to work more effectively in the next school year.

On Sunday I went to Bawi, 35 km from Baoro, where I celebrated the baptisms of 6 boys, girls, an adult and a newborn. For the village it was a big party!

On Tuesday I left for Bangui, to do some work on the new convent, which is progressing, albeit slowly.

The country's situation is becoming increasingly critical. For the past 3 months, fuel has been unavailable. Or rather: unavailable in service stations, but sold on the black market at three times the price ...

Yet every week, dozens of tank trucks pass through Baoro, loaded with diesel and petrol ...

Prodotti tipici... dalla Russia
Des produits typiques... de Russie

Bawi

Formazione maestre e maestri d'asilo
Formation des monitrices et moniteurs des écoles maternelles

Il cantiere di Bangui
Le chantier de Bangui

Driving school

 

 

Driving school

I returned from Bangui on Friday morning, July 8th. The 400 km gets a little longer each time, because the road gets worse every time, especially for the 190 km between Baoro and just before Bossembele.

On Sunday I went to Igwe, the smallest village (a dozen houses). In the upcoming days they are supposed to start construction on the well, so the village can finally have drinking water.

It took almost two hours to get there (and it is less than 60 km), the people were waiting for me, and we celebrated a beautiful Mass, under the thatched roof that is the village church.

I returned in the afternoon, and on Monday the last part of the course for our Mechanical School kicked off, perhaps the most anticipated session. It is the driving school course: for 4 weeks the students will alternate between theory and practice, to eventually obtain their driving license.

The courses taken over these two years, plus the driving license, will be two valid opportunities to find (or create) a job.

 

 

 

Igwe

 

Scuola guida per i nostri alunni della Scuola Meccanica
Auto école pour nos élèves de l'Ecole Mécanique

 

 

 

 

Flashes of hope

 

 

 

Flashes of hope

Saturday afternoon I left for Bayanga Didi, a village 80 km from Baoro, where I arrived after almost 3 hours by car.

It is a large village, through which the most important road between Berberati and Bouar passed until the 1960s. The community is quite lively, and the next day we celebrated the various passages of the catechumenate and about ten baptisms.

Sunday morning I began confessions around 7.30, and finished after 11. At around 11.30 the solemn and festive Mass began, which ended around 13.30. Here in Central Africa there is no rush when it is time to celebrate!

After Mass we gathered around the children in kindergarten, which we opened this year. The teacher, Marie, has prepared them, and they recite, sing and dance, overwhelmed by the love of their parents, brothers and sisters.

I left around 2.30 pm, and passed by Igwe: it is the same road I tried to take 2 weeks ago, but I was forced to go back due to the many fallen trees. The people of the village of Bayanga Didi have been busy, and I could only get to Igwe after an hour (for 15 km!). I continued and finally arrived in Baoro just before 6pm.

On Monday morning I welcomed about twenty young people for the admission tests to the Mechanical School. They are all very young, and they come from various parts of the country (in the following days we will test another 8 young people in Bangui).

Tuesday morning I left at 5 for Bangui. I arrive just before 11, and I took part in the last part of a beautiful meeting, which wzs attended by almost all the Carmelite confreres of our 5 Missions. It was the conclusion of the visit of the Provincial, Fr Saverio, who in the afternoon left for Italy, together with Fr Norberto and Friar Giampaolo, a young Carmelite who finished his year of internship in Central Africa.

Work on the construction site of the new convent continues, despite the lack of diesel and fuel (unavailable, and when found, on the black market, it costs 2 to 3 times as much!).

Courage!

Battesimi a Bayanga Didi
Baptèmes à Bayanga Didi

La scuola materna di Bayanga Didi
L?école maternelle de Bayanga Didi

Strade
Routes

Riunione dei Carmelitani del Centrafrica con il Provinciale
Réunion des Carmes en Centrafrique avec le p.Provincial

Fra Giampaolo e confratelli di Bangui
Le frère Giampaolo et les jeunes frères de Bangui

Cantiere del nuovo convento di Bangui
Chantier du nouveau couvent de Bangui

 

 

Schools and students: three times as many

 

 

 

 

Schools and students: three times as many

The month of June ended, and with it also ended the school year 2021-22.

In our 9 village schools, the end of school is marked by quarterly rehearsals, reviews here in Baoro, the preparation of report cards and a small and simple ceremony in each village celebrating student success.

On Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday I went to each village, together with Simplice, the school coordinator. The program is similar in every school: some speeches (village chief, president of the Parents' Association, school director and myself), some poetry, performance or singing, and the handing out of report cards.

It is a simple celebration, which draws the whole village.  The most beautiful sight to see are the mothers and fathers running around, hugging their children who have been promoted, and having a party.

This year the party is double, even triple: the number of students has tripled this year! Between Covid and the war, last year in June the number had dropped to 700. Now, at the end of the year, there are more than 2,100: three times as many. With this many students we have hope and opportunity because each number is a boy, a girl, who has a little more chance, who can face the future with a few more resources. It is like a drop of water, but the ocean is made up of many drops!

Pastoral work continued on Saturday and Sunday. I went to Yoro, but I tried to pass through Igwe: the road passes through the woods, but many fallen trees forced me into a real off-road adventure. Until I had to give up and go back: to do less than 40 km it took me more than 4 hours.

I arrived in Yoro in the evening, and on Sunday I celebrated about twenty baptisms of small children.

And after having closed the nursery and elementary schools in the villages, on Wednesday the 29th of June the school year ended also for our Mechanical School: about sixty young people, in their 2 year program.

The first year students received their report card, while for the second year students it was the ending to a long and demanding journey. They also received their report cards, along with a diploma that marked the end of their training as a Mechanic. We gave the top 5 students a bag of tools, which will help them start their professional career (with many thanks to Olimac, from Beinette - Cuneo - Italy).

The city authorities, parents, relatives and friends were all present. The announcement of the finals was received with great pride, and even emotion, by the students.

A thank you also goes out to all those who, in one way or another, lended a hand so that this dream continues to live and grow (Siriri.ORG, Fondazione Mamo, and many others!).

Strade, o quasi
Des routes, presques...

Yoro

Mbormo

Dayanga

Kouisso Baguera

 

Scuola Meccanica: i primi 5 alunni del Secondo anno
Ecole Mécanique: les 5 prèmers élèves de la Deuxième Année