Building

 

Building 

This week was a mixture of malaria, rebels and buildings. Occasionally malaria comes our way.  It is a disease that in most cases can pass easily but other times can be severe and oftentimes fatal. In December 2016 the WHO (World Health Organization) stated that "about half of the world's population is exposed to the risk of contracting malaria. In 2015, there were a reported 212 million cases which resulted in approximately 429,000 deaths.  Sub-Saharan Africa is unfortunately where a disproportionate amount of malaria is found and in 2015, 90 per cent of the cases of malaria were recorded here and so were 92 per cent of deaths caused by malaria ". Unfortunately, the missionaries are not immune, but usually we are able to cure the disease with some pills, although sometimes we may need injections or an intravenous, but most importantly a bit of patience.  During the week I planned to go to Bocaranga, 125 km from Bozoum, to begin planning and preparing for a project by Caritas that will allow the people in the communities to rebuild their homes, livestock and roads.  This was the plan I had made but the area was being watched by dozens of rebels who had occupied the neighboring villages of Tolle and Tataley (about 60 and 48 km from Bozoum).  So I had to postpone the trip, with a bit of exasperation because it just so happened that on Monday these rebels had just signed yet another peace treaty… Meanwhile, the building work for 2 classrooms for St. Augustine's High School continues.  Just today we finished the laying of the roof. Slowly (or yeke yeke, as we say in Sango), we are reaching the last leg of the work, financed in large part by the Embassy of the Czech Republic. Sadly, I have to end with some bad news. On September 22nd I was asked to baptize a child, Alphonsine, who was seriously ill. After a long battle with her illness, and despite the treatment she had received, yesterday she passed away. I entrust her to God, who certainly welcomes her with Him.