Adwa has 30,000 inhabitants, of whom 47% are Muslim. The majority is Christian, mainly Orthodox and Protestants. Catholics are about 2%. After years of war and famine, Christians and Muslims here have one thing in common which is poverty.
The Salesians and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians are based in the town. When they came here 24 years ago, theirs was the first Catholic presence since 1620, when the Jesuits were expelled. Seeing the dedication of the Congregation in the nearby valley of Makallè, the elders of the town asked the Salesians to open a school in Adwa.
The daily life of the Kidane Mehret mission of the FMA tells of lives protected, cared for and rescued from poverty. There are over 1500 students, happy to go to school (from kindergarten to high school) and abandoned children who have found a home and affection. There are adults who follow computer courses and become managers in companies and in public offices, and young women and men in professional courses where they learn a trade. There are mothers happy to learn the basics of caring well for their children and also widows, single mothers, war orphans and AIDS orphans who keep coming back in the hope of receiving assistance.
There is a state school in Adwa, but many Muslim parents decide to send their children to the Salesian schools which are regarded as excellent. The situation of women is changing, because the girls, thanks to education and work, become aware of their worth.
"The way we all live together, Christians and Muslims, is very good," says Sister Laura Girotto, who works in the Kidane Merhet mission with six other sisters.
Kerat Muhamed Ftwi, a married woman and mother of three children gives further testimony: "Here we do not make distinctions on the basis of faith. Everyone is given a hearing and the help they need. I have come to see that by working together, Christians and Muslims, we learn more, we create good bonds and we are able to undertake important projects."
A young girl named Nina Mohamed Amanentu says: "the educational institution has a vital role in fighting the poverty that afflicts our population. We consider education the first essential step towards a more secure and dignified life."
