(ANS - Freetown) - "We feel very close to Spain right now, because we know what it means to be in quarantine, to be afraid to go out on the street, to see people die during the epidemic ... We lived with Ebola." These are the words of the Salesian missionary Fr Jorge Crisafulli, director of the "Don Bosco Fambul" work in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. The work he directs is prepared for the arrival of the pandemic, having had the experience of overcoming Ebola without ever ceasing to take care of the most needy children.
(ANS - Goma) - The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been fighting a new Ebola epidemic for over a year. Since 1 August 2018, more than 2,700 people have been affected by Ebola and more than 1,800 have died. Despite the authorities and health workers working tirelessly and talking about control, the population is still not aware of the true consequences of this disease.
"On 18 July the first case of Ebola was confirmed in Goma, one of the most populated cities in the DR Congo and the alert was immediately announced," explain the Salesian missionaries who work in the city. The victim was a 46-year-old man. Since then, there have been seven positive Ebola cases in Goma and the city's routine has barely changed.
(ANS - Monrovia) - Thanks to the generosity of many benefactors, the Salesians in Liberia can now equip a new scientific laboratory and expand the academic courses and fields being offered, so as to welcome new students into the "Mary Help of Christians" school in the Matadi district of Monrovia, capital of Liberia. In this way the center managed by the Salesians can continue to extend the structures and services offered to the needy population.
Freetown, Sierra Leone - 2016 - These are the faces of children left without parents, whom the Salesians look after and educate for life. They are "faces that speak of the future."
(Photo: Alberto Lopez, the Salesian Mission Office in Madrid)
(ANS - Lungi) - Fr Ubaldino Andrade Hernandez is a Salesian missionary who has worked in Sierra Leone. He was in Rome at the Generalate during the photographic exhibition: "Ebola, and beyond Ebola". His testimony is a sign of trust in God. He says that in those strange days of the epidemic they were living with "a real fear of death” but they decided to stay there as parents for many abandoned children." Looking at the pictures of the exhibition, the memories came to mind, and his eyes paused to remember his experiences. "Staying was the best option."
(ANS – Rome) – An exhibition to inform and sensitize on the consequences of Ebola, now that the world fear of the epidemic is over, was held in these days at the General House of the Salesians in Rome, after it had been launched about 7 months ago in Madrid. It is the photo-exhibition “Ebola beyond Ebola” (Ébola, más allá del Ébola) prepared by Alfons Rodríguez and sponsored by the Salesian Missionary Procure of Madrid.
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
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Democratic Republic of Congo – Fr Owoudou on the situation in the eastern parts of the country: “No matter how dark the night may seem, dawn will inevitably come”
(ANS - Goma) - During his latest phase of the Extraordinary Visit to the "Mary Most Holy Assumption" Province of Central Africa (AFC), Fr. Alphonse Owoudou, Councillor for the Africa Madagascar Region, conducted an interview with the magazine "JAMBO VIJANA," representing the youth engaged in the Salesian works of the Province's Eastern Delegation. Addressing the ongoing violence and conflicts in the region, Fr. Owoudou expressed hope, saying: "No matter the length of the night, dawn will inevitably come."
EDITORIAL
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“Speaking with the Heart”: A great Antidote for the Ills of today’s world
‘Revolutionize the world with your kindness, by speaking with your heart’, is the dream that Pope Francis envisions for humanity through his 57th World Communication Day message, that falls on this Ascension Sunday, 21st May 2023. ‘Speak with your heart in truth and charity’, and this is the best antidote that can cure the ills of today’s society.
EVENTS
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Italy – "Labs To Future": the final event of the "Labs To Learn" project in Valdocco
(ANS – Turin) – The final event of the "Labs to Learn" project was held on Tuesday, 5 March 2024, entitled "Labs To Future: The path – The results – The challenges" . The project was selected by the "Con i Bambini" social enterprise within the framework of the Foundation for the Fight against Child Educational Poverty and came into being with the intention of combating early school leaving and preventing educational poverty, increasing the number of young people with difficulties who fulfil their school obligation, access higher education and/or job placement, and opening the way for personal growth according to their inclinations and aspirations.
SPECIAL REPORTS
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Peru – Centenary of the High Altar of the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Lima
(ANS – Lima) – The centenary of the consecration of the high altar in the Crypt of the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Lima was celebrated on 19 March, on the feast of St Joseph and in homage to Fr José Calasanz Marqués, then Provincial of the Salesians in Peru and Bolivia – now recognised as Blessed by the Church – on account of his name.
MESSAGES OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
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DREAMS THAT KEEP COMING TRUE!
THE MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR, Card. Ángel Fernández Artime, SDB
When reflecting on all this, I feel I have a little authority to say: “Dear Don Bosco, your Dream is still VERY ALIVE.”