In the afternoon we arrived in Adwa Don Bosco, where we were welcomed and celebrated Birthday of Bro. Jean Paul Muller. For supper were present Salesians Sisters (FMA) with their collaborators, Cottolengo Sisters who are working in the Hospital of FMA Sisters, Missionaries of Charity, our collaborators, and young volunteers of Don Bosco Adwa. The next morning after visiting aid distribution for the children and elderly, we visited our college.
We were able to visit as the sample one factory – Alemeda Textile Factory – which was giving job opportunity for more than seven thousand employees, which destroyed by war. This factory was a future for our technical college students as a place of employment. During the war it is destroyed completely and left all its employees and their families (totally about 35-40 thousand population) without any income.
Saturday (14/10/23) afternoon we went to Adigrat and we were able to visit the Bishop of Adigrat Eparchy his Excellency Tesfaselassie Medhin. He shared with us some of the challenges that the church and the people of Tigray passed, as the way forward indicated to us to work on projects that can help on self-sustainability. This way of thinking will help us to help ourselves and not to be dependent always in foreign aid.
We spent the night in our community of Post-Novitiate which is starting after being closed for three years. The students for three years were going to practical training immediately after the Novitiate and now they have started their post-novitiate formation and their study of philosophy.
Sunday (15/10/23) after Mass we proceeded to Makalle (mother house which going to celebrate 50 years in 2025). With the help of the Parish Priest of Makalle (Fr. Teum Berhe), we were able to visit one of the centres which is hosting wounded soldiers, still in need of medication and nutrition as well as psychological support. This will be a challenge for our centres later to train them in different fields. These are young people who will need our assistance – how much are our centres ready to accommodate them?
The visit was encouraging especially for the four communities in war affected area and for the confreres who have passed, isolation and full three-hundred-degree closer for more than two years, and sign of communion with the whole congregation and the province.
On those days (Octo. 14-16,2023) there was the announcement of the soldiers died during war from the side of Tigray and all were in mourning. It shows the ugly side of war, war eats human life – life of young people.
The last day (16/10/23) there was a meeting with local eonomers in the Provincial House, and later visit to the Bosco Children where there is a mission for the street boys and to the community of Mekanissa. In Mekanissa was able to visit the youth center where there are about four hundrend children assisted for food, school (KG-university) and house rent; formal school (1-12), TVET and Parish.
As the Vice-Province we are so grateful for this visit and encouragement that we have received. Especially for the communities in Tigray was really a good sign of communion and it gives hope where you cannot yet see much progress even after the peace agreement one year ago.
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