The reality in which the Salesians find themselves operating in Gambia, the 134th country in which the Congregation is present, faces numerous challenges: on the religious level, 96% of the population is of Islamic faith and the remaining 4% is of Christian religion; at the political level, we are witnessing a period of hopes, but also of fears, because after 22 years of authoritarian rule by former President Yahya Jammeh, in 2016 there was a regular election of a new President. Thus, after decades of immobility linked to the particular political situation, with this recent and sudden freedom, a series of tribal conflicts has been unleashed for the possession of land, which sees ethnic minorities in great difficulty.
The Salesian mission, inherited from a local congregation and destined to the activity of oratory-youth center, finds itself therefore operating in a completely peculiar context. And yet, there are also opportunities for pastoral service, given that in the territory of the mission almost all of the population is Catholic, apart from a few animists.
For this reason, wanting to meet the spiritual needs of the local population, the Salesians decided to build a chapel that could benefit the local population: about 750 souls, including children (300) young people (200) adult men and women (110) and inhabitants of the surrounding villages (140). The construction has been completed, but there is a need for the final touches, such as painting the chapel, both inside and out, providing it with benches for the faithful, windows ...
Relying on the protection of Mary Help of Christians and the solidarity of benefactors from all over the world, Salesian missionaries in Gambia are convinced that they will soon be able to offer young people and the local population a suitable place to pray and meet God in the sacraments.
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