After intensive week of deliberations, presentations and group work trying to find solutions and possible suggestions to move the CLM group forward, members of the 4th African general assembly brainstormed on how to make the CLM in Africa more autonomous on three levels namely economic, organization and formation autonomy.
For CLM members in Africa to achieve economic autonomy, each group should strive for other income generating projects, scale up members contributions, use a proper accountability procedure to help the group in clean and viable ways to boost the confidence of CLM members and donors to sponsor them. They should start ways on how to gradually stop dependence on the MCCJ.
Members of the CLM should take the management of the groups and be recognized as those who can depend on their own, as one day MCCJ will leave the group. They were encouraged that the commissioned CLMs should be trained as trainers to release the MCCJ who are the currently trainer for the groups.
The 4th assembly were enthusiastic on the recognition by legal ecclesiastical and at civic level. They stressed the need for recognition as this will make them carry their duties freely and openly without rejection from any quarters. Also this may give them some bargaining power in negotiation at the civic level in terms of job. They stressed the need to be recognised by the canon law on private association of faithful.
A tour around Cotonou
After a busy week of nonstop discussion members took a day off to relax and see what nature offers to beauty of the country of Benin specifically the city of Cotonou. The journey started by visit to one of the community of St Daniel Comboni. it’s a community of 3 Comboni Brothers. Running a conference facility for hire. The guest can decide to board, or hire. It has a kitchen for full board. The facility is mostly busy on week ends. it has become the conference centre for the city of Cotonou and its environs.
We then left to visit one of the oldest seminaries in west Africa. It was the only seminary For Ivory Coast, Benin Togo and Ghana . St Gall Major Seminary offers the serene environment of silence that gives it the atmosphere for learning. We visited the chapel and saw the tombs of great missionaries. The architectural designs are stunning depicting the ancient designs of those days. It was built in 1914.
Fr. Léopold, who was our guide took us to one of the historical sites in Benin which is a must see for any visitor. The basilica “immaculate conception ” built in 1909. This was the first church in Benin. The tombs of two great missionaries who came from France and Portugal are inside the basilica. This was the first basilica built in west Africa. What makes this church unique is just opposite the church is a tradition temple locally known as VUDU. They believe in the gods of their ancestors and has refused to abandon the practice with Christianity. One of the temple we visited is the “The Temple De Python”.
Our guide tells us that it was their ancestors who donated the land which the church stands. The church and the temple of the python co-existed peacefully from then without interference with each other religion. In the Vudu they believe that they are helped by god python. Within the compound of the temple of python, we saw iroko “Tree” which has now dried up and is said to be 4 centuries (400 years) and a big baobab tree said to be 6 centuries old (600 years). The guide gave us a brief history of the place. The first instance we met the serpent face to face after assurance that its non venom. The guide invited us to hold their god the python. He placed the python on my neck, the snake it starts to scroll towards my chin. Well your guess is as accurate as mine what was happening in my mind. We were ushered in to a small room but after being ordered to remove the shoes. Inside the room there are 50 pythons, you could easily step on or mistake for a log as the room was poorly lit. Later on the day we had sumptuous local meal at one of the local restaurant.
Afterwards, we set off to see the cathedral of Cotonou “Mother of Mary”. Its painting of red and white colours makes it a beautiful architecture to admire. A big place to worship and behind the church cathedral is the radio station belonging to the Catholic church.
Later on we went to the football stadium but we could not get into the stadium as renovations were on going. We passed by the state house of Benin but stopped at the national monument of Benin. The design of the structure of the statue measuring nearly 50 meters tall is erected in the middle of a square where people rest as they take pictures with the Amazon. Historians has it that, it’s a symbol representing women who fought the French when the French soldiers wanted to colonize their country. The tall lady “Amazon” holding a knife and a riffle is a no dare to joke with.
After touring the hot city of Cotonou, we set off to the beach, some of us have only read about the Atlantic ocean. We came face to face with the big tidings of the waves, roaring sounds of the water as it splashes on the shore making spectacular retreat that leaves us wet from our knees. What a wonderful way to cool off as we watch the sun set. Showing a large ball of orange as it disappears into the waters of the ocean at the horizon. On our way back home we visited the last community of the Comboni’s, St Francis Of Assisi catholic church. Its proximity to the ocean and airports makes it a vantage point to see aeroplanes take off and cool evening breeze to relax your mind and body.
On Saturday we went for serious deliberations, resolutions and later on the final party as this was our final day of the assembly. We believe that with what we have agreed as the African assembly each member of the assembly has something to take home and implement so that as we shall come for the next assembly in 2025 we shall witness huge improvement in our CLM groups. Members also had a chance to elect a new team of coordinators at the continental level they are Hani Chafik, Justin Nougnui and Martin Juma.
Greetings, Martin Juma, CLM Kenya
