Central African Republic

Letter to the confreres in situations of violence and war

24 February, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

Saturday, February 22, 2014
Some African nations are prey to violence and war, especially South Sudan and Central Africa. Our confreres who live in those nations have decided to stay with the people and share their life. A choice of courage that helps us to remember that St. Daniel Comboni continues to love and to make common cause with the poorest and most abandoned in Africa today through these confreres. The following is a letter of appreciation, encouragement and deep affection coming from the General Direction and the circumscriptions’ superiors to our confreres so that they may, in turn, console the people with whom they share their lives.

Comboni Missionaries
Via Luigi Lilio, 80
Roma

February 22^th, 2014

“Console my people, console them, says your God.”
(Isaiah 40:1)

Dearest Confreres, Sisters and Lay Missionaries
in South Sudan and the Central African Republic,

Heartfelt greetings in the name of Jesus, the Lord of the Harvest.

During these two weeks of Meetings, prayer and reflection that Provincial and Delegation Superiors have shared with the General Direction of our Institute, we have followed with the greatest of concern the situation of wanton violence afflicting the countries in which you live.

We cannot remain indifferent to your plight and so wish to address these words of communion and fraternity to you.

Pain and death continue to indelibly mark out the way of the Mission. The telling witness of your remaining on and sharing the lot of the people you are called to serve in the midst of such mindless violence serves to remind us that St. Daniel Comboni continues to love, and make common cause with, the poorest and most abandoned in Africa today. Your wonderful witness in such tragic circumstances makes the presence of Comboni very much alive and active.

We are also aware of the political and economic interests that have brought about such a profound crisis in your societies: placing the many ethnic and religious elements present in trenchant opposition to one another, and rendering evermore precarious the peaceful co-existence that has prevailed between such groups over many years. The humanitarian crisis that this has provoked is without precedent. We know that the doors of many of our Parishes and Houses of Formation have remained open to welcome, accompany and console thousands of those displaced by the fighting and often fleeing for their very lives. This is without doubt an integral part of our ministry of ‘consolation’ among peoples that earnestly seek peace. We wish to share the risks and the dangers that you are living, your solidarity and something of your wonderful courage.

We can but recall the words our Father and Founder wrote a week before he died: “Everything that God wishes comes about. God never abandons the one who trusts in Him. He is the protector of innocence and the vindicator of righteousness. I am happy in the Cross which, when borne willingly out of love for God, gives birth to victory and eternal life” (Writings, No. 7246), and the words he spoke on his death-bed, “Courage for the present, but above all, courage for the future”.

We earnestly pray for a complete cessation to all violence and to the violation of human rights, that justice, peace and reconciliation may break through the boundaries of what is humanly-speaking ‘impossible’ and find a home in the hearts of all men and women of goodwill in your countries.

We embrace you all with tenderness and affection; you are very much present in our thoughts and prayers. May St. Daniel Comboni protect each one of you and every one entrusted to your care.

The Superior-General and His Council,
Provincial and Delegation Superiors,
and the General Direction of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus

A nomadic population

8 February, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

In our parish we are in constant contact with about 4,000 pygmy-Aka people who are nomadic by nature: cross borders and change of habitat constantly making difficult our work with them, but we must respect their vital rhythms dictated by the nature around them if you want to work with them. But in these times of crisis, more than ever, I realize that the Bantu population also has an unimaginable mobility: crossing borders without papers or passports, change of family, of village with an ease that makes me suspicious that it isn´t a desire to travel or sightseeing … they are moving from one place to another because of poverty, family instability or dramatic situation in the country.

An illustration will serve as a sample. In October 2010 we made the census of Christians in our communities; now, three years later, we are electing new leaders and we wanted to see that census. The community of St. Augustine had 178 baptized three years ago, today has only 76: 12 died in recent years, 25 has fled as refugees, 32 are moved to another region, 15 changed their religion … in every community something similar happens. St. Kizito had 173 and now there are 78, St. Charles Lwanga had 189 baptized and now there are 111. More than half of the population has changed housing and lifestyle in just three years.

At present about 20% of our population is displaced in neighbors Congo Democratic and Congo-Brazzaville or in another Province of the country … In the meantime we continue with the refugee camp of Batalimo that houses 7,500 Congolese for past three years.

The image that characterizes Africa is people on the go, people from one place to another… Migration is not new, and at the time our ancestors “homo erectus” and “homo habilis” they migrated from Africa to Europe and Asia giving rise to white and Asian people. Yes, although many do not like the idea, the origin of mankind is in Africa, from there we proceed… Africa remains a reserve of life. Let us see if the West would take a benign view on the land of our ancestors.

Africa is moving, Africa is a nomadic continent. Move with Africa!

Jesus Ruiz, MCCJ in Mongoumba. Central African Republic

CML in Mongoumba (Central African Republic)

12 December, 2013 by Alberto de la Portilla

Dear CLM, friends and family

Peace and good!

We are writing to communicate you a bit of how we are and live the present moment, after the attempted military coup of December 5, our fears, our anxieties,…

When darkness falls in Mongoumba the silence takes the night, we don´t hear anymore the songs and laughter of children who play. We don´t hear the conversations of the neighbors, the drums that enliven the night … just the sounds of nature, the crickets and some nocturnal birds. It is a silence that anguishes because we know that people leave their homes to take refuge in the jungle. They leave because they are afraid. They have fear of Military Seleka and fear of the Anti-Balaka, the new opposition group to the transitional government. Fear of the night, of what may happen.

It is a difficult moment, a difficult time for the country, but in Mongoumba we are in a different situation, we can say that we live in a small paradise. A little paradise where the difficulties are not lacking, where we try to give continuity to our daily activities, the different projects: health, education and pastoral. At the same time we try to live next to the people sharing with them the difficulties of every day. We talked about a little paradise because the situation of the town with its natural boundaries (the river), allow us to continue to a nearly normal life, nearly normal, but we cannot ignore the situation of war, destruction and death that lives the rest of the country.

We hear of the events that occurred, particularly in Bangui, and other locations in trouble, but in Bangui is where the fighting is most intense and where the number of deaths is higher. We hear the news and hear people who have relatives in the capital, what happens in the neighborhoods, the dead bodies in the houses and streets where no one comes to pick them up. The accesses are difficult and people are afraid to go for help.

The news coming from abroad speak of religious war, but we do not feel that way, for us it is a political way to put against one another and where some people take advantage for revenge and personal vendettas. Both Seleka as Anti-Balaka are destroying a village to catch a power that they are not able to control.

The Anti-balaka calls themselves Christians like the Seleka sais they are Muslims, but not all Muslims identify with the Seleka and not all Christians with the Anti-balaka. Which religion would identify itself with groups that spread death and disorder? It is a political problem that false religious believers try to turn it into a religious problem. From the beginning of the conflict the leaders of the major religions of the country work together in an appeal for peace. Almost throughout the whole country have been organized inter-religious committees for the same purpose, including Mongoumba where there is also a risk that people start to look each other with suspicion and can reach confrontations with devastating consequences for the entire town.

Some of our fears are: The number of weapons in circulation. The French military has begun the disarmament, but how many weapons are gone and how many from unknown hands have past for unknown destinations?

Until now, we have lived as spectators in a war that is ours, but the outcomes have not yet touched us…

Kisses to all and keep up with us

Elia and Tere

Our wealth are the poor

8 December, 2013 by Alberto de la Portilla

Yesterday at the opening Mass of the Pastoral Year I was saying to Christians that the poor are our wealth in the parish and announced that Catherine, Odile and Monique would leave on Monday morning to M’baiki where they shall reside with the Sisters of Teresa of Calcutta.

Catherine, Odile and Monique take over ten years with us. Casually all three are Christian; live in houses of clay in the soil of the parish. None has a family and at the time they were accused of witchcraft, which means death threat, so they found refuge in the parish. They are the “poor of the parish.”

Monique has 95 years according to his letter of baptism, Catherine and Odile exceed eighty. They are very old and deteriorated; we have no strength to continue responding to them with dignity at this moment of insecurity where many, who threw a hand to clean them or prepare something to eat, have fled. They are living in almost inhuman conditions because Monique is paralyzed and blind for years, Odile cannot move and Catherine who was the nurse of the group is with heart problems and cannot fend. Without water, without any hygiene, with nobody to prepare them meal or give them a hand … We decided to move to the sisters of Calcuta where we seek for asylum and they have been accepted Initially faced with uncertainty, they refused saying that they wanted to die in Mongoumba and didn´t want to leave … Then I managed together with Kaos to convince them that it was the best for them … I told them that we will take them, and if they are not happy in one month we will bring them back.

The journey to M’baiki, 90 miles in four hours, has been quite an odyssey. Monique does not stand sitting in the back seat and was lying on top of Catherine, she spend all the journey vomiting. Catherine was scowling and Odile smile every time I asked her if they were going well … it’s probably one of the first times that they have been on the car on a long journey.

Sister Alexandra welcomed us very well when we have reached M’baiki, fully nap time. We have installed our three relics in a room with three beds and foam mattresses, it is the first time they have a mattress. They even have a bathroom with shower and running water in the room… Their somber faces were lit … Monique have been placed on a mattress on the floor to keep her from falling.

We have filled all the forms: name, age, origin, family, diseases, drugs … In the status box sister wrote: “proscribed accused of witchcraft …”. “What if they die? What we do?” I told the sister, knowing how complicated the issue of burying the dead is in this culture, “They have no one I said, they can be bury with no problem, no one will complain …”. Sister asked me to sign as guardian of the three elderly.

Really, we’re going to miss them, but we will remain in touch, they are our treasures, the poor.

Jesus Ruiz (MCCJ in Mongoumba). Pictured accompany the four women, Tere and Elia (CLM).

Project KWE ZO ZO (every person is a person)

8 January, 201428 November, 2013 by Alberto de la Portilla

HEALTHCARE PROGRAM FOR PYGMY POPULATION IN MONGOUMBA

Comboni Family united for a common cause

Context:

This year, the Comboni family in Portugal will have as central theme of the year the slavery. Therefore, given the circumstances of the countries in which we work as Comboni family, we have joined in support of a project for the Pygmies of Mongoumba – RCA (where we have our CLM Elia Gomes responsible for the health issues).

The village of Mongoumba is located in the equatorial forest in Lobaye, Prefecture of the Central African Republic, and is bordered by the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo, in the equatorial forest.

The estimated population is 21,235 inhabitants, with over 50% of young people (under 20 years).

Here are around thirty villages located mainly on the banks of the Ubangi and Lobaye rivers. The population is ethnically diverse; the largest ethnic groups are the Mondzombo and Ngbaka, from the Bantu group. There is still a group of Pygmies Aka, according to the latest census carried out by CARITAS, in 2004, the number of people who belong to this ethnic group was 3089, being distributed in more than 80 camps disseminated in the forest.

Despite being pygmies the first inhabitants of this region, they suffer of discrimination from the rest of the population that uses them as cheap labor and excluded from social organizations.

The economic activities belong to the primary sector: coffee, bananas, cassava, hunting, fishing and gathering fruit. In this area existed logging and mining companies exploiting the natural resources causing the disruption of the balance of the ecosystem and destroying the natural habitat of the pygmies.

Introduction:

To support the Pygmy population at health level, the mission -and more specifically the community of Comboni Lay Missionaries (CLM) present there- intended to serve as a bridge between this population and the local public health center, as well as facilitate the access to Pygmies to medicines, nutrition programs, epilepsy, as well as vaccination campaigns and access to safe drinking water (through the construction of wells in the jungle).

The pygmy population fails to go beyond a collaboration of 2% of the total expenditure on health.

Activities:

1. Donation of medicines needed for the Pygmies having a financial contribution from them.

2. Health education for individual and group during the consultations and in the pygmy camps in different topics like vaccination and the disease with greater incidence.

3. Accompaniment, medication and training in cases of epilepsy and malnutrition (very common in this region).

4. Creation of 2 wells in the jungle to meet the drinking water needs.

Budget (in Euros) for the development of the activities (for one year):

Concept	Finance needed
Drug expenses	3 700,00 €
Malnutrition	550,00 €
Epilepsy	630,00 €
Vaccination / sensitization campaigns	150,00 €
Construction of 2 wells	250,00 €
Total	5 280,00 €

This project aims to ensure a minimum level of health for the Pygmies of this region (as these are the poorest of the poor).

Along with these activities, the Catholic Mission of Mongoumba does other activities in both education and in terms of Pastoral ministry. Therefore, this project is only a part of the comprehensive work done in the mission.

From now, the CLM community present in Mongoumba is grateful for the cooperation of everyone and especially the attention paid to the reality of the Pygmies. It is, in fact, in constant collaboration that we can continue the Mission and slowly, together, we believe that we can build a better world, “that many have life and have it abundantly” (Jn 10, 10).

Note: Currently, in this mission is present Elia Gomes, CLM nurse, who takes care of matters concerning to health issues.

The CLM from Portugal are available to provide any additional information, support, and answer for any questions that may arise:

You can download the project brochure KWE ZO ZO here.

You can follow the project in Facebook here.

Susana Vilas Boas: (00351) 960 145 875 susanavilasboas@gmail.com (made part of this community for 5 years).

Sandra Fagundes: (00351) 966 592 658 sandrafagundes@gmail.com (treasurer of the CLM)

Donations can be deposited in the account:

IBAN: PT50 0036 0131 99100030116 60

SWIFT: MPIOPTPL