Babelfish Translation
Sénégalese cross
NOW is the acceptable time.
March 2003
RNDM Mission Solidarity News is published four times each year – March, June, September and December.
RNDM Mission Solidarity is the RNDM office that promotes mission solidarity in communications and in funding for the missionary works of the 925 Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions in 20 countries world wide.
ALL are invited to contribute to our RNDM mission solidarity funds._______________________________________________________________
The Schedule of RNDM Mission Projects for 2003,
approved by our Leadership Team in December 2002, includes needs in:
During 2002 our Sisters, our friends and our
donors contributed US$35,000, and more, to the projects on last year’s schedule.
Thanks to that generosity many hundreds of women and children, amongst whom our Sisters
live and work, began to realize that ‘globalization’ can mean support,
encouragement and hope for their future, and not just the exploitation of their resources
and their labour, which keeps them poor for ever.
Thank you so much for the efforts that you are
making – as individuals, or in groups. We look forward to your continued support of
our new Mission Projects during Lent and throughout the coming year.
[PS We are also most grateful for the support
– totals unknown - given to these and many other longer-established works maintained
by our Congregation.]
1. Careine
Roselaer-Pluimers – a valiant woman
Photo:Cora
(
Carein, from the
Patricia writes “Carein is truly a valiant woman and we thank God for
the gift of Carein and her
friends.”
2.
Water for the Women of Talagne
Water ! A
basic need everywhere, and a daily responsibility of women in all villages of Sénégal :
to fetch enough water each day for their family.
When RNDMS first arrived in Ndondol the 
The committee of the
women’s literacy class wrote asking for help – as they pointed out, they were
not able to attend classes regularly due to the time spent each day going to get water.
Carein put us in contact with a small NGO in
We received practical advice from a diocesan
priest who has been involved for a number of years with a well-digging programme in our
region. The actual site for the well was indicated by Brother Matthieu, a monk at the Keur
Moussa monastery, well-known for his water-divining skills.
Photo above: The Talagne well
team hard at work.
A series of meetings with all villagers, and later
with a small group consisting of the chief and representatives of each section of the
village, clarified the responsibilities of all parties to the project, including the
well-digger (chosen by the village) and his team, and a contract was signed. The villagers’ contribution was in providing
lodging and meals for the workers, and in organizing transport of materials such as
cement.
The work started in April. All has been done by
hand, with picks and shovels, ropes and buckets, and progress slowed as they moved from
sand through clay into a kind of rock. In
July, at a depth of about 20 metres, they struck the first layer of water, but not fit for
drinking (according to our water-diviner, the “good water” is between 33 and 36
metres). We are at present trying to find a
pump to remove this water so the digging can continue, but it seems best to suspend the
work for some weeks during the rainy season.
With all Talagne families, especially the women,
we continue to hope and pray that soon they will be able to drink from their own well.
Success will also mean that funding could be available for other villages in similar need.
Children in need of a
reasonable play area.
Our Sisters have been
in Cherrapunjee since 1937 and from the beginning we have had an orphanage and hostel to
provide for the education of the children of the poor. At present the hostel building
caters for about 80 girls, coming from some 15 villages. Only a few can afford to pay the
boarding fees of £6 – 7 per month. Books
and uniforms are provided, thanks to funding from the Holy Childhood. The Sisters started
to replace the original orphanage building in 1997 and completed it in 2001 – having
exhausted all the funds available.
Over
the years the Sisters have also developed a primary school [teaching in the Khasi
language] and a secondary school [teaching in English]. The total number of
students is now 1200.
Photo:Cherrapunjee school grounds
with the new hostel to the left
This year RNDM Solidarity has been able to place
on the Mission Projects Schedule, their project to upgrade the grounds between the hostel
and the schools so that the students will have a tidy play area. It is the only outdoor
area available for the students to play in, and it is still rough from the building
project, which puts many limitations on everyone, staff and students alike, but especially
on the hostel students.
Report
from
Progress in the Kibera slum,
During 2002 RNDM Solidarity provided funds for the Baraka Za Ibrahim
primary school to have some desks and toilet facilities. Masila, a retired Kenyan teacher,
started a small school in some mud houses in order to help some of the children who had no
other chance of ant education. Her enthusiasm, and the support of two of our young
Sisters, have put the school on the map. In addition to RNDM Solidarity funding, the
school has attracted funding from our college near 
Sister Felicitas writes “Here at Baraka Za Ibrahim Primary School we have been
blessed with various things through people of good will. We have some pit latrines.
Children are no longer sitting on the floor, for they have desks where they can sit and do
their work comfortably. The teachers have chairs to sit on also, unlike last year…
May God bless you for your generosity at all times. Thank you for your wonderful support.
We sincerely appreciate it most whole-heartedly.”
PS Congratulations to RNDM
Report
from
Some 60% of the 54,000 people in Ilo live in
shanty towns. Ilo is an important and growing seaport situated 1274km south of
Every week the Sisters meet with a group of ladies (who sell in the market) for an hour of prayer and reflection on their daily lives.
_______________________________________________________________
Donations for RNDM mission works can be handed to any Sister of Our Lady of the Missions.
For further information
contact : 
COORDINATOR RNDM MISSION SOLIDARITY
Sister Mary Rose Holderness,
Suore di Nostra delle Missioni
Casa Generalizia
Via di Bravette, 628
00164 ROMA
Italy
Email : fundraiser@rndmgen.org