Solidarity Newsletter #2 - 2002

For the missionary works of the 900 Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions in 20 countries world wide.

Donations for RNDM mission works can be handed to any Sister of Our Lady of the Missions.

We have taken another step in the development of our web site. After considerable investigation we have decided to pay a fee so that our web site can appear without advertising banners. We hope that you approve, and that you will encourage all your friends to use the new web site address. In the meantime anyone using the previous address will be given a link to the new address.

Tragedy in the Tluh Mission, Meghalaya, India North East

On 20 May a cyclone hit the parish primary school at Tluh about 2.00pm. The roof and one wall collapsed and two teachers and three children were caught inside. Sister Helen and the lay teacher died of their injuries on the way to hospital. The children survived although one was seriously injured. Fortunately classes were over and most of the children had left the property.

[There was an item about this mission in the March Newsletter of 2001.]

Photo left : Kate [right] and a colleague in the work with street kids.

I have been privileged to walk with and share in the lives of the street people of Christchurch during the past 4 years. I have been the street outreach social worker with St. John of God/Waipuna Community Trust. Waipuna is a Maori term which means living spring, and it is the agency’s hope that we can bring springs of new life to the people we work with.

I have been fortunate to share in the lives and stories of people who have had the streets as their home. We try to encourage them to respect themselves and each other, and to offer them a glimmer of hope in what often seems hopeless. Most of the people I have walked with have histories of severe abuse and neglect, and most have become immersed in the world of drugs and prostitution.

During my time here, I have been gifted by sharing in the road to rehabilitation and trust with many people. Encouraging people to trust again, and therefore to see a future beyond life on the street has been inspirational for me. I have seen what can eventuate from what may seem to be hopeless – growth into a life of incredible opportunity and the realization of dreams. With support, encouragement, and by building up trust and the knowledge that someone does believe in them, the street people can be empowered to make incredible changes in their lives. It has been an honour for me to be welcomed into their hearts and their world.

    Photo: Sister Françoise supervising the ‘fishing’

We prepare for this day a long time beforehand. For several weeks Sister M Lea had spent a good part of her days preparing the special Vietnamese food appreciated by the guests. Other Sisters were busy with the children’s fishing, the mystery envelopes and the tombola, and had gone out and about seeking prizes. Many lay volunteers, parents, acquaintances and friends of the community came – the day before and the day itself -

to help us. Some young Vietnamese girls showed the guests to the dining rooms, which were quickly filled. At least 150 people enjoyed the Vietnamese meal prepared with such loving care by Sister M Lea and her collaborators. The sale of tickets for the tombola, of the mystery envelopes and of the children’s fishing were most successful thanks to the quality of the prizes and to the friendliness of the sellers!

In 2001 RNDM Solidarity helped the Sisters at Ndondol to set up a small library of reading and resource books for the secondary school teachers and pupils in Ndondol. Ndondol is in an isolated rural area which, following severe droughts in the 1980s, became a Catholic development project centre. The project has been multi–faceted, encouraging agricultural and economic development, developing ‘bush schools’ for basic literacy and numeracy, and promoting women’s health and mother and child programmes. One of the fruits of the project is the every-growing awareness of the parents in Ndondol and the surrounding villages that the education of their children is very important. The main users of the little library are the pupils of the local college, encouraged by their teachers and the College Director.

One of the students writes ‘I am very happy to have access to the books in the Sisters’ library. We have very few books at school and I’m especially grateful for the reference and textbooks that we can use at the library. I live in the country, far from the towns where perhaps there are more books. Of course, I don’t have money to buy books so I make as much use of the library as I can. Our teachers encourage us to come here and often give us work to research here.’

Report from Bolivia, Latin America <from Sister Josefina Carcares>

Health Assistance for the Elderly in Turco.

Turco is a country parish made up of   farmers and shepherds. It is situated in the north west zone of the Department of Oruro some 4000                                                                             metres above sea level.  It takes 3 hours by jeep to reach Turco from Oruro. There are 5,030 inhabitants in 18 villages forming part of the six communities of the Aymara First Nation.  The priest visits Turco about once a month so in solidarity with the local people the Sisters lead the pastoral work and evangelization.  Because of the distance from the hospital in Oruro, the elderly and the poor need financial assistance to pay for surgery and medical and ambulance expenses.

RNDM Solidarity has contributed to a fund, administered by the Sisters, to help these Turco people get hospital care when necessary.

Photos: [Left] Sister Marta Carcares (Peru) bringing Christmas cheer.   

                                                                                [Right]Poverty also means homelessness for this Aymara lady in Turco.

RNDM Solidarity has contributed to a fund, administered by the Sisters, to help these Turco people get hospital care when necessary.

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