SOLIDARITY NEWSLETTER #4/2001

                                                Babelfish Translation

RNDMs, Associates, Friends and Sponsors

…Faithful to Euphrasie Barbier’s fundamental visiont we see our life and mission deeply rooted

in the unfolding movement of the life and love of God, Trinity…

December 2001                                                                                        Unfolding Journey, Manila 2000

Report from Gumaca, Philippines <from Sister Helen Currie>

Photo left: Family space in the barrio is very cramped.              Sea Wall is a shanty barrio between the railway track and the sea near Gumaca, on the coast several hours by bus from ManilaConditions for health and hygiene in the barrio are precarious partly because even basic facilities were not provided. We extend parish health care to the barrio and with the planning and labour provided by the barrio families the dream to have some ‘comfort rooms’ for families to share has now been fulfilled. With help from the civil authorities and RNDM Solidarity funds most families now have handy access to a toilet and washroom for the first time since they arrived in the barrio. They are very grateful and say a big THANK YOU for the funds.

Photo right: These children are very proud of their new comfort

 Report from Mendi, Papua-New Guinea <from Sister Maureen Dwan>

Sister Lukas Suess from Switzerland helps me to run the Diocesan Pastoral Centre in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. To help the catechists with their work in the villages I prepared a hand book in Pidgin English – Hanbuk Bilong Katekis – which is being used throughout the diocese and beyond.  We are very grateful to the Comboni Missionaries USA  whose donation covered a little over half the cost of the handbook, so making the cost of a handbook for every catechist affordable to their parishes. Photo left: Sisters Lukas and Maureen at the Mendi Centre    Photo right: One of the hundreds of Jubilee gates built in the Mendi Diocese to witness to the faith of the people in 2000.

Report from India Central <from Sister Mary Mathew>

1. Barasat, Residential Training for Rural Women: In 2000 our Sisters found a property about an hour out of Calcutta and built a house to use as a training centre for young rural women whose village education in the tribal belt finishes at Year X [15 years]. Government policy is that all education should continue to Year XII but it will be many years before this is possible in all rural areas. These young women were selected from the districts where our Sisters work, and are believed to have potential for further training to help enhance their chances of employment or village leadership.

About 20 young women, speaking in either Hindi or Oriya, have just completed their first year of training. They have learnt a great deal – practical skills like cooking and cleaning, buying and keeping household accounts, stitching and tailoring. They have also started to learn basic English – spoken and written.

RNDM Solidarity funds helped to provide furniture and equipment for this project.

Photo left: trainees preparing a meal

                Photo below: growing their own vegetables

Photo left: Sister Thomas teaching tailoring                                                                                                        

Salt Lake High School, Calcutta

When the Indian Government decided that secondary education was to be extended to Year 11 and Year 12 students the Sisters and the parents of girls at Queen of the Missions School in Calcutta had to plan for the future. On the cramped property in Park Circus it would be impossible to build  more classrooms. With the help of parents and past pupils the Sisters applied to the government and were given a 999 year lease of land in the new satellite city of Salt Lake, about 15 kilometres from Park Circus. Most of the cost of this building is being found locally; the Bishop has obtained a grant from Missio to build the college hall as a Mass centre as there is no provision of land for churches temples or mosques in this new city. The building is far from finished but classes have already started.

Photo: Every bit of concrete for the new school has been hand mixed and carried on the heads of the workers.

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

Phone 06 6615 8400  Fax 06 6615 7365

   Email : fundraiser@rndmgen.org

+++++ Happy Christmas everyone. And warmest thanks for your financial support during 2001 +++++

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