Saturday.
A bit too quiet for my taste. Ok, there’s still a hundred kids from the
Catholic Action (called here Aita Kwe, all brothers),however something is
missing: our school’s children! With crèche, primary school, secondary school,
Women Centre it’s more than 1300 students coming over every day.
Between
Saturday and Sunday the school year was over so we held the closing ceremonial,
with choir and hold out of record cards. There was a special atmosphere this
year, as we all are aware we’re the only ones who kept schools open and that we
kept on going despite the war. Pride and pleasure were well visible on parents
and kids faces!
Awkward
silence…something else is missing. Nuns! this week they took off to Italy, for
a bit of a rest. And as it happens….it’s when one’s missing that you notice
their absence! And you appreciate their value even more. Especially theirs, a
discreet one, but always very tangible…
Sister Sira, managing the healthcare cabinet, the
kitchen and her nature a bit edgy, however capable of endless attention.
Sister
Graziana, taking care of the poor, the sick people in the neighborhood, always
on foot to give medical attention….and her wandering in our green garden,
looking for veggies to nick…
Sister Solange, working with children at the Orphan
Center, always carrying her Mate around (she’s from Uruguay)
Sister Chiara, working with kids and young girls,
often in the Orphan Centre’s kitchen or the animators. Since middle of March
she went back to Italy with Sister Rosalie, the novice
Awkward silence, on
Thursday afternoon, when I got the news that Giorgio Grandicelli passed away.
He was a male nurse from Genova, he started coming over here in 2006
To help us out. I
remember his endless patience with sores, that here tend to never heal. His
helpfulness with everyone, especially children. Under his moustache often hid
irony and good mood, and a bit of a chunter, as good Genovese man. As soon as I
spread the news, many reacted as if a close relative had died. Last year they
told him he had lung cancer, he had surgery and chemio. Two weeks after he was
here in Bozoum….he was supposed to be back again, sadly cancer started again. Until
the very last moment Giorgio dreamed of Africa. Ciao Giorgio, go in peace!
Weird noises. These
past weeks it felt like things were kinda going back to normal…..unfortunately
we’re far from it! I went to Bouar and Bangui these couple of days.
1200 km of tension, from barrier to barrier, there is no control over
rebels, they do as they please, no authority over them at all.
Yesterday, Friday the 28th in Bangui, they started shootings,
thefts and violence again, at least 6 people died.
When is this going to end?
Last Sunday CAR’s bishops published a very interesting letter concerning
this country’s situation.here you can read it:
and here the one for the president
subject is DU JAMAIS VU! (never seen situation as this)
Between Weird noises and awkward silences may peace
come back again
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