War and Peace, Peace and War....

War and Peace, Peace and War....

In Bozoum life goes on, and hope alternates worrying. As in the rest of the country,

In these days the country's bishops gathered together and delivered their message, condemning these continue violences, wherever they might come: Selekas, Antibalakas or elsewhere. Problems are huge, it's very important to do something! And never lose hope and trust and to testify the Lord's love (for those interested here is the link of the original message in French http://fr.radiovaticana.va/fr2/Articolo.asp?c=810400 

Here in Bozoum schools are almost over. A dangerous year, but overall, thousands of kids managed to remain in school. Our schools, in our city and in our region, 60 schools, 15000 kids. Thanks to Siriri, Czech Rep. project and Unicef project.

On Sunday the 6th, the young women and ladies of the Women's Centre "CANA" organised a stall with their clothes and baby gears and sweets.

On Tuesday the 8th we had the teachers meeting for middle and secondary school and on Thursday we handed out scorecards. On Friday the 12th we had the year end party for creche and primary school: all in all over 780 kids, with their families and friends. The teachers gave them their scorecards, and small rewards for the most hard-working students. This year also, thanks to a prayer's group from Cuneo, Italy, we have been able to give 300 pants. Hopefully they will start producing fruits soon.

however, we haven't been without issues. In Bambari (far from here) Selekas attacked the Cathedral, hosting thousands refugees (with 20-30 killed) here in Bozoum the situation was also tense. On Tuesday, during their patrol, the Cameroonian Soldiers of MISCA killed a young man who was playing cards. People reacted and left with the body toward the militaries' camp. Soldiers fired in the air to scatter civillians. On their way back I tried to calm everyone down, but in the meanwhile a soldier had been found alone in town and he was lynched and killed.

That evening at 10 pm shooting began once again, it was the soldiers, trying to get back the body of their comrad, which had been thrown in a water pit covered in stones and bricks... I gathered an emergncy meeting the following morning, trying to find out what happened and we went to visit the guy's family, we prayed together and also for the soldier and we invited everyone to be calm.
Slowly the tension decreased but last night a family has been threatened by Antibalakas and they left thier home and spent the night over here at the Mission...

May the Virgin of the Carmel protect us all!