Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - Harambee, a fund started in 2002 on the occasion of the canonisation of the founder of Opus Dei Saint Josemaría, is collecting funds for four new development programmes in Africa: helping displaced women in Sudan, training elementary school teachers Kenya, teaching handcrafts in Madagascar, healthcare for poor mothers and children in Congo. Besides these programmes Harambee has also organised a second edition of Communicating Africa award for television documentaries which present Africa in a realistic but constructive manner.
“Our 2006 campaign - said Harambee promoter Carlo De Marchi - aims to be a concrete way of reawakening hope among Africans”. “These four programmes are only drops in the ocean but they are significant because they encourage people who have been working in Africa for a long time and with good results”. Linda Corbi, the campaign’s international co-ordinator pointed out that “all four programmes are promoted by local African organisations”. “Africans themselves - she said - will solve Africa’s problems. What the local people need is help to plan their future valorising people who been working for the development of the continent for many years”.
Patiance Mongo a nurse at Monkole Hospital Kinshasa the representative of the Harambee programme in Congo, speaks of great efforts made to guarantee medical care for about 100 mothers and 500 children in outer districts of Kinshasa and the hope of reaching many more mothers and children among a population of about 500,000 in Kinshasa suburbs. “The mother is the point of reference for social development: the women are the educators in Africa and it will be through them that the continent is reborn”. Sr Liliana Ugolino, a Canossian Sister, spoke of her experience of helping women Sudan. “In these years I have learned that these women do not need to be taught, they need to be encouraged and helped to develop the potential they possess” - said Sr Liliana.
The four new Harambee programmes are: Sudan, a programme run by the Canossian Sisters to help women who fled civil war in Southern Sudan; Kenya, a series of training courses for school teachers and managers to improve the country’s backward elementary school system; Madagascar, handcrafts courses for families: Congo, start health services for poor mothers and children in three rural areas around Kinshasa. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 15/2/2006 - righe 31; parole 439)
