Insert to the Parish Bulletin for Sundays, July 28 & August 4, 2019
Extraordinary Year of Mission; October 2018-2019
2019 Missionary Cooperation Appeal: Diocese of Yaounde, Cameroon, Africa
“The Poor, Too, Are God’s Children”
The Diocese of Yaounde created the program called “The Poor Too Are God’s Children” with the aim of creating opportunities for women and children, orphans and disabled persons, the poor and the marginalized, all of whom are often forgotten. This program is designed to supply things like water, education, shelter, medication and food to thousands of people, especially children who suffer and at times die as a direct result of the lack of clean, healthy water.
To give you an idea of what young people are exposed to on a daily basis in Cameroon, listen to this story of Essomba and Ndi:
Essomba Stephanie was a promising young girl who wanted to become an engineer. She was at the top of her class in the elementary school she attended in her small village near Akono. Every morning before school she had to wake up at 5:00 AM and walk approximately 3 miles to fetch water in the nearby river for her parents and for herself to take a shower. She also had to walk 5 miles each way to and from school. But after losing both parents at age 10, Essomba could not feed and care for herself; shortly after that, she dropped out of school.
Ndi was 7 years old when her father died from HIV/AIDS. Unable to provide for Ndi and her two siblings by herself, the mother withdrew her from school and “leased” her as domestic labor to a wealthy family. Instead of school, the 7 year-old started working as housemaid for food and a salary to help her siblings.
Sadly, the fates of Essouma and Ndi are very common not only in Akono, but across Africa. “The Poor, Too, Are God’s Children program serves children like Essomba and Ndi. Here are several specific projects we hope to realize in 2019-2020:
1) Water Projects: We want to supply clean water to 5 villages of about 15,000 to 20,000 people each by drilling wells that will provide clean drinkable and disease free water. It will cost about $50,000 to supply clean water that will save the lives of thousands of people. Most people who fall sick in Cameroon suffer from water related diseases such as cholera and typhoid, among others. In fact, every glass of water given to children is a potential killer! We want to stop that threat by drilling wells for drinkable water.
2) Education- Building Catholic Schools: One of the most effective ways of putting an end to poverty and discrimination is to educate young people. Providing an education at a relatively low cost to young people, and especially to women who are often left aside, will ensure a brighter future for them. Education is also an effective way to evangelize young people; most of our Catholic schools enroll large numbers of Muslim and Presbyterian children. The local Catholic school is a powerful evangelization tool for our diocese in Cameroon.
3) Evangelization & Formation for Catechists and Seminarians: Because many of our parishioners are converts to the Catholic Church, we focus on the training of catechists, who in turn become the basic teachers for the RCIA and confirmation programs in parishes and mission churches across the diocese. In addition, the diocese also carries the cost of seminary formation for those young men called to the priesthood.
The proceeds of this year’s mission appeal will be shared as follows: 30% on water projects; 20% for school construction and 10% for tuition assistance for orphans; and 40% on evangelization and faith formation. Thank you for your generosity to the people of Yaounde, Cameroon!
The Sharing Our Bounty Committee
Back to School Collection
before & after all Masses
August 10 & 11
Please donate any of the following:
Backpacks, Lunch Boxes, Binders, Pens, Pencils, Erasers, Paper, Folders, Rulers, Glue Sticks, Highlighters, Crayons, Markers, etc.
Donations will go to Saint Agnes Day Room
and the Lord’s Pantry of Downingtown.