News

News from Goma and fellows.

Dear friends of EALE, Ngangi Fund and Accenture,

Yesterday, Sunday, May 5, we wanted to remember, according to local custom, the 40th anniversary of the death of Antoine January Bahati (said Waloso) who was supported by you.  He was killed by the military on March 27. These are the fellows, under the direction of Pierre Mihiyo and Feza Scholastica, who hqve organized the commemoration. During Mass, I invited all those present to promote life, justice and love.

After Mass we returned to the house of his siblings, where everyone shared a glass of consolation, a piece of bread and even a plate of spaghetti. Isaac and Mary  thanked all those who supported them in their grief. For your part: thank you from them.

I send you a group photo that I just received from Fannie who gave us multiple desktops, Recently she offered five laptops to five scholarship students of 1st and 3rd graduates. All others hope that this very worthwhile initiative continues.  It is so appreciated. I take this opportunity to thank her. The picture includes twenty fellows; Isaac (brother of January) is the first standing.

In Goma, the situation is both calm and stable. We await the arrival of the African peacekeeping force. It is said that the M23 has strengthened and is prepared to fight. We hope and pray that there is no more war.

Good news: WFP resumed regular food distribution to Don Bosco, all students eat at noon. One of us took this joke from a child: “ Nyiragongo can spit lava and destroy the Don Bosco Center, provided it does not touch the kitchen!”

I leave you. With all my gratitude and friendship

Ngangi, May 6, 2013

Piero Gavioli

To know more about the action that lead to the support given to 40 young Belgian youth in Goma to attend college: http://fondsngangi.be

© EALE

Goma awaits a real and lasting peace.

Since Goma was taken over by the M23 in November, then followed by their retreat, rumours don’t cease spreading.  It is difficult for the people, and even more so for the children to reconstruct their lives in such an environment.  Through our projects, we try to offer women and children an anchor, a stability, in order to give them a chance to rebuild their lives.

At Don Bosco, the number of infants has doubled in 6 months, for the mothers die in childbirth due to lack of appropriate medical care.  We have doubled our support this year hoping to enable them to face the problems ahead and because the large international organisations have decreased their aid.  At Kila Siku, we received a donation in order to build 20 new homes destined for the team of embroiderers and seamstresses.  We help them with interest-free loans.  We still lack enough funds to furnish water (drainpipes and barrels).  At INUKA the team faces unexpected diffiucuties:  Kitshanga in  Masisi west of Goma has been devastated, but we have managed to re-integrate numerous children there.  As soon as possible we hope to bring them more aid.  In Goma one of our peace homes (‘fratries’) established 5 years ago was attacked.  Alas, one child died.  This was particularly gruelling because 3 of the orphans had lost both parents, but had survived and all were succeeding in their studies. All were appreciated in their neighbourhood!

In all our projects our experience and knowledge of the terrain enables us to respond to the people’s needs within limits of our financial  possibilities; however,  there is such a great need that all the support we can bring is truly important!

STIMULI 145 children younger than four years are welcomed at Don Bosco!

My ideas clatter and my pen skips a space. What else can I say other than Don Bosco seems to me, more than ever, the intersection for all the young wounded in life: child orphans, babies 8 months old who weigh 2 or 3 kg; babies abandoned and placed by the CICR, babies seriously handicapped: Esther, Alain and Danil and so many others for whom there exists no solution if not taken in by the Ushindi House.

In this Goma - so poor, so desperate; in this centre Don Bosco, so grand and so jarring, I found a small haven of warmth where Mama Béa, Immaculée, Jeanne, Koundo, Régine and 13 other mothers are aided by 4 funded students. Their heroic endeavours provide the joy and affection needed by all these small bewildered children. Indeed it is far from our western criteria: the mothers are not like English nannies; an equipped garden and so many things are lacking . . .But the site is under full renovation. Showers are under construction. The game room remains and the large beds can sleep 5 or 6 wee ones (yes, oh yes). There is no choice here, but the children run around. Joy and games are there and the eyes of the really small children are immense because serenity reigns. The project is extraordinary and is indispensible for so many young left to their own devices! And Monica watches over to ensure that all continues for the best.

Testimony of Martine Englebert, responsible for the Stimuli project, who spent 10 days in Goma in mid-February 2013.

Normal life begins its course at Don Bosco !

In December the displaced persons left Don Bosco.  They have been supported in their return home or, in their efforts to settle in to the Displaced Persons Camp of Muguna.  We have managed to reopen the school, to avoid the spread of cholera, because we had the human resources to manage a mass of almost 10,000 people. We have kept with us non-accompanied children.  Of the 145, several have already reunited with their family.  There remain presently fifty some children.  Thank you for your emergency aid which enabled us to offer solace in the distressing situtation in which they were found !

The situation in Goma is calm.  The cease-fire is respected.  The Congolese police intervene in order to limit  pillage.  (They recently killed a previous child of Don Bosco, who unfortunately became a part of a thievery group.) The future is still uncertain.  We await the Conference of Kampala with confidence – I have the impression (perhaps is it my dream that at an international level,  there is a growing presure in favor of a peaceful  and lasting solution  to the conflicts of the two Kivus.  Information that we  have circulated may contribute to thie solution.

I wish for a Happy Year 2013 to all the friends of EALE and the Ngangi Foundation.  I thank you all for the indispensable aid that you have brought us in view of  supporting the weakest in Goma.

Piero Gavioli