By Sr. Georgette Ouedraogo, Lilongwe community, Malawi
Our founder Cardinal Charles Lavigerie and Mother Marie Salome as well as our sisters who preceded us in the mission, taught us to be initiators.
Our history reveals how we have been initiators in the mission. So many schools, hospitals, parishes and centres have been initiated and passed on to others. Even though we are not initiating many institutions nowadays, let us not lose the focus, we still are initiators in various ways.
When thinking about environmental care, we are called to reinforce our role as initiator. Have we ever witnessed rubbish (water bottles, takeaway containers, tissues, cobs of roasted maize, banana peels) flying out of posh cars, buses on the highway? Are these people not educated?
Some of them are very highly educated, but they have not been initiated. No one has ever supported them with the awareness of disposing rubbish in a way that is appropriate.
In Tikondane Care for Children on and off the Street, we give an integral care to the children we receive and we are being initiators as well.
Children are shown how to plant trees and flowers around them. even though they smash them while playing football. They are taught how to protect them as well.
Children are shown how to dispose of rubbish in a bin and in a proper way to allow them to get manure for the trees and flowers and gardens.
There is still a lot of ignorance and resistance around us.
And, as pilgrims of hope, we will not get tired of initiating our brothers and sisters in whichever area they need.
