Dialogue in a time of violence
Inter-religious Dialogue is at the core of our MSOLA charism. In these times of inter-religious confrontation, this webinar can trace out for us a way to live, as our Pope Francis invites us to do, as brothers and sisters united in the great human fraternity.
New Altar in Ouagadougou
This last month of the year has been marked by a happy event.
Prison Ministry. Oran, Algeria
This pandemic has forced us to change habits and patterns and made us discover new ways of carrying out our apostolate. Here in Oran, Algeria, we used to go to the prison in pairs (with a priest) once a week to meet between 25-38 men. The prisoners are almost all sub-Saharan (majority Cameroonians). Most have no other visits and no links with the outside since their arrest. During the visit I try to listen to each one. When I get home I contact their relatives, their partners, friends in Algeria and then by Facebook their families and friends living elsewhere. It is an extremely emotional and spiritual apostolate because we are journeying together and we are able to form a family that meets once a week around the Word of God. Due to the health crisis, the country’s authorities suspended visits to prisoners, but during the last few months,…
Joy and Gratitude for a new community
Creating a new community always brings joy and gratitude.
Testimony of a parishioner of Tunis
A new missal for my daughter The ” Chapelle Lavigerie ” is located in Tunisia in the parish of St. Cyprien in Carthage. I go there regularly for mass during the week. But one evening, something important happened there! During an adoration, I said “yes” to a project that I had started a few years earlier and then dropped it. “Make me next year’s missal”. In 2018, I wanted to give a missal to my student children, a daily missal to encourage them to read the Bible. All I found were Sunday missals or perpetual missals that were very expensive and complicated to use, not at all the kind to give to students! Since I couldn’t find what I was looking for, I went to work and made this missal myself. I found the texts online, on the site of the AELF, the Episcopal Liturgical Association for French-speaking countries. I…
Solwodi-Germany shares with Solwodi-Kenya during the Coronavirus
SOLWODI had to adapt to the coronavirus. Many appointments and events had to be canceled or postponed. We have limited our work or reorganized it into telecommuting. But, we remain reachable for women in distress. In these difficult times, this is more important than ever. In the previous weeks, we have received more appeal calls from women victims of violence in their homes. In Germany, despite the closing of brothels on March 16, prostitution continues and affected women are asking us for help, because their situation has worsened. The Covid-19 has made it clear that a long-term political solution must be found and that it is absolutely necessary to introduce a ban on the purchase of sex acts at European level. In this regard, we have addressed an open letter to Dr. Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission. For Africa and for SOLWODI Kenya, the coronavirus…
The Lublin community in Poland and JPIC-ED
Visiting the prison Once a month, Anafrida Biro goes to the prison to accompany the prisoners and pray with them. The prisoners who need someone to talk to wait for her with joy. With the homeless Once a week Ania helps at the Volunteer Center, where a warm meal is given to the homeless, former prisoners and people who are in a difficult situation. On human trafficking We invited a policeman working in the human trafficking department to tell us about human trafficking in our region. It was good because there are few reports on the issue. Ania Wójcik has participated in a training workshop on « Evangelization- street safety rules, dealing with conflict situations » organized by the Bakhita network in Katowice. Migrants and encounter of religions and cultures During one of the Missionary Saturdays meeting for young girls, Anafrida invited 2 Muslim African students of the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, to…
Migrants in Hydra, Algers
Sr Valérie participated in the Zoom meeting on sisters’ commitment against human trafficking. It was an enriching experience. She summarized it for the other sisters at the weekly community meeting. This opened up a long discussion on the local situations here in Algeria. We mentioned the situation of some former residents of the Dar Essalem Center, for the most vulnerable migrants, where Sr Hortensia Sizalande is in charge and the “reappearance” of migrants from Niger. In recent months, we have witnessed many scenes of begging in the streets. They are women, teenagers, old men and especially young children reaching out to passers-by and drivers. It’s really pitiful! Where do these people come from, knowing that the borders are closed? Were they there before containment? Where do they stay? We have many questions. We feel powerless in the face of this situation: ignorance of the language (Hausa), painful experiences of expulsion…
The dangers of migration
Mr. Moustapha Dia, a Senegalese, taught at the Diam Ly school where Sr. Victorine Bulangalire works. He was the eldest leader of the Maison du Quartier, and my close collaborator. He left for the Canary Islands, by boat. We have learned that he has died. According to one of his friends who was travelling with him, Moustapha died on the 3rd day of the trip. The boat lost its way and was adrift for 12 days when it was found and rescued by the Canary Islands Red Cross (Spain) who took care of the survivors. But several migrants had already died from lack of water and food or from the heat. Moustapha’s body, like that of the other castaways, was returned to the sea. It was on 17th September that we received the news of his death. The children of the Maison du Quartier wrote messages and drew pictures in tribute to…
Sr Lea Ackermann hands over the management of SOLWODI
Tribute to an exceptional woman
The young Lea Ackermann from Völklingen, in Saarland, joined the Congregation of the “Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa” in 1960.