St. Michael’s Africa Project
Update – September 2015
Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Michael’s:
Much turmoil is going on in the world right now.
In the news are the heart-wrenching stories of
the refugees, displaced persons and migrants of
the world, trying to find peace and shelter
somewhere so that they can rebuild their lives.
In another smaller corner of the world, in
Nyalieng’a Kenya, there are children whose lives
have been forever changed by the loss of one or
both parents. Since 2009, the School Sisters of
Notre Dame have been providing these children
with the support they need to grow and mature
into healthy productive members of their society.
St. Michael’s has been with the SSND every step of
the way. Your generosity has been amazing and
so appreciated by Sister Rose Ngacha, Director of
the Notre Dame Children Outreach (NDCO)
project. It is not just the financial aid but also the
sense of solidarity – that there are people across
the ocean that care deeply about these children
and their future without ever having met them.
Currently, the NDCO offers varying levels of
support to over 200 children depending on the
need and family situation. Education, health and
food security are important but the NDCO also
stresses the importance of personal and moral
development. Many of the children require
counseling when a parent, grandparent, sibling or
other close family member dies.
But the fruits of the labour are showing. The
children are realizing more and more that
education is the key to their future. The children
are healthier and therefore have better school
attendance. Teenage pregnancy has decreased.
Children who would have ended up as beggars or
sex trade workers now have a chance at life. The
SSND are doing amazing work – God’s work – and
we at St. Michael’s are blessed to be a part of it.
Sister Rose Ngacha
SSND, Director of the
NDCO, Nyalieng’a
June 2015
“We are fine and most all of the children are fine
too, though the weather has been cool and
therefore some children have been suffering from
change of weather related infections. It was sad to
learn that Brenda has mild arthritis, therefore she
has been suffering a lot in the morning. But she is
still working hard preparing for her final exams in
secondary school.
I also wish to let you know that the mother to
Calvince, the one who requested to be taken to
boarding school this year, passed away. Though the
mother has been sickly for a long time, it is always
very hard to see how the children are broken by the
departure of a parent.
Your letter brought a smile to my face since I am
again hopeful that the children will get another year
of quality education. … all I can see is that IT is God’s
Doing, GOD'S WORK. Our Founder once said “All the
work of God proceeds slowly and in pain, but the
roots are the sturdier and the flowering the
lovelier.” MOTHER TERESA GERHARDIGER
Most of the children are doing well, to their
capability, but we keep on encouraging them so that
they do not become too comfortable and forget that
the future lies in their hands and God's. I am very
grateful to the whole Harambee committee. May
the Dear Lord continue to bless you.”
CHILD SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM
The St. Michael’s Child Sponsorship Program
began in the fall of 2013 and expanded last year
to include St. Jerome’s University Community and
Sir Edgar Bauer School. This year, 2015, these
three groups sponsored 127 children. Wow!
WHY SPONSORSHIP? The school year in Kenya
begins in January. There are three terms. The last
one ends in November at which time those
students in Class Eight (Grade 8) and Form Four
(Grade 12) must write National Examinations.
The results of these determine respectively which
high school or whether a scholarship to a national
university is in the student’s future. Thus the
exams are very important and the kids must work
hard to overcome their disadvantages and do
well. One of the ways to reduce the students’
stress and allow them to focus on their studies is
to assure them that their school fees are paid on
time and necessary supplies are provided. This is
a very important component of the sponsorship
program. Health care is another. A well child
attends school and performs better.
WHEN? For 2016, the committee hopes to have
all of the sponsorship renewals and new
sponsorships received by November 1, 2015.
This is so the money reaches the NDCO by
January 1st. All monies collected are sent to the
Mission Coop Office at the Diocese of Hamilton.
The Mission Coop Office converts the monies to
US dollars and forwards every “penny” to the
SSND in the USA. Those monies then become
available to the NDCO in Nyalieng’a for the
support of the sponsored children.
HOW? If you are an existing sponsor you will be
contacted shortly with an update on your
child(ren) and instruction on how to renew. If
you would like to become a sponsor, there is a
sign-up sheet in the main vestibule of the church.
Closer to the date, there will be information in the
bulletin, on the website etc.
WHAT ELSE? You do not have to be a sponsor to
support the NDCO. Any general donations are
used by the NDCO to fund other children,
community outreach programs, salaries for staff
members etc. Look for the special envelopes.
The AFRICA PROJECT COMMITTEE: (L-R)
Isabelle Lauzon, Angela Tiedemann, Alicia Smith, Doug
Rickert, Diane Jones & Harry Sullivan
The Africa Project Committee spends hours
processing registrations, keeping in touch with the
NDCO, keeping track of the children’s updates,
forwarding letters to the children and sponsors,
planning events etc. We welcome your comments
and new volunteers!
Sister Comfort Anum
visited St. Michael’s a
year ago. She made her
final vows as a SSND in
April 2015 in Nigeria
and is presently working
in a local girls’ high
school.
Likely
in
January, she will be
moving to Wisconsin, USA, to study early
childhood education. Interestingly, it was on a
visit to a kindergarten class at St. Nicholas
School in Waterloo that her desire to study ECE
became clear as her future path in life. She
sends her best wishes!
A
VISIT
from
SISTER
GLORIA
ADOGA
Sister
Gloria
coming
to
is
visit
for a month –
from
late
October onwards.
She
will
speaking
Michael’s
at
be
St.
the
weekend of Oct
31/Nov 1st and
visiting local schools. If you have an
organization
or
a
project
that
she
might find of interest, please let the
committee know. If you are interested
in hosting her for a meal, sign-up
sheets will be available in October.
She
snow!
looks
forward
to
experiencing