Skip to main content

Grassroots Stories

Cabrini Center – Pagirinya Settlement, Uganda

 

After almost 4 years in Uganda we, Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cabrini Sisters, as we are known around here, got a house for our work with women’s group.  Having fixed it, the opening day come on 31st of March, with the presence of our Regional Superior, Sr. Diane Dalle Mole, Mr. Bongani Kumalo, who is helping us to structure our mission, The Scalabrini Priests, Fr John and Fr Walter, who blessed the place, and the representatives from all women’s Groups with their Coordinator, Arizio Tospita and many invited people.

As Catechists, Head- Teachers we, officially opened our new space dedicated to our most dear Mother Cabrini. This space is manly to develop a Project we took over in partnership with JRS (Jesuit Refugees Service) sponsored by Conrad Hilton Foundation, whose target is to empower 200 women with some training skills in order they can increase their income for their family and for education for their children. We started with 214 women, and we concluded the first part of the project in June, with 208 women (six of them went back to South Sudan).

Besides their economic activities, such as: Bed sheets and table clothes embroideries, making rosaries, Tailoring, making bar and liquid soap, they were trained in Business, they accompanied weekly by a Counsel and will start adult literacy for those who don’t know write and read. All the groups have already registered as Association in the District and opened their bank account to receive donation.

More than what they have achieved financially, in their relationship among the groups.  Pagirinya Settlement is composed by many tribal groups who tried to gather together according to their tribes, and they didn’t know each other. Cabrini Center became a “place of unity” where all groups belong to a South Sudan as a Nation, living in Uganda, searching for a better way of life. It was beautiful the stories we heard at the evaluation time, at the end of June:

“Before Sisters arrived here, we didn’t know other people from other chapels. Each chapel lived in its world knowing nothing that was going on in others. Now, we are friends, companions and we are very happy to be with others”. (Mary Moya, St Madalene Chapel)

“I had never thought I was able to learn something new. I thought I was just able to raise children, going to the bush for firewood and grass to cover the house… but now, after being trained for 5 months I’m a tailor and this dress I’m wearing, I made it” and there was a proud of herself and her eyes were shining while she spoke. (Hanna, St Madalene Chapel)

“Before I came in to the women’s group I was very aggressive. Everyone around my house was a bit afraid of me. I used to fight for nothing… now, with the group I’ve changed a lot.  I’m friend to everyone, I’m happier… my neighbors are asking: what has happened with this lady? This is the results of what we learned here, not just professional, but how to be human being”. (Nancy, St Kisito)

All these made all difference in our mission! Now, we start the 2nd part of our Project, with some small adjustments in order to give them more opportunities to grow as empowered women and also, financially. “All for the greater Glory of the Blessed Heart of Jesus

Making liquid soap

 

Making bed sheets

 

Tailoring group

Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in El Paso

We are three sisters of temporary vows, ourselves migrants of a sort: One of us migrated from Vietnam when she was 20, her family of 12 taking decades to finally be fully united in the States. Two of us are in the States for studies, having arrived less than 2 years ago from Vietnam. We have personal experiences of migration, culture shock, language barriers, and the struggle it is to “rediscover” one’s own identity in a foreign country and culture. This summer, we had the opportunity to accompany men, women, and children entering the States from a different border, who had a migration experience very different than our own, and although for the most part we spoke very different languages, there was still something of a shared experience that allowed us to empathize and to encounter each other in vulnerability that makes us sisters and brothers.

The Sisters of the Assumption welcomed us into their volunteer home in Chaparral, New Mexico near the border crossing in El Paso, where they serve migrants and refugees in collaboration with other Congregations, with laity, and with the Annunciation House network. They welcomed and shared with us so profoundly throughout our time with them! This networked, collaborative mission filled us with hope.

We arrived in El Paso on May 19, 2023, a week after Title 42 had expired. Two Sisters drove us around the neighborhood near the Jesuit parish to show us the streets that had been packed with thousands of immigrants only the week before. We could still see many blankets and items from the American Red Cross on the street, some of them becoming make-shift tents. With the growing number of immigrants having been taken at the border, we were expecting to receive a high number of people as they were released from the detention centers to our shelter. However, we received no migrants at all that week. Apparently, the policies for immigrants often change quickly and unpredictably, leading many migrants not to risk crossing at times of significant policy change. Dylon Corbett, the founding executive director of the Hope Border Institute (HOPE), shared with us that under Title 8, there were about 260 immigrants who were deported to their home countries everyday. If the countries would not receive them, these immigrants would be deported to a city in the center of Mexico and could not enter the US for at least five years.

The low numbers of new arrivals to the shelters allowed us to spend more time with those who stayed at the parish shelters. We met one family from Turkey. Working with the language barrier, the husband shared about his family’s life in their country before coming to the US. They left Turkey because of the country’s economic condition. It was difficult to leave the country and to begin life in a new country with a different language and culture, however, the life of living in Turkey was too unstable. They struggled to afford many things for their daily life. The cost of the products was too high compared to their monthly salary. His reason is one of many that force many immigrants to leave their homeland to come to the US with hope for better economic prospects.

We also got to know some of the stories from those who crossed the border of Mexico-US by foot through the Rio Grande river or through the border entrance. It was touching and emotional to listen to the stories and their sufferings through the journey. In the detention center, the families could be separated out to different centers: men in one center, women and young children in another. We met many women who stayed at the emergency shelter waiting for information about their husbands or sons from other detention centers. In the emergency shelter coordinated by the Hope Border Institute at the Lady of Assumption parish, we met many people from Venezuela, Honduras, Guatemala, and Colombia who tried to earn some money in order to buy travel tickets. They received assistance from the Red Cross, a lawyer, and volunteers in order to complete the necessary document, contact their sponsor, and find transportation to travel as soon as possible. Some could leave to unite with their family or to reach their new destination. Some were waiting with great uncertainty.

Using Google translate, we were able to learn the story of a young man from Venezuela who had been in the shelter for 3 months. He patiently used his phone to share with us his story. His family and many other Venezuelans had to flee their country mainly because of economic and political turmoil. Many families faced extreme difficulty in accessing the most basic needs because of severe shortages of food, medicine, and medical care. Besides that, living in a society with extremely high rates of violent crime and hyperinflation, they also had to endure a ruthless crackdown from their government. Many Venezuelans were arbitrarily arrested, prosecuted, tortured, and abused. Even money could not assure the safety of their lives. This man and his wife decided to leave their country behind and they hoped to have a safe place to live. However, unexpectedly, he and his wife were separated when they arrived in the US. Three months after being released from the detention center, he still had no information about her. He could only wait for his wife with a daring hope while trying to earn a little money for their next journey. He said, “I believe that I will meet her soon and we can fulfill our dream here because they (those who helped him here) are good people.”

The experiences of being with and serving the refugees and immigrants at shelters over two weeks was a great privilege for us. We could not imagine the sacredness of these places until we had an opportunity to encounter these refugees who are truly our brothers and sisters. Many of those in shelters experienced that the community was like their second family, a place of encounter and love. They felt welcomed and respected, and they were accompanied not only by the volunteers or ministers but also by other migrants. These witnesses of love, hope, and joy are like flames still enkindled in our hearts as our brothers and sisters struggle toward life and hope in the US. We are from different countries and do not speak the same language, yet we can be in communion because of the language of love.

Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

 

SASV: Sister Marie-Ange Turcotte honored by Nigerian immigrant community in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

On January 7, 2023, Sr. Marie-Ange Turcotte, of the Sisters of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, was surprised by the Nigerian community who, at a special supper, dressed her in their traditional Nigerian clothing to honor her for her generous work and presence among them for the past 10 years.

Sister Marie is well known in this immigrant community.  She is one of the first people called upon to help immigrant families get settled in their new lodgings.  Today she is the coordinator of the St. Vincent de Paul group which offers furniture and kitchen items to immigrants. She tries to help people get the basics in their homes as they begin their new life in Canada.

Sister Marie says that there are many Nigerians as well as people from the Ivory Coast still coming into the area. They are hard workers and find jobs quickly, especially in the construction industry. Canada is happy to receive workers and facilitates their path to citizenship.

For Sister Marie, at 82 years old, it is a pleasure to continue helping people in this way.  She hopes to do so for as long as possible.

Submitted by Sr. Janice Belanger, SASV

 

Homelessness in Malawi from Cyclone Ana – RSC

People in Malawi are working tirelessly to respond to those affected by Cyclone Ana. So many have been left homeless, there are an estimated 48 families that have lost their homes so far. Additionally, some work has begun to distribute tree seedlings in one of the areas that was worst hit by the Cyclone. You can hear more about Pereka Nyirenda’s perspective on Cyclone Ana at the recording here.

 

A Mother and Daughter’s Dream

This grassroots story comes from Sr. Rosa Elena Escobar, CBS about a mother and a daughter

Flor is a 63-year-old widow who has a 26-year-old daughter named Karina with down syndrome associated with motor disability. She is highly dependent on her mother and cannot walk unaided. Flor was left a widow very young and so she had to raise her daughter Karina all by herself.

Flor does not have a formal job. She tends a small store to earn her living. They live in a settlement called Virgen del Socorro in the district of La Esperanza, Trujillo, Peru. Her single space area was made of mats and she turned it into a shop. The bathroom (latrine) was 20 meters from the room she occupied.

As her daughter grew older, the situation became more complicated. Karina cannot walk and Flor had to move her around in a wheelchair. Flor was determined to improve her and Karina’s future; she began to work more, and raised animals to sell with the goal of building an additional room and a bathroom with a shower for her and her daughter.

Flor shared her dream with the Sisters of Bon Secours in Trujillo, Peru, and they contributed to her savings. As a result, the Sisters of Bon Secours managed to build Flor and Karina their room and bathroom. Sr. Rosa reports that their joy is immense, and she is grateful to have contributed even a” grain of sand” to making their dreams come true.

The Holy Union Sisters: A Cup of Cold Water

In 2020 The Holy Union Sisters began to seek ways to provide clean water to those most in need such as the migrants arriving in Lampedusa and collaborating with Water With Blessings in Haiti.  In Africa and Haiti sisters prioritized educational programs in our schools and health centers regarding the need to conserve water as well as the importance of proper hygiene.

Recognizing that pollution from Industrial expansion in Dundani, Tanzania was threatening clean water supplies and the health of the local people, sisters engaged in lobbying the authorities as a matter of urgent necessity. Sisters also engaged in advocacy in England, Ireland, and the United States by lobbying corporations that pollute water, and for local and national governments to set standards to safeguard our water.

Then came the request for projects. Harvesting and protecting rainwater which would involve the provision of water tanks was a project of common interest in both Cameroon and Tanzania. The committee drafted guidelines for such projects: the benefits of any project would extend to the local villagers; and the request would be submitted with a detailed cost estimate and a form detailing oversight and accountability.

The rainwater harvesting tank in Tanzania benefitted not only the school children who now had access to toilet facilities and could exercise proper hygiene such as handwashing so important during the pandemic. The villagers also no longer had to carry water uphill for great distances.  The project met the requirements: accessibility for villagers, an estimated cost, management of donations, and accountability in providing a written report with photographs.  Our African sisters were learning a new skill—grant writing.

To aid in this new phase of the initiative, sisters in Europe and the United States used their networking skills to engage associates, friends, parishes, charities, and corporations to join us in a particular project.

To date we have provided a harvesting tank in Dandani; Tanzania, and several solar-powered wells: for L’ecole Mixte La Fraternité in Port-au-Prince, Haiti (in spite of the earthquake and ongoing violence there); for Matumani, (the word means HOPE in Swahili) a centre that provides medical, physical and nutritional therapy for vulnerable handicapped children in Dar-es-Salem, Tanzania; and St. John the Baptist Health Centre in Ndop, Cameroon in which care is given to all people in the midst of the ongoing civil war there.

Looking toward the future, we hope to provide water in Massea, a remote village in Southeast Cameroon.  We also want to ensure that the water we help provide is always clean and disease-free.  Our Cameroonian and Tanzanian sisters are interested in learning how to filter water which would mitigate the danger of water borne diseases so prevalent in some districts, and would benefit people both within and beyond their immediate ministries. This broadening of our vision can be done in collaboration with Water With Blessings which is already functional in Kenya and Zambia.

Migrant Children in Jerusalem – from SDS

.       

One of the most dramatic needs of the migrant population in Israel is for safe, healthy and dignified life in a strange land. Once a week I assist children from the St. Rachel Center in Jerusalem. Since the single parents go to work by 7:30am, for long hours to make their ends meet, the center provides care and protection for babies from three months onwards. Other students come to the center after their school. During afternoons, the center prepares a holistic schedule to assist most of the families’ needs. As soon as children arrive from school, they have their lunch at the center and continue doing their homework.

There are some volunteers from other countries, mainly from Italy, Germany and France, to help the children with their afternoon activities. The local volunteers also help them in completing their assignments since their parents do not know sufficient Hebrew to assist their children.

As I noticed that children face ample difficulties and have unexpressed behavior problems, I assist them through counseling, art, and play therapies. These children belong to a slice of the population that is at high-risk, and part of very complex social and identity issues. The aim is to offer children a home with a healthy atmosphere and care. Priority is given to the education and accompaniment of the schooling process, while caring for the migrant children’s physical, mental and spiritual growth.

A Story of Hope and Entrepreneurship

Sr. Lavina D’Souza, a Canossian sister from Mumbai, India, shared this grassroots story of Ms. Swati

Ms. Swati, a 30 year old married woman residing in Mumbai, was initially a homemaker, but at present she is a budding entrepreneur too. She lives in a nuclear family with two children while her husband works for an enterprising company. She shared: “I always had a keen desire to do my graduation and also to learn new things but for the sake of my family I compromised my choices.”

Life was a smooth sail for her until the outbreak of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic when her husband lost his job. Swati shared: “It was a painful and anxious situation when my husband lost his job. I sold all my jewelry and started borrowing help from Canossa Jeevan Vikas Kendra for making masks and bags. I used to earn Rs. 25 to Rs. 100/- if at all it was sold.

I asked my husband to sell snacks on the roadside in order to sustain ourselves but my husband felt it was humiliating to do so. I was desperately in need of money and food to feed my children. I received help from Canossa Jeevan Vikas Kendra (CJVK) but I wanted to be self-reliant. I felt that I had lost everything in terms of assets except my hope and determination.”

CJVK works for the empowerment of women and enables them to be self-reliant. Having listened to Swati and her desire to be self-reliant, CJVK set before her multiple choices which could help her start her own home-based business. She was invited to the monthly sessions conducted by CJVK. Similarly, regular follow up too was done in order to encourage her to face challenges adequately. After her initial fears were addressed she felt confident enough to start her own business. She needed the initial investment to do so, which she did not have. CJVK provided this initial hand holding and thus played a proactive role in providing the needed material assistance to help her start home-based food delivery service and beauty care business.

Swati shared: “I certainly received motivation and strength to work and also assistance to promote my business. I started getting more orders for food and those who didn’t know me, they too started contacting me. In the beginning my husband didn’t support me. But as my business started growing, I was able to pay my children’s school fees and address other needs of my family.”

Swati has tapped an online delivery app which helps her to deliver her food to the customers in different parts of Mumbai city. Swati shared: “It was all a learning process where I understood the ‘outside world’ only after stepping out of these four walls. It has helped me to believe in myself. I feel a contrast between my old self and my new self. These difficult moments have given birth to a new ‘Swati’ within me. I know that this is only the beginning and there are many opportunities my way. At the same time there are challenges to stay attuned to the changing market trend.

At present my husband is back on his job but I still continue my business. I follow my mantra of ‘being grateful’ which has attracted blessings and prosperity towards me. I feel grateful to all, particularly Canossa Jeevan Vikas Kendra who made my dream become a
reality.”