Congregations on an educational mission
For many families the beginning of a new school year often means worrying about how they will be able to pay their children’s school fees and buy school supplies for them.. Fortunately, there are brothers and sisters who are aware of this and try to alleviate such concerns a little. Join us on a little tour showing how members support children and young people.
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Photo: ENA RDC Sud-Est
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Photo: ENA RDC Sud-Est
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Photo: ENA Togo
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Photo:
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Photo:
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Photo: ENA Togo
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Photo: NAK-karitativ
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Photo: NAC Sierra Leone
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Photo: NAC Sierra Leone
School bags for everyone
Sisters from the congregation in Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo made no distinctions when they distributed school supplies in Kasenga on the last Sunday in October 2024. All the children received gifts, whether New Apostolic or not. When District Apostle Tshitshi Tshisekedi visited this poorer region, the sisters brought schoolbags, textbooks, pens, and more to motivate the children to attend school and help them thrive. Because for those with little or no education the path to crime is not far away.
Brighter paths
Seniors from the Osnabrück district in Germany took the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of their confirmation as an opportunity to give the gift of joy in Togo. At their anniversary service on 1 September 2024, they collected donations for the association UGUS (Un Geste Un Sourire, meaning a gesture, a smile) in Togo. Together with donations from the Ostwestfalen-Lippe district, school kits were distributed to five hundred children at the end of October and there was even money to pay for the school fees for one hundred children. This is a big relief for the parents in Togo. “The children can now start the new school year with joy and light-heartedness,” District Elder Francois from the district of Notsé in Togo says. He is also a father.
School and war
Hunger, illness, and trauma is what the children in Ukraine are suffering because of the Russian invasion of their country. Many have lost their parents and their homes and can no longer go to school, let alone take part in other activities. The Pokrova Family Home in the city of Lviv offers refuge to 75 children. They not only receive food, clothing, and basic medical care here, but also support in returning to school and with extracurricular activities such as English lessons, singing in a choir, or football. Many children also receive therapeutic support there, all with the aim of enabling them to have as normal and carefree a childhood as possible. The German aid organisation NAK-karitativ has been supporting the institution since 2023. A lot of positive things have happened since then. Among other things, a new loving home was found for three orphans, 28 new children were welcomed into the home, and some children were reunited with their families.
A special birthday present
Jariatu Sankoh from the congregation of Lumely in Sierra Leone came up with a special birthday present for herself at the end of October 2024. Together with her husband she launched an endowment fund to cover the first year’s college tuition fees for any youth in the congregation who would like to study. There was also food and drink and of course a birthday cake for everyone to tuck into.
Article info
Author:
Date:
Keywords:
Katrin Löwen
08.11.2024
Africa,
Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Sierra Leone,
Togo,
Europe,
Ukraine,
Aid agencies,
Social commitment,
Congregational life,
People/Personalities
