Ethiopia: Wonji Mission, Joy and Sadness

Pubblicato in I missionari dicono
{mosimage}(Photos Wonji Mission: Joy and Sadness)

The Economic source of the people in Wonji depends on the Sugar factory. Most of the dwellers in Wonji are engaged as workers under the Sugar factory. There are about 16 different villages surrounding the Sugar factory which namely are called CAMPS. For example there are CAMP 1, CAMP 2, CAMP3 until CAMP 12, followed by CAMP 0, CAMP P, Shoa, and Wonji The population in the Sugar plantation (CAMPS) is mixed. Mostly workers immigrated from other parts of the country: Kambata, Walaita, Tigre, Amhara, Guraghe, etc. These people live in 16 villages mentioned above, built by the Company itself inside the plantation for the permanent workers. Amharic is the dominant language in Wonji even though Wonji is called as Oromo Land.

Most of the people in CAMPS are our Christians, therefore Catholics. People live a very simple, poor life. Housing is very poor. The people in the surroundings live in small huts of mud and straw. These people are mostly pastoralists and cultivate very small plots of land for their basic needs. This is however highly insufficient due both to the aridity of the area and the social poverty of the population itself. People working in the plantation have to rely on their work only, and the salary that they receive is not sufficient to make a decent living. Not being allowed to grow any vegetable inside the plantation nor to breed any cattle, one might understand how in fact their living can be very arduous. The health situation is very precarious. Due to the use of irrigated water in the plantation and the very hot weather, mosquitoes breed abundantly. The whole area has become highly dangerous for cerebral malaria, etc... Mortality is very high, and does not spare anybody. The regular disinfection performed by the Plantation preventive health programme is not sufficient to keep disease under control.



The Catholic population is present in all the CAMPS and in the bordering villages.

The Wonji Catholic Church has been present in Wonji since 1970. But in that time the Church was run by the Capucins Fathers. From 1981 up to now, the Wonji Catholic Church is run by the Consolata Missionaries. In Wonji Catholic Church, we are working in two sectors: The Pastoral and the Social Development Activities, such as Elementary Schools, Kindergartens, Water project, Clinic etc...

{mosimage} On the 27th of August, Wonji Catholic Church celebrated it annual feast. The Eucharist was celebrated over by the Vicariate Bishop of Meki, and concelebrated by the Regional Superior, Fr. Antony Vismara and different Priests from different parishes. Some hours later, most of the people living in the CAMPS were visited by the Water (the flood), included our Christians. At the moment, our Elementary School is " a refuge place for those families", also we gave to the people a space in the Church compound to rescue those families. You can imagine yourselves the current situation for those families and also the impact of the local authorities vis-à-vis the situation. It is so sad my Dear Brothers and Sisters in God!

May our Mother, The Consolata take care of us! Amen!
Ultima modifica il Giovedì, 05 Febbraio 2015 20:29

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