ROME (ITALY)
18 June 2013 -- We are happy to be part of the
Salesian Provincial team to study the possibilities of
reaching out to the Chinese migrant workers scattered all over
Africa. Although Fr. Savio could have gone alone to make
the visit, it was suggested that a richer perspective would be
achieved if lay collaborators be involved in the situational
analysis. Hence, we (Sophie and Kim) were invited to join the
project. We thank our colleagues at school who are taking over
our duties while we are away.
We left Macau for Ethiopia on May 20, passing thru Ghana,
Nigeria and flew out of Angola on June 12. Those were 23 days
of continuous travel, always making contacts and friends
wherever we went. This was a first time experience for us.
Just imagine our feelings! We were born in the former city
state of Macau and we grew up here and finished our studies in
this small peninsula. Yet, in the span of about a month, we
had flown 10 times and crossed numerous time zones. It is
indeed a journey of thousands of miles.
We are now here in Rome for a few days to give an initial
informal report to the major superiors and also to Fr.
Lanfranco Fedrigotti, our provincial, who happens to be here
in the generalate for an updating course. We gratefully
remember the many Salesian priests and brothers who received
us in their communities (Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria and Angola).
We prayed and ate with them. We are thankful for their
hospitality and their service of taking us around the
different places where we could observe the locations of
Chinese construction projects and meet some of the migrant
workers.
After our travels in these four countries, we are amazed at
the huge amount of good that the Salesians are already doing
for the people of Africa. Aside from various educational
works, there are the feeding programs for the needy children
and the many community health centers. We visited parishes and
their vibrant Christian communities. We are touched by the
simplicity of the children, their ready smiles and also the
needs of the youth and the local people in general.
But we have also seen a new reality in these regions that we
had visited. The ever changing situation brought about by the
economic and socio-political factors becomes a kind of
invitation for the Salesians to read the sign of the times and
discern appropriate paradigm shifts. The influx of migrants
and the cultural influence the migrants have on the African
society is something new. Our visit has led us to see that
most of the Chinese migrants are adults and come from various
parts of China. They have to work hard and sometimes just
concentrate on finishing their job contracts and return home.
Yet there are also families with children that have migrated
to Africa, looking for work and a place to stay.
Tonight we are taking the return trip to Macau and we carry
with us the wonderful Salesian memories of the countless steps
along the journey that took us to Africa, Rome and back.