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Blessed Anuarite Nengapeta is a young Sister of the Holy
Family d'Isiro-Wamba and a midwife who was murdered resisting the sexual demands
of a rebel leader in the Congo in 1964. St Aloysius Gonzaga is a young Jesuit
who selflessly gave his life caring for victims of the deadly plague in Rome in
1591. We entrust the African Jesuit AIDS Network to their prayer and protection.
"HE BROUGHT MEANING BACK TO OUR
LIVES"
 There
were about twenty guests. Fr Séverin Mukoko had invited AIDS sufferers to share
a meal of friendship and farewell on Sunday 15 August, the solemn feast of the
Assumption. It was an emotional affair. Those afflicted with AIDS began to weep
for "their father." But Fr Séverin offered firm reassurances that despite his
departure, what had begun so well would continue to develop for their benefit.
Séverin Mukoko SJ, the founding coordinator of the "Let's Talk AIDS" ("Parlons-SIDA")
project of the Christ-the-King parish in Kisangani (D.R. Congo), left this
"martyred city" in late August, to continue his theological studies in Paris. He
had come to Kisangani in July 2002 for two years. Kisangani was still in
"occupied territory" under the control of the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD),
then a rebel movement hostile to the government of Kinshasa. This was two months
after the notorious massacre of 14-15 May that remains an indelible memory in
the hearts of the Boyomais (inhabitants of Kisangani) and particularly of the
inhabitants of Mangobo, the commune that paid most dearly in human lives, and in
which the Jesuit parish of Christ-the-King is located. The war --
or better -- the wars have destroyed not only the socio-economic fabric; they
have also and most importantly destroyed man in his physical, moral and human
dimensions. War has led to indescribable poverty in Kisangani. And the spread of
AIDS is one of its most visible consequences. The armies that have come through
Kisangani (Rwandan, Ugandan, South African, West African and others) have left
AIDS in their wake, sometimes intentionally. It was necessary to restore human
dignity in Kisangani and to rebuild its social fabric, repeatedly made fragile
and murdered.
This situation had an overwhelming impact on the young priest Séverin Mukoko,
moving him heart and soul to respond to the call of the Society of Jesus to
consider the fight against AIDS as a priority for its social justice ministry in
Africa. And so it was that he started the "Let's Talk AIDS" project in September
2002, with the goals of educating, informing, and raising awareness. In its two
years, this project has become well-established in Kisangani: organization of
information sessions and seminars, panel discussions, radio and television
programmes, monthly bulletins, managing the care of AIDS patients, frequent
accompaniment of the dying. Those who are sick with AIDS leave their
hiding-places in order to go to the offices of "Let's Talk AIDS" in full public
view. Each morning they meet to share breakfast, because Fr Séverin believes
that healthy nutrition is necessary for carriers of the notorious virus in order
to stay in shape and to resist opportunistic illnesses. A passer-by glancing at
the sick gathered in front of the office, sees this inscription: "Having AIDS is
not a sin." Hats off, Father Séverin! "Let's Talk AIDS" bids you farewell;
saddened by your departure, we wish you a happy ministry wherever obedience
sends you!
Contact: Rigobert Kyungu SJ
kyungusj@yahoo.fr
SMALL GESTURES, GREAT WITNESS
During the week, Paul Besanceney SJ is a professor of sociology and political
science at St Paul's National Major Seminary in Khartoum, Sudan. Formerly, as
rector of the seminary, he was exposed to HIV and AIDS through conferences and
workshops. So now on weekends he contributes to the struggle against the
pandemic.
Sudan is a country poor in resources and torn by strife. HIV and AIDS do not win
enough attention. Noticing the acute shortage of care and counselling available,
Fr Paul started to help in any way he could, by visiting people with HIV and
AIDS, even if he could only see two different ones each week.
Oftentimes those who need a visit come to his attention through word of mouth.
People notice someone showing possible signs of infection, and a
Church-sponsored volunteer counsellor pays him or her a visit and encourages the
individual to be tested. If the test proves positive, then the course of care
can proceed. Those visited are mostly Christian, though many are Muslim.
Generic antiretroviral medicines to control the effects of HIV cost about
Sudanese Pounds 50,000 (1.50 euro) a day. "Most people cannot afford them." Part
of Fr Besanceney's ministry is to provide them free of charge. "Might not seem
much," he admits, "yet that's everything to them."
Here's a beautiful story about one of his counsellors. Natali is a former
Sudanese soldier and, towards the end of his tour of duty, he became quite ill
and was diagnosed with AIDS. First the government provided support for him and
his family, but soon the money stopped coming and he lost his home. This meant
he had to leave his family and, when Fr Besanceney met him, he was very ill and
living in squalor. Agreeing to help pay his rent, Fr Paul supports him. For his
part Natali, already a devout Christian, became a committed volunteer
counsellor. He goes around visiting those with AIDS, showing them love and
solidarity. Against all odds he is trying to meet the Vice President of Sudan in
order to have the volunteer counsellors registered officially so they can
receive recognition and
governmental support. "He gives me hope," testified Fr Besanceney, "and I try to
give him hope."
Fr Besanceney encourages Jesuits who want to become involved to get in touch
with an experienced AIDS counsellor, to learn about the illness and the
available remedies. Still, the struggle is difficult and requires a strong
spirit.
Contact: Paul Besanceney SJ <paulbesan@yahoo.com>
TRAINING FOR LIFE
Collège Libermann, a Jesuit-directed secondary school, attracts students from
all social levels who hope for a promising future. Well-known throughout
Cameroon for the quality of its education, Libermann High School is an ideal
place to reach youth from all parts of society in order to raise awareness of
HIV and AIDS.
Fr Joachim Zoundi conducts an awareness-raising programme that involves both its
students and teachers. Inspired by Ignatian pedagogy, which embraces the full
spiritual and social dimensions of human life, the programme takes a holistic
approach to preventing HIV. Informative courses and discussions are used to
share information and heighten awareness. At the request of Cameroon's
Ministries of Health and of Education, pamphlets on AIDS prevention have also
been distributed amongst the students and have sparked lively and useful
classroom discussions.
Education for Life and Love (L'Education à la Vie et l'Amour, EVA) is part of
this programme to raise HIV/AIDS awareness. The goal of EVA is education for
youth about sexual behaviour. It provides students with a biological grounding
and scientific information. EVA contributes to young
people's socialization and relationship skills, for they learn about social
norms, assimilate moral and religious values, and are introduced to
responsibility and autonomy; self-image and relationships with the other;
interactions with the opposite sex and social norms. All of this prepares them
for their future lives as adults. In this context "Health clubs" are created to
provide peer-to-peer awareness-raising with the goal of avoiding HIV-infection.
NGOs often ask the school if they can come in to
give talks on AIDS. Although genuine motivation amongst the students and
teachers is not always easy to find, there's a general willingness to see the
programme consolidated in order to increase the impact of youth amongst their
peers.
Contact: Bernard Hounnougbo SJ <brhsj@hotmail.com>
and Joachim Zoundi SJ
zjoachim@yahoo.com>
African
Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN)
Box 571
00606 Nairobi, KENYA
fax: +254-20-566-873
<aids@jesuits.ca>
www.jesuitaids.net
Elphège
Quenum SJ and Matthew Livingstone nSJ, Editors
Michael Czerny SJ, Publisher
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