1610 News from Cameroon

During my stay at Yaoundé, I was able to visit three religious communities mentioned to me by their antenna representatives in France. That is how I came to meet two of the three Sisters of Providence of Pommeraye at the foot of Mvolyé hill where they have recently set up a new community. One is from Cameroon and the other from Burkina Faso. The third one was home in Madagascar. They are well situated to welcome young sisters who are studying in this town which has few intellectual resources, religious or secular.

 

Further from the centre, in the populous district of Mimboman, the six sisters of Our Lady of Compassion (Spanish, Cameroonian, Portuguese, and Madagascan) are engaged in various activities. They run a health centre and intend to open a maternity unit; they work with street children; some are studying …

 

Three Sisters of Providence of Ribeauvillé who come from Congo Brazza are also in involved in health. Their house is adjacent to the dispensary that has just been built and was about to open at the time of my visit.

 

What struck me was the fact that most of the religious had never heard the name AEFJN – even though some of them, especially superiors, know Annie Girard, the former coordinator of the antenna in Cameroon. They say that they need information and training about the activities of the Network. I was able to meet Armel Fopa, the new coordinator of the antenna, a Carmelite priest, and also the President, Paulin Neme who is also the president of the Major Superiors in Cameroon. I was able to take part in a management meeting of the antenna and was impressed by the quality of its members.

 

At the beginning of September, as always, I accompanied Annie Girard, even though she is no longer coordinator, on her regular visit to Secours catholique-Caritas France to update them on the antenna’s activities.

 

As Secours Catholique (SC) is thinking of withdrawing from Cameroon, Aude Adley who is responsible for projects there suggested two new ways to keep alive the partnership between the antenna and SC: one would be to join Tournons La Page (see website) concerning relations between companies and political powers in Africa; the other would be to link with others who are part of a vast EU human rights programme.

 

24 September 2016

Jean-Louis Marolleau

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