This 7th trip led seven volunteers with Padre Oscar Escobar mxy to Ivory Coast. The objective was to discover the projects in which GAM provides financial support and are being managed by local partners and the Yarumal Missionaries. Three missions were visited: - Vitré 1, near Abidjan, the training center for young people, where GAM asbl supports the project that is under responsibility of Padre Andrés Aguirre mxy - Abobo-Avocatier, is a very lively neighborhood of Abidjan, where the Parish of Our Lady of Cana hosts multipurpose halls financed by GAM asbl for the youth activities. The parish has begun the construction of a church whose Padre Javier Cardona mxy showed us the plan: as of today, only the supporting framework dominates the neighborhood, but the roof will be added in the coming months. - Kounahiri, in the north of the country, six hours drive from Abidjan, has several projects en route, largely co-financed by GAM, under the leadership of Padre Arnulfo Vargas mxy: water pump to carry water to the mission and the premises that depend on it; building an "Abattam" (outdoor meeting room); the Alphaplus project for adult literacy and children (it is a region with 60% of illiterates); schooling of children (about fifteen, including two girls); two projects generating income: reception and accommodation of visitors in very pleasant rooms (we tried them!); and production of cashew nuts. Upcoming projects have been presented to us: creation of a hen farm for eggs and meat, which will be managed by the Kounahiri Women's Association; construction of a sports field for young people; increase the number of cashew trees; improvement of premises for literacy classes. We participated in the Sunday mass in Kounahiri, in the Mass of the Assumption at Notre-Dame de Cana, in a funeral... We went to get lost at the Abobo market, between the jewelry stalls, fruit, cassava, pagnes and basins ... We tasted local food and learned words like "alloko" or "foutou" ... We also shared a lot of laughter, danced and sung, we admired the colorful loincloths and boubous, haggled ... and opened our eyes to the show of nature, between sunsets and flowers of all colors ... Everywhere we were welcomed as if we were expected, with smiles and unbeatable availability ... Of course, we promised to come back ... Thanks to the communities of Kounahiri, Vitré I and Abobo Avocatier for the good reception, as well as the Yarumal Missionaries for their work. For the volunteers: Carmenza, MARITA Liviu, Carmen del Pilar, Benjamin, Claudia, Veronique, Vilma Alicia and Padre Oscar Escobar mxy |
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