|
Speech from refugees on end-year closing party
REVEREND FR. PETER,
REVEREND SR ATEYA,
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
On behalf of all the refugees, I am glad to take this opportunity to share with you a few things. Most of us are refugees from Great Lakes Region; that is to say - Rwanda, Congo (DRC) and Burundi. We also have amongst us 3 families from Ethiopia and Eritrea.
We arrived here in Kenya as refugees who fled the incessant wars in our countries. We arrived here m Kenya at different dates, the earliest arrival was in 1994 and the latest was in December 2001. Now we are here in Nairobi living together as brothers and sisters. We have good relationships amongst ourselves despites our national and ethnic differences. We have also had good relations with the Kenyans who are harbouring us.
On behalf of all the refugees, I also take this opportunity to thank Fr. Peter, the only sponsor of our program. I can not find the appropriate words with which to thank him, should I call him a Good-Willed person?, Benefactor?, No, I prefer to call him our Father, although in some circumstances he is more than a parent in our case. May God bless you together with your friends who help you cany out this program.
The refugee program started on 15 September 1997 by the Little Sisters of St. Francis through Sr. Bernadette Ateya. During that time we used to get assistance from the Jesuite Refugee Service (JRS). After some time, about three months, they stopped because according to their regulations they are supposed to give assistance to Parishes and Little Sisters of St. Francis is not a parish. So startin January 1998 Fr. Peter came in and replaced JRS in
full.
 | He started with a Food program for the Refugees residing in Githural-Kasarani for 70 families at the
beginning. |
| Then the School Fees program for Primary School children, totalling 60 students belonging to the same
refugees. |
| At the same time the Medical Treatment program was also started In November 1998 at Uzima Dispensary- now transferred to Baraka Medical Centre. |
| Fr. Peter started another program of helping all refugees from all over Nairobi. That was when refugees began coming to Kasarani for appointments for assistance. Actually we assist over 1, 080 families per
year. |
| In January 1999, Fr. Peter started a House Rent program for new arrivals and for those refugees who had been chased out of their houses because of failure to pay rent. Actually we have 19 families in all. |
| During the same year, 1999, Fr. Peter started a program of giving house equipment to refugees from different places within Nairobi city. Those equipment include mattresses, blankets, kerosene stoves and
saucepans. |
| In May 2000, Fr. Peter started a Computer School known as Faraja Computer College which is actually doing well. Already 18 refugee students have graduated from this college.
In March 2001, Fr. Peter started Faraja Home which actually shelters 11 refugee girls without parents or those living under miserable
conditions. |
Reverend Fr. Peter, let me say thank you once more for all you are doing for the needy people and the refugees. May God bless your work.
On the other hand, I will have to thank the Little Sisters of St. Francis who are the root of this Refugee program as I said earlier. They have provided us with accommodation, they've put to our disposal Sr. Bernadette Ateya to head the Refugee service. We wish them peace and prosperity in all their undertakings.
Our sincere thanks go to Sr. Bernadette Ateya, who has never ceased to look for what is good for the refugees. Sincerely speaking, we have journeyed together since we started this Centre up to this very day. May God bless you and give you whatever your spirit longs for.
I cannot forget to thank Sal mon, the Faraja Computer College teacher who always spends his energy teaching the computer packages.
Dear Congolese, Burundians, Eritrians, Ethiopians and Rwandese, it would be unfair to end my speech without a vote of thanks to you. You behaved well during this whole year because you have never failed to perform your duties as required by our program despite the many problems you undergo in your families. There is no need to cite them but I can just mention a few; some of you eat once a day and some times you may even take two days without something to eat due to the number of people in a family. Some of you have been, on several occasions, chased from their houses because of failure to pay rent, etc.
But don't worry God is with us. Keep on praying and God will help us.
Last but not least, may I take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy
Prosperous New Year.
Thank you.
[ Projekte ] [ Ich möchte helfen ] [ Peter Meienberg ] [ Hintergrund ] [ Newsletter ] [ Kontakt ]
|
|
