The second Saturday of our stay, Missionary Ana organized an educational training program for young girls ages 11-15 in the neighbourhood. Around fifteen girls showed up for the 1st class which was presented by two local women. The class taught the girls how to make a simple pastry which they could either sell or make for their families. Many young women sell home made patries, fruits, boiled eggs, nuts and such, on the streets. We were surprised how many girls attended the training on such short notice and felt there was a vaccuum for such programs. We would like to include such training programs in the young people´s community center.
Here are some of the finished products. The next Saturday another group of girls came and helped our cook prepare tunafish pastries for an event we had scheduled for the afternnon. We were giving out medicine to the parents to use on the frequent skin diseases that the children have in Africa as a result of lack of cleanliness due to limited access to running water. In Angola these skin diseases are must frequent in the hair and on the hands between the finger. On my early morning jogging each day I would pass by those small children which I showed in the earlier post.
We had coordinated for a local Catholic Nurse who had helped to start a Health Clinic in the neighbourhood some years ago, come to speak to the children and parents. As it turned out, most of the parents were out working Saturday morning and only a few attended the meeting. Nevertheless, the Nurse spoke with the children and attending parents and we visited the homes of those who did not attend to deliver the medicine and explain how it was to be used. A big thank you to those whose donated these products back in Portugal.
Besides the medicines donated, we were also able to distribute 40 backpacks which we brought from Portugal. We left money with the missionaries in Benguela to buy second hand-sport shoes for all the children. New Asian sports shoes are very expensive. There are Chinese sports shoes available, but they are not of good quality and fall apart very quickly. However, you can find in the market second-hand sport shoes. These shoes probably arrived in Angola designated for an association. But the government puts a tax on everything that enters the country. If the association cannot pay the tax for some reason, the government sells the articles to others interested and second-hand shoes that were donated in Europe end up being sold in the markets on the streets of Angola.
The car of the missionaries was in the mechanic's for a repair which was taking a long time, so my wife learned how to drive the motor scooters that are very popular in poor countries as means of transport. They are even used as taxis as the public transport system is very poor, as also are the roads many of which are dirt roads filled with holes, or other obsticles. On Sundays you can see a father, his wife, and two or three children driving to church on a motorcycle or motor scooter.
Two evenings each week, every Monday and Thursday, I was able to give a talk to the 100 orphans at a local orphanage run by the Catholic Church. The boys were ages seven to twenty-six and I was amazed at their behavior as they were very attentive to my words. One of the first power-point presentation was about how to over-come the obstacles of life. The boys sat and listened to my life story as if it were a best selling novel. Later I challenged them to be men of God in whatever capacity they could. Father Quim, the director, praised me for bringing the gospel to life for the boys.
The month flew by and it was all very relaxing and reinvigorating. I encourage as many as you can to take a trip to Africa and help a humanitarian organization involved with the poor. Your life will change and you may even find a purpose you lost or have not yet found. I had always wanted to be a missionary in Africa since childhood when I read the life story of Albert Schweistzer. When I first came to Portugal my goal was to raise some local support and move to Africa. I ended up supporting various mission and humanitarian works, and taking a few mission/humanitarian trips instead. But life in Europe can be very dry spiritually as secularism is rampant and belief in God diminishing. Take a break and get involved in Africa or some other needy country or situation near by. My wife and I are very glad we did and our project is flourishing.
If you would like to help Ana and her husband Pedro in their work in Benguela with some 200 plus children here are Pedro«s banking details in Portugal. Private Account - Name of Client: Pedro Nuno Garcia Viana. Intervention: IBAN of account: PT50.0036.0030.99101453683.38. BIC/SWIFT: MPIOPTPL. The name of the bank is Banco Montepio. the branch is Aliados, Porto, Portugal. For more information write me at dennismedwards@gmail.com or send me a message on WhatsApp: +351-915016534. Thank you!
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