Although the Goma-Ngangi house is in the north Kivu region, one of the poorest areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and with many problems, there was no shortage of generosity from those working in the centre and from the youngsters cared for by the Salesian missionaries. The community did not forget the solidarity from which it had benefited when it was in difficulty on account of the war and then of the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano, and enthusiatically responded the appeal of the Provincial of  Central Africa Fr Joachim Tshibangu to make a small donation.

Following the teaching in the Gospel, “freely you have received, freely give " (Mt 10,8), the Rector Fr Pietro Gavioli put an envelope into every class-room for the offerings. Slowly this began to be filled with offerings and then returned to him. The Rector then announced in public at the “Good morning”  the amount collected and the class or the group which had made it. This created a healthy sense of competition which produced fine fruits: in less than a week $1,102  were collected which soon became $1.258. The money collected was then sent to the Provincial headquarters in   Lubumbashi, from where, with the other collections it was sent for the Salesian houses in Haiti.

Contributing to the collection were men and women religious, teachers and other staff, the personnel and other collaborators of the work, the past pupils,  the street children of the Gahinja House, the girl mothers in the Mamma Margaret House, and the young boys and girls who attend the various classes. Among these, Fr Gavioli tells us were also “a small boy with only one slipper and another with two leaky shoes.”

The Salesian community in Goma-Ngangi was kept especially busy during the month of January:  on 16 January about  200 people including cooperators, past pupils and staff from the two Goma out-stations, came together in Ngangi to reflect on the Strenna for 2010. On 22 January, following a programme prepared by the Lubumbashi Youth Ministry section, the novena in preparation for the Feast of Don Bosco began and then culminated on Saturday 30, with a Mass attended by the students and staff of the Centre. Presiding at Mass in the multi-purpose hall was Bishop  Faustin Ngabu of Goma.

Published 12/03/2010