Halfway between Bouar and Bocaranga stands a mission founded by the Sisters of Charity. The nuns arrived in this village in 1960, where there was nothing but a few inhabitants… No parish, no church, no clinic, no school… absolutely nothing! Everything had to be done to ensure that young people had the right to grow spiritually and humanly and had access to education and a dignified life.
So, despite the political instability, the sisters set to work to create a primary school, which they dedicated to Saint Kizito. Their struggle led them to ask the bishop to establish a parish in the village.
At their insistence, the diocese was enriched with a new parish, ‘Saint Jeanne-Antide’. Following the example of its patron saint, the church is dynamic, enterprising and socially active. Father Michel, the current parish priest, insists: ‘It is Jeanne-Antide who inspires our parish; she draws God’s blessings upon us.’
The home currently houses 28 girls, many of whom are orphans or have recently lost family members in the violent attacks that have ravaged entire villages. Mercenaries and rebels are active in this area, looting, raping, ransacking, burning, stealing, killing and kidnapping without any intervention from the security forces!
Worse still, young people are attracted to these armed groups, who go unpunished and promise them a life of luxury and debauchery.
‘One scourge that the home and the school are fighting together is the early marriage of girls,’ says Sister Ruth.
An educator recounts, with tears in her eyes, how a 12-year-old girl returned from school holidays pregnant.
So many young people are ruining their lives through ignorance, need or obligation! Whatever the reason, the result is the same: with a baby in her arms, the young girl is forced to work to support her child, perpetuating the traditional cycle of subsistence.
How can this scourge be combated if not through a solid education?
Saint Kizito School is the only Catholic school within a 20 km radius. Ten teachers supervise 400 children in nursery and primary school. The building is surrounded by lush green trees, and the ochre earth blends perfectly with the landscape.
Sturdy mango and flamboyant trees provide generous shade for the courtyard. The classrooms are overflowing with children, with at least fifty children crammed into eight square metres. The lack of teaching materials is compensated for by the efforts of the teachers who ‘sacrifice themselves to ensure a good education,’ as Jean-Luc says. Nuns and lay people form a busy hive of activity, offering students the opportunity to learn Sango, French and English.
In addition, pupils are made aware of environmental challenges, personal protection, standards of cleanliness and the importance of learning. All this information was explained to us through sketches performed by the pupils during the welcome ceremony.
In this land devastated time and again by waves of guerrilla warfare, the religious community, the school and the home are a source of support for the villagers.
In Bohong, the transformative power of education is plain to see.
Education, language learning and social inclusion are assets that enable young people to build their lives and protect minors from sexual predators and the influence of gangs.
sr. Mirna Farah – U.I.P.E.
Click here to the visit of the educational projects in the Central African Republic
Click here to the visit of the educational projects in Bocaranga
