SAFCAM Communique #27

SAFCAM Communique #27        21  November 2020  

Dear Subscribers

The DBTA (DonBoscoTechAfrica) workshop concluded last night very joyfully. All those who are travelling back to their home countries had to be tested for Covid-19 in order to cross the borders. All received a corona-negative certificate. It shows that it is possible to run programmes, even international gatherings in one place rather than online, virtually, but the extra financial cost, ordeals and obstacles to overcome and the discomfort of masks and 2 COVID-19 tests, means that for the time being, SAFCAM cannot envisage similar courses at DBYES.

Tigray

Still no news from any confreres in the 4 communities of the Tigray region of Ethiopia where a minor rebellion has evolved into an all-out civil war. Please pray for their safety and the rapid end to hostilities and restoration of peace.

USA election

Perhaps it was to be expected that in this Geriatric Marathon Race, the result would take a long time to be decided. However, the Winner’s Cup ‘presentation party’ will only be held on the 20^th January 2021. So there’s no need to hurry. As one of our correspondents wrote: “The only thing Covid-19 and the USA elections have done for me is made me sick, having to listen about them daily!” Nearer home we hope the elections in Uganda and Ghana in the next couple of months will be peaceful, free and fair!

The last week of November coming up!

We have still some days in order to pray for our dear deceased confreres, family members, friends…

On the feast of Mamma Margaret we celebrate mass for deceased parents of confreres. (R76)

May the Lord be merciful for all of them and welcome them in the fullness of LOVE, PEACE and LIFE!

SAFCAM.org website

There are now over 360 items posted on the website – 200 in English and 160 in French!

Some articles have been visited 300, 400 plus times and one has had 516 clicks on it, so hopefully it is a worthwhile exercise for us spending time maintaining the site. The French section is somewhat disadvantaged as you have to look for it by clicking on the switch language button, and the highest article in French has attracted 134 visits. But there are still only 78 email addresses registered.  We dream of reaching at least 500 subscribed SDBs out of 1500 at least in our region, apart from the many lay mission partners we would like to reach. If we could reach that increased audience, then we would really invest much more into this marvellous vehicle for formation.

 2020 Global Population in a capsule

The current population of the Earth is around 7.8 Billion.

If you condense the 7.8 billion in the world into 100 persons, then into various percentage statistics.

The resulting analysis is relatively much easier to comprehend. Out of 100:

11 are in Europe, 5 are in North America, 9 are in South America, 15 are in Africa, 60 are in Asia.

49 live in the countryside, 51 live in cities.

12 speak Chinese, 5 speak Spanish, 5 speak English, 3 speak Arabic, 3 speak Hindi, 3 speak Bengali,

3 speak Portuguese, 2 speak Russian, 2 speak Japanese, 62 speak another language of their own.

77 have their own houses, 23 have no fixed address.

21 are over-nourished, 63 can eat satisfactorily, 15 are under-nourished,

and 1 ate the last meal but did not make it to the next meal.

48 live on less than US$2 per day.

87 have clean drinking water, 13 either lack clean drinking water or have access to a water source that is polluted.

75 have mobile phones, 25 do not. 83 can read, 17 are illiterate.

30 have internet access, 70 do not have easy conditions to go online.

7 received university education, 93 did not attend college.

33 are Christians, 27 are Muslims, 12 are Hindus, 9 are Buddhists, 9 are other religions,

10 have no religious beliefs.

26 live less than 14 years, 66 die between 15 - 64 years of age, 8 are over 65 years old.

If you have your own home, eat a full meal daily & drink clean water, have a mobile phone, can surf the internet, and have gone to college, you are in the tiny privileged lot, the less than 7% category!

Amongst 100 persons in the world, only 8 live to or exceed the age of 65.

If you are over 65 years old, be content & grateful. Cherish life, grasp the moment.

If you have not left this world before the age of 64 years, like the 92 persons who have gone before you, then count yourself blessed.                              (- compliments of Fr Eddie O’Neill sdb-AFM)

Websites to visit:

www.ucatholic.com – apart from interesting videos and articles, the website offers this Advent, a FREE 26-day retreat all about JOY, hosted by renowned Catholic speaker Chris Stefanick and new Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, beginning November 29!
www.formed.org – ‘The Catholic Faith on Demand’ – offers plenty video and book resources, and also and Advent journey for you and your family/community. “Join us for the Road to Bethlehem, a journey that includes daily Advent reflections and enrichment from FORMED. We will be sending you handpicked videos, talks, and texts every day throughout Advent to nourish your spiritual life. Sign up today to prepare for the coming of our Lord Jesus at Christmas! Just needs your email address.

www.FTND.org – Fight The New Drug is an ‘anti-porn’ site educating about the harm of this ‘silent’ pandemic which is pornography.

Happy feast of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe! This weekend and of Venerable Mama Marguerite, Don Bosco’s mother on Wednesday.

God bless

Camiel and Francois