Johannesburg. Refugees in the city of gold
Every year, thousands of migrants and refugees arrive in Johannesburg from several African countries. The House of Mercy and the Jesuit Refugee Service have been committed to serving hundreds of marginalised people in the metropolis for two decades now. Johannesburg is home to about half a million refugees and asylum seekers, one of the largest urban […]
“Renewable Energy” Spreading in Africa
The most radical results of new technologies are to be found in the field of energy: the use of fossil fuels will be limited. Africa is skipping some entire phases that characterised development in the West due to the use of more advanced systems. The most spectacular example is that of telecommunications with such a […]
Zambia. Vocation Story. On eagle’s wings
After falling into a dark chasm, the author felt raised up and borne on the breath of dawn. Today he knows that God is holding him in the palm of his hands, and wants to share his joy. A dusty gravel road, a quite noisy place due to local taverns at every corner, coupled with […]
Madagascar. Feast of life and death
In the south of Madagascar live the Bara, a cluster of 18 ethnic groups that share language and culture. They live in an arid land, where agriculture cannot thrive, and so they developed an economy based on husbandry. They have also developed an interesting relationship with death and the deceased. The Bara claim that death […]
The Synod on Young People: “Walking Together”
The final document of the synod on young people has just been released. The document consists of 3 parts, 12 chapters, 167 paragraphs and 60 pages. The Rapporteur General, Cardinal Sérgio da Rocha, said that it is “the result of real teamwork” on the part of the Synod Fathers, together with other Synod participants and […]
No child soldiers: The next steps in Central African Republic
At least 12,000 children have returned from armed groups in CAR. Now what? Last September, Central African Republic became the 167th country to ratify the UN child soldier treaty, known by its acronym, OPAC. The government thus committed to outlawing the use of child soldiers. Yet, verified cases of child recruitment quadrupled in 2017 compared […]
A panorama of the Catholic Church all over the world
The latest edition of the “Church’s Book of Statistics” published (updated to 31 December 2016) regarding members of the Church, church structures, healthcare, welfare and education. To 31 December 2016, the world population was 7.352.289.000 with an increase of 103.348.000 units compared with the previous year. Population growth was registered on every continent including Europe: […]
Plants & People. Hibiscus Sabdariffa, a herb with medicinal and nutritional values.
It is an annual or perennial herb with leaves which are deeply 3-5 lobed and arranged alternately on the stems. The flowers are white to pale yellow with a dark red spot at the base of each petal and have a stout fleshy calyx at the base which becomes more enlarged, fleshy and bright red […]
Burkina Faso. Alphonsine Yanogo. Sister and mechanic
She is the first female mechanic in the country. She runs the Garage Saint Michel de Sic with 22 employees. A Sister who understands engines. From early morning, the traffic in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso with its 2.5 million inhabitants, is impressive. There is a concentration of vehicles including many motor cycles called […]
Panama 2019/WYD: A world meeting of indigenous youths
The World Youth Day (WYD) in Panama will also see the indigenous face of the Church. Over one thousand indigenous youths from world Countries are expected to attend the Indigenous World Youth Day (EMJI) that will take place a few days before the WYD (January 17 to 21) in Soloy, Comarca Ngäbe-Bugle, Diocese of David, […]
