Benin: The Gelede Masks, A Treasure of Tradition
Masks, magical movements, singing: the wisdom of the village is passed down from generation to generation, year after year. It is a warm morning, and all the inhabitants of Lanta Kope, a small village in southern Benin, have gathered to attend the Gelede festival, which takes place when the dry season ends and when the […]
India: Wari Walking Pilgrimage
Singing praises and dancing, thousands of people have undertaken a pilgrimage to worship the Lord Vitthal, a Hindu God. A spiritual journey. On the eleventh day of Aashaadh (in June/July), a multitude of devotees, having undertaken an arduous two-week journey on foot, descend on the temple town of Pandharpur in Maharashtra, in the western region of India. […]
The Catholic Church in Mauritania
A small diocese, whose nuns and priests have endeared themselves to the local population with their social commitment and support. In Mauritania, 99.5% of the 3.4 million inhabitants are Muslim. Catholics, mostly foreigners, represent just 0.1% of the country’s population. The number of non-immigrant Christians in the country is unknown. Conversions to any religion but […]
Report Finds 46 Million People around the World in Modern Slavery
An estimated 45.8 million men, women, and children around the world are currently trapped in modern slavery – 28% more than previously estimated, according to the Walk Free Foundation’s 2016 Global Slavery Index. The Foundation said that modern-day slaves are enslaved through human trafficking, forced labour, debt bondage, forced or servile marriage, or commercial sexual exploitation. North […]
Ivory Coast: A Home for Street Children
The streets of Abidjan, the largest city of Ivory Coast, are home to around 30,000 boys and girls. The De La Salle Christian Brothers are committed to providing them with a home and with dignity. The Akwaba Home in Abidjan, which is run by the De La Salle Brothers, hosts and assists boys and girls […]
The Papaya: A Gift of God
Sweet as honey and only slightly acidic; with a pulp that varies in tones ranging from intense yellow to orange, terracotta, salmon pink and fiery red; with a skin smooth and delicate to the touch: the papaya additionally bears powerful medicinal properties. According to people from the Americas, God created a fruit that is the very light of […]
Guinea-Bissau: The Sacrifice of the Rooster
The Manjak people are an ethnic group living in Guinea-Bissau. They number about 100,000 and are scattered throughout the continental and insular region. They are mainly rice cultivators. Keeping cultural traditions like the ritual of marriage alive is very important for this group. During the kakaw, when rice begins to sprout, the young people of the […]
Colombia: Giving Dignity
On the outskirts of Bogotá, Comboni Missionaries are committed to supporting the dignity and strength of Afro-Colombian communities. The Afro-Colombian people of Bogotá live in the suburbs of the city. Most men from these communities work in the construction and security sectors, while women generally work as housemaids in private residences. They have all moved to the […]
El Niño: A New Threat to Africa
Certain regions in the eastern and southern part of the continent are facing the devastating impact of El Niño. For months now, international organisations working in the field of food safety – in particular those linked to the UN, such as the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) – have […]
Ethiopian Cardinal: The late Comboni Bishop Giovanni Migliorati was a Great Apostle
The Archbishop of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Berhaneyesus Cardinal Souraphiel, has described the late Bishop Giovanni Migliorati of the Apostolic Vicariate of Awasa as “a great apostle” who was dedicated to his ministry and remained close to the people he served. Bishop Migliorati died on May 12th in his native country of Italy, where he had […]