Oral Literature. The Water Buffalo and the Tiger
A farmer, his plough over his shoulder, led his water buffalo to the field. The mud in the field was soft and sticky, and the buffalo was up to his belly in mud, so that he had great difficulty in pulling the plough. In fact, it took him a long while to plough a little […]
People & Culture/DR Congo. Birth in the Shi tradition
In Shi culture, birth remains one of the most important, joyful, and eagerly awaited events. It brings families together and gives hope, especially to newly married couples. It continues the ancestral line and reinforces respect for tradition. The Bashi, also known as the Shi, are a Bantu-speaking people native to the South Kivu region in […]
Mission Diary/Zambia. Living in the present.
Sr. Omaira Martin, a Comboni Missionary Sister, shares her experience, particularly with young people. It is now ten years since I first set foot on African soil. I arrived in Zambia with a mixture of joy, fear, curiosity, hope, enthusiasm, and uncertainty. One of the first things that struck me was the relationship people have […]
Mission Diary/South Sudan. “I have a dream”
A dream comes true. Father Janvier Kabeya Mbinze, a Comboni missionary from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, shares his experience in South Sudan. When I was a Theology student, I thought every Comboni missionary should visit Sudan at least once in their lifetime, the land where our father, founder, and ancestor, Saint Daniel Comboni, […]
Advocacy & People. Brianna Fruean. The Wisdom of vā.
She is an advocate for climate justice and a member of the Council of Elders for the Pacific Climate Warriors, or 350 Pacific. She explains why it is so important to listen to the Earth. While the world searches for solutions in carbon credits, experimental energy and piling on pledges, beneath all this noise, a […]
Oral Literature. The Hare, the Hyena, and the Lioness
The hare once met the hyena and proposed that they go for a walk. They went for a walk together and then separated, after which the hare went to the lioness’s cave and found it closed. She cried out, “Stone, open!” and the stone rolled away from the mouth of the cave. She entered and […]
Burkina Faso. Real wisdom is the ability to read the events of life.
The Mossi are the most numerous ethnic groups in Burkina Faso with 6.2 million members making up 40% of the population. Mossi wisdom notes. For the Mossi, wisdom consists in respecting traditional practices and customs. “If you go to a village and find everyone walking heads down, do the same yourself “, and do not […]
The Philippines. The Miraculous Patroness of Parañaque
The wooden image of Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso became the focal point of extraordinary events and lasting popular devotion from the 17th century to the present. In the context of Philippine history, various images of the Blessed Virgin have been found, attributed to miracles, according to oral history. Such is the case with the […]
Holy Land. Comboni Sisters. Building Bridges
The Comboni Missionary Sisters share their lives with the Palestinian people, particularly the Bedouin community. One afternoon, Sister Mariolina Cattaneo from Italy stood on the roof terrace of the main Comboni residence in East Jerusalem and pointed to the concrete separation wall, also known as a ‘separation barrier’, which was just yards away. The section […]
Advocacy & People. Maanda Ngoitiko. In defence of Maasai women.
Maanda Ngoitiko founded the Council of Women Shepherds (PWC) alongside ten other Maasai women. The organisation’s focus is on defending the rights of women and girls within their community, to change gender roles within a traditionally patriarchal society. “I am the daughter of a Maasai herder family from Olosirua, Kenya. My name comes from the […]