Oral Literature. Once Upon a Time…
Once, a very long time ago, so long ago that it must have been close to the time when the First Man and the First Woman walked upon the earth, there lived a woman named Manzandaba and her husband Zenzele. They lived in a traditional home in a small traditional village. They had many children, […]
Plants & Herbs. Momordica. A highly valued in African traditional medicine
Commonly known as bitter melon or bitter gourd, it is a climbing vine whose leaves and green fruits, though very bitter, are used in traditional medicine to fight cancer, diabetes and many infectious diseases. It is a widely distributed plant especially in Africa, Asia, and South America. This herbaceous, slender climber has slightly pubescent stems […]
Mission Diary. Keep moving
After fifteen years, he returns to his homeland. He shares his feelings and plans for the future after a year as a parish priest. My name is Father José A. Intuela Sagras, a Comboni Missionary from Mozambique. I was ordained priest in May 2014. My first assignment was in Chad, where I lived for nine […]
Mission Diary. The journey of the ancient evangelisers
Brother Luis Humberto Gonzales is a 49-year-old Combonian of Peruvian origin. A nurse by profession, he shares with us his experience serving the elderly and sick missionaries. The community hosts 65 missionaries, mostly Italian, who can no longer stay in their places of assignment and who have been sent to this health residence to be […]
Oral Literature. The Lizard and the Big Bird Palaver
Far away in the deep, dark forest, a big grey bird lived in a kola nut tree. This bird was so mean that he ate pepper in between meals so that his meanness would always show. He never had a pleasant word for any other bird, and he could not stand to share any of […]
Plants & Herbs. Combretum molle. A source of medicinal mumuye gum
It has been used in traditional medicine since time immemorial for the treatment of a wide range of diseases. Indeed, almost every part of this plant (roots, leaves, seeds, twigs, and stem bark) has been used in African traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments and diseases. Combretum molle is commonly referred to as […]
Vocation Story. A mediator between the sacred and the profane
Father Abebayehu Tefera Atara, an Comboni missionary from Ethiopia, reflects on what it means to be a priest. I grew up in Haro Wato, Uraga District, Guji Zone, Oromiya Region, Ethiopia, the eldest of nine children. While my father was a farmer and quiet man, my mother was a teacher and a luz for me. […]
Madagascar. The mission with the habit
How can a monk be “missionary” if, by vocation, he is called to withdraw from the world and therefore is not in direct contact with the population? Father Christophe Vuillaume, a Benedictine of the Mahitsy monastery in Madagascar, answers. In a precise sense, the two terms “monk” and “missionary” seem to contradict each other. But […]
Tanzania, the magical mountain of the Maasai
In the north of Tanzania, there is a place suspended between poetry, infinite spaces and light: Ol Doinyo, the mountain of God for the Maasai; the still active and never-extinguished volcano that scrutinizes living beings and the arid land. It is evening in northern Tanzania. The herds return to the villages kicking up dust. They […]
Plants & Herbs. ‘Senna obtusifolia’’. A significant plant in traditional medicine
Senna obtusifolia, commonly known as Sicklepod or Coffee weed, holds a significant place in traditional medicine and culinary practices, particularly among various tribes in Uganda. In the regions inhabited by the Acholi and Kumam tribes in Uganda, it is referred to as Oyado, while in the Ateso community, it is known as Eodo. This annual […]