Japan. Matcha Tea
Matcha is a ground green tea used in Japanese ceremonies, which dates back to ancient times in China and Japan, where the custom of gathering in harmony around the green liquid took hold. Its preparation requires keeping the tea leaves in the shade, to slow down their growth and obtain a greater quantity of amino […]
Angola. A common home
The Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants (CEPAMI) and other civil society organizations have been working for years to give a dignified life to the thousands of migrants and refugees in the country. “The fundamental objective of CEPAMI is that refugees and migrants should move away from anonymity and invisibility and there is always […]
Vocation Story. Sharing My Faith
A difficult path to reach the priesthood. Experience in Peru and now in Spain. Father Fugain Dreyfus Yepoussa, a Central African, shares his vocational journey. My priestly vocation was born very early. When I finished primary school, I asked my parents to allow me to enter the minor seminary of the archdiocese of Bangui, the […]
African Cuisine. Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city Yamoussoukro is in the centre of the country. There are over 60 ethnic groups in the country. The Akan are the predominant ethnic group in the country making 42.1% of the entire population. Ivorian cuisine is based on tubers, grains, […]
Oral Literature. How Lion and Warthog Became Enemies
In the searing heat of the midday African sun, as Warthog led his young back from wallowing in the mud at the waterhole, he came across Lion who was whimpering loudly. Wary of Lion, Warthog was about to retreat and go the other way, but Lion’s persistent cry aroused his curiosity. Cautiously he approached Lion […]
Herbs & Plants. Salvia Hispanica. A nutritional treasure
Salvia hispanica L. (Family Lamiaceae), commonly known as chia, emerges as a botanical gem with a rich history rooted in Southern Mexico and Northern Guatemala. The vast Salvia genus, encompassing approximately 900 species, has been dispersed globally for thousands of years, leaving its botanical footprint across diverse regions, including Africa. Chia’s allure is not merely […]
Angola. Cristo Rey Seminary. A formation centre of excellence
Since its foundation by the Spiritan Missionaries in 1928, the Cristo Rey Major Seminary of Huambo has trained dozens of bishops, hundreds of priests and many young people who today serve Angolan society. We visited it. Not far from the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in the centre of Huambo stands the […]
Vocation Story. A brother of dreams
His vocation as a Comboni Brother is woven into the fabric of his dreams. Togolese Brother Ghislain Dagbeto tells the story of his vocation. In my formative years, I initially resisted invitations to attend church, shedding tears at the mere mention. However, a pivotal encounter at the age of twelve, just outside our home, changed […]
Oral Literature. Wanjiru, Sacrificed by Her Family
The sun beat down mercilessly and there was no sign of any rain. This happened one year, and it happened again a second year, and even a third year, so that the crops died and the men, women and children found themselves close to starvation. Finally, the elders of the village called all the people […]
The African Drum
In Africa, drums are much more viable than other musical instruments. Apart from being used in traditional worship, they are means of communication par excellence. The talking drum (gudugudu) of the Azande of Congo, Sudan and The Central African Republic saved many people from slave traders and the colonial forces. It was so efficacious in […]