Gretings from Indien

My dear Confreres and Friends of Fransalians, 

Once again it is Christmas time. The dawn of a New Year is at our doorstep. It is indeed a joyful season. At the same time we are living in very difficult times. The whole world is going through a prolonged period of fear, anxiety and uncertainty. The untold suffferings caused by the Pandemic Covid1 19 continue to play havoc in the lives of millions of people across the world. The war in Ukraine has brought the world face to face with enormous humanitarian and economic crisis. On a daily basis we see millions of migrants and refugees fleeing their homes seeking livelihood and safe shelter in distant lands. In this context Christmas assumes special significance for a world in constant turmoil. Jesus was born in a manger in extreme poverty. The Holy Family had to flee to Egypt as migrants and refugees seeking protection and livelihood in a strange land. The fact that Jesus, the Son of God took upon himself the human flesh and blood, suffered and died on the cross and rose from the dead is a sure sign for us to experience the joy and peace of Christmas. This is all the more true at a time when millions of people in different parts of the world are shattered by poverty, diseases, wars and conflicts. The birth of Jesus in extreme poverty and misery inspires us to lead a life of hope in the ultimate victory of life over death. Let me wish each one of you the joy and peace of Christmas. May this Christmas help us to embrace the New Year with much hope and confidence in the providence of God. A very Happy New Year to all of you. 

We the Fransalians are ever grateful to each one of you for your continued support and encouragement for our work in the Missions. We do appreciate your generous donations especially at a time when rising prices and unemployment are real cause of worry and concern for many of you. Thank you very much for your timely financial support for our projects. 

I am happy to inform you that all our projects in Chad-Cameroon and in India are being pursued with much passion and commitment by our misssionaries and lay leaders in all our missions. Our main project has always been the education of the poor children in our missions. The program of sponsor a child in need is reaching out to more than 700 poor children. Every year there are more requests for help. We need more sponsors to meet the increasing demands. “Medical Aid to the Poor”, “Help the Homeless”, “Covid Care Livelihood Support” are projects we continue with limited resources. Providing drinking water facilities in Chad is yet another project for which we need much more resources. We count on your continued support and thank you whole-heartedly for what you are for us and for our people in the Missions. May God bless each one of you. 

With warm regards, 

Yours cordially
Fr. Dr. Thomas Cherukat, MSFS

Greetings from Chad-Cameroon

My dear confreres, friends and well wishers, greetings from Fransalians in Chad – Cameroon Mission. First of all, I would like to wish each and every one of you a very happy and Christ- filled Christmas. Christmas is a feast of great joy and hope for the world torn apart by war and divisions. Christmas is also a family festival. The birth of Christ brought joy not only to the Holy Family of Nazareth but also to the whole of humanity. 

Fransalian Mission of Chad-Cameroon has completed 23 years of its existence. We gratefully realize that we were the humble instruments of the Almighty to carry out His mission in these Sub-Saharan countries. We are now 83 members in the Fransalian Family of Chad Cameroon Mission: 21 priests, 13 students in theology, 5 students in praktikum, 20 studentss in philosophy, 4 novices, 5 pre novices and 15 candidates. This impressive numerical growth is a clear sign of God’s blessings on this Mission. Fr. Peter Mermeir our Founder said “ God does not ask miracles from us, they are not within our power. He wants only activity of good will”. We can say with legitimate pride that the deep faith, determination and commitment of so many confreres and lay leaders have worked miracles for the people of Chad and Cameroon through the Fransalians in this part of Africa. We thank all our benefactors, friends and well wishers for their support, encouragement and care. Wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a grace- filled New year 2023. 

BERO MISSION

Bero Mission with a large cluster of villages around is situated in the south-eastern part of Chad in the diocese of Doba. It is the southern part of the Sahara Desert where the temperature is above 45°C in summer. Chad is one of the poorest countries in the world with a high rate of infant mortality and a low rate of literacy. The official languages of the country are French and Arabic. The United Nations' Human Development Index ranks Chad as one of the poorest countries in the world with 80% of the population living below the poverty line. Most of Chad's population relies on subsistence farming and livestock raising for its livelihood. 

Béro Mission consists of 6 sectors and 40 villages. The farthest village is 45 kilometers away from the Catholic Mission Center. The people of this area belong to a tribe called Ngambady and the local Language is called Ngambay. Most of the villagers are farmers and herdsmen. The people are generally poor due to unscientific way of cultivation, lack of rainfall and poor health condition. 

The population of Bero faces serious lack of infrastructure. Only 58% of residents have access to potable water and only 12% to basic sanitation. Bero is situated in the immediate vicinity of the vast Oil Fields owned by the American Company, Esso. But the 40 villages surrounding the Oil Fields have no access to electricity. We the Fransalians are making all efforts to provide clean and safe drinking water to the local population. With the financial help received from friends and benefactors we have been able to dig more than 30 wells. 

Not even 15% of our mission are literate. In 2009 the Fransalians started the SFS school in Bero.This school is a beacon of hope for the local people. Due to poor financial situation, many families are not able to send their children to school. Many children are malnourished. 

To address this issue free midday meal is provided to the children. Along with the school, the Fransalians are running a Boys’ Home 40 boys as inmates. Most of these boys are from poor families. Every year we receive more than fifty applications but we are able to admit only a few due to lack of infrastructure and finance. In the year 2023 we envisage to construct a study hall for the Boys’ Home in Bero. It will cost around $18 000. We count on the support of our friends and benefactors to realize this project

NGAOUNDERE MISSION

The Saint François de Sales School at Ngaoundere in North Cameroon opened its doors on September 05, 2022 for the new school year. The school has made a name over the past years through the good academic results. The school obtained 100 percent success in the CEP and in the 6th grade entrance examination to high schools and colleges. The number of new admissions are on the increase every year. The school is also being transformed into a bilingual school teaching in French and in English. A PU college is now under construction.

Last year we have been able to carry out the construction of a compound wall for the Kindergarten to guarantee the safety of children. There are yet a number of urgent needs to be met for this rapidly growing school. We will need at least 2 classrooms for Kindergarten. We need to build a water tower to allow students to have access to drinking water and for cleaning the classrooms.We need to create a play area for kindergarten.We need to equip and furnish our computer room and library. We turn to you, our dear friends, once again requesting financial help to meet all these needs for the education of our children. 

I have given you some news in detail only from our two missions of Bero and Ngaoundere. I am very happy to inform you that all our other 7 missions/ institutions/ projects are going on well thanks to your prayers and support. I hope to report more in detail on some of them in my next letter to you. 

Thanking you all, 
Fr. Manoj Arackal, MSFS