Listening to “both the clamour of the earth and the clamour of the poor” is the very expression of Pope Francis in his 2015 encyclical letter “Laudato Si'” (no. 49), on safeguarding the common home.
It was with this in mind that we once again considered our “Christmas of Solidarity” with the children of the displaced persons camp in BOGO, a town in Cameroon’s Far North region: this region is home to a large number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), a status assigned to them as a result of unfortunate, unforeseeable events… Several families now find themselves in precarious circumstances. They have lost everything or left everything behind during their flight and… no longer really enjoy the festivities at the end of the year.
So once again, in a spirit of solidarity and generosity, we organised the SPECIAL CHRISTMAS SOLIDAIRE, for more than 400 children from the camps for displaced persons – as well as others from this locality – in the spirit of Christmas, without any discrimination. For the third year running, I organised this event with the financial, material and spiritual support of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit, the practical help of people of goodwill and the strong commitment of the staff of the BOGO Catholic Private Health Centre.
This great meeting of sharing and love began on 21 December and was punctuated by a multitude of activities: athletics, dances and a big football tournament! The event ended on 23 December with a dazzling cultural day and the presentation of prizes and gifts.
Once again, the children of BOGO and many others experienced three days of joy, solidarity, fraternity, love and the discovery of different gifts and talents that were unimaginable! Several Daughters of the Holy Spirit came to experience and share these joyful moments with everyone. For us, these acts are in keeping with our commitment to “hear the cry of the poor, make it our own and seek with others to bring about a more just and fraternal world for all“. (Rule of Life: 18)
May God, through his Holy Spirit, always awaken in us all his divine compassion for the most vulnerable, bringing them smiles, joy and hope every day. We entrust to the Lord all the people who contributed to the success of this great event: we thank them infinitely! Thank you also to the entire Congregation.
Marcelline ITETSHI, DHS, Maroua-Cameroon. Published on 16 January 2024
