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Published by Refugee Pastoral
Care,
Tel – Fax: + 27
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAPLAIN
Eph. 4:1-6 “I, the prisoner in the Lord, implore you to lead a life
worthy of your vocation. Bear with one another charitably, in complete
selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of
the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There is one Body, one Spirit,
just as you were called into one and the same hope when you were called. There
is one Lord, one faith, one Baptism, and one God who is Father of all, over
all, through all and within all”
Speaking on World Refugee Day (
After his visit to the Refugee
Pastoral Care on 9th July, our Cardinal, Wilfrid Napier describes
the same topic as follows: “Thank you for taking me to meet the Refugee Pastoral
Care Staff and Refugees, especially those in the Albert Park shelter. It is
hard to imagine a person living in such conditions and not being completely
dehumanised by them. For that reason I am more convinced than ever of the need
for us to provide top-pastoral care to the Refugees, especially those who are
just arriving. We must do all to prevent them for being sucked into such a
shocking way of life.…” (Letter
In our meetings with the
‘community leaders of several countries and tribes’ we strive to preserve the
unity of the Spirit by peace that binds us all together according to the above
biblical text. It is not easy, but we try and we progress because of our faith
in the Lord and our prayers especially during our Sunday celebrations as
indicated further on. May I ask all of you to join your prayers to these
intentions! Thank you!
Fr.
Stan AUGUSTIJNS, CSSp. Chaplain.
ACTIVITIES:
Pastoral vision: As indicated in the former issue of
KWETHU one of the most urgent problems we struggle with is to revise our
strategy of material assistance in the sense that this assistance includes a
spiritual and religious help to our refugees. It is our opinion that the
reasons for this decrease in the past of the number of refugees attending Mass
on Sunday are:
1.
Lack
of link in our Pastoral between religious and material assistance.
2.
Often
the environment: Aid Organisations (e.g. UNCHR) are non religious, even anti
religious.
3.
Especially
in the city of
4.
Refugee
communities live without religion which provokes tribal and other troubles
because of a lack of (religious) unity. We felt this tension during our last
meeting with a few of these community leaders…
5.
Most
of refugees don’t understand sufficient French to participate in the liturgy.
Eventually
our first aim is Pastoral Care to Refugees and Asylum Seekers. So, since a
few months we combine our spiritual and material assistance by distributing
food only after Sunday mass in order to create a more religious and even
Catholic environment. We introduce more and more our
refugee mother tongues in our liturgical celebrations: Swahili, Lingala and
Kinyarwanda. Our pastoral includes, more than before home visits,
catechetical instructions, sodalities etc… all this in dialogue with Fr. Stephen Tully, parish priest of our
Cathedral Parish. The result is that the number of church goers
now reaches approximately 500. We thank the Lord for this solution.
On 09th
June our
Archbishop Cardinal Wilfrid Napier visited us. (see page 1)
On Sunday, 20th June we celebrated World Refugee Day with several
representatives of the Government and the City. In his opening prayer Fr Stan
invited the congregation to pray for the gifts of vision, conviction, service
and reverence and our choir presented a song in Kikongo. On behalf of the Home
Affaires, Mr. Willem Delport promised to make it easier for refugees ‘with new
cards’ to avail of banking facilities, health care and education. Mr.
Bhekinkosi Buthelezi, chief whip in the eThekwini (
1st
and 23rd July, 6th August: meetings with community
leaders. As we stated in the first
meeting of this kind on 3rd April of this year, we continued our
painful healing process against racism in our refugee communities. In order to
arrive to a healing several individual, family and refugee problems were
discussed in groups: xenophobia, AIDS/HIV, unemployment, guidance, education,
moral decay, culture, refugees among themselves and in their new community,
churches… Our aim is to live in peace, in love… “Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and grant us
the peace and unity of your Kingdom.”
On
Sunday, 11th July we celebrated
with our Cardinal Wilfrid Napier and Archbishop Pius Ncube from
Other meetings :
·
Youth
·
Service
Providers Network
·
Diocesan
Sodalities
·
Clergy
Study Day
TANDOKAZI DAMBUZA : Refugees are like the Israelites who were
captives in foreign countries :
Egypt, Babylon etc... They were forced to endure and persevere the unwelcome
treatment from the people of these countries. They are eager to return back
home in order to rebuild the broken walls and be reunited with their families.
The book of Nehamiah gives a picture of how refugees feel in a foreign
country : to restart a new life there with insults thrown by the native
people is demoralising and harmful (xenophobia). Through God’s mercy and love
they are able to overcome this obstacles. Please : treat a refugee kindly
because tomorrow you could be welcomed by him ! God bless !
DECEASED BROTHERS
AND SISTERS: May they rest in
Peace!
·
Mr. MULONGO TITY born in DRC
·
Mrs. NAMUTUNDA M. born in DRC
·
Mrs. STILLBORN MBALINE died in
·
Mr. SENTUIE Jacques born in
BAPTISED: Welcome to our Christian Community!
·
·
HERE
ARE A FEW REFUGEE FACTS THAT YOU MAY
NOT
BE AWARE OF:
A Refugee is someone who “owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted
for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social
group or political opinion, is outside the country of nationality and is
unable, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail him/herself of the
protection of that country.” (Geneva Convention 1951)
An Asylum Seeker is someone who formally requests permission to live
in another country because he/she has a well founded fear of persecution in
his/her country of origin.
An Internally Displaced Person is someone who has left his/her home in
fear of persecution but has stayed within his/her country.
An Economic Migrant is someone who moves to another country for
economic reasons e.g. to improve the standard of living or to escape poverty.
An Illegal Immigrant is someone who is undocumented in the country
where he/she now resides and is usually subject to detention and deportation.
·
There are currently 6,187,800
Refugees in
·
·
The majority are from the Great
Lakes Region, i.e. Democratic Republic of Congo,
·
Refugees and Asylum Seekers are
legally entitled to residence in
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Durban, July 2004
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAPLAIN
Rom. 6:3-9 " Are
you not aware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus we are baptized into
his death?.... If we have been united with him through likeness to his death,
so shall we be through a like resurrection… If we have died with Christ, we
believe that we are also to live with him… death has no more power over him.
"
This issue of ‘KWETHU’ will be focused on ‘Peace = Life’. It is hopeful to see
every day how refugees welcome fellow refugees, especially new arrivals in the
sense of ‘Christian ubuntu’. This is
a first step to recovering from their traumatism in their countries and on
their way down here: to feel at home (= ‘kwethu – kwetu’). We support this act
of new life in peace.
On the other hand it was a pity to see
how, a few months ago a Catholic refugee lady, a member of our choir died in
complete loneliness. But during her funeral which was attended by more then 100
refugees, we all felt our culpability: Doesn’t our Christian ubuntu go further
to refugees of our own tribe or our area of origin? Anyway Marie Rose, our
deceased sister brought and is still bringing all of us more and more together.
She is more alive amongst us as she was before her death. Someone called it her
resurrection for us, death has no more power over her according to the first reading
(
This funeral made us more aware of how
many times we as refugees are tempted to bring over to our refugee communities
the troubles from our home lands: troubles and war between our several tribes.
How many times do we hear how refugees are refused by other refugees because
they do not belong to their tribe, even to fighting between themselves! Most of
them are Catholics, Christians, united to Christ through their Baptism but not
trough his death and resurrection because of lack of an implementation of the
rule of his life: to live as Catholics, as
Christians… death still has power over them: they are ‘killing’ one another. This is an important challenge in our daily Pastoral Care. Until a short
time ago we have regular meetings with leaders of several refugee communities
according to their tribe or area of origin to discuss this issue in order to
arrive to a “new life of peace”
between themselves.
Fr. Stan
AUGUSTIJNS, CSSp. Chaplain.
ACTIVITIES:
During
the Lent Season we held on 29th March in our cathedral parish a
Prayer Service for and with our refugees. Several parishioners and
representatives of our Archdiocese attended this Prayer Service. What struck
some people was the healing of refugees (described in the Gospel of the
travellers on the road to Emmaus who fled
Our
meeting on 3rd April with ‘community leaders’ (leaders of several
areas and tribe communities), was painful but a healing process as well. Racism
is a big problem among our refugees and must be dealt with. During 3 hours we
listened to all kind of grievances and our conclusion was: Let us pray and act
for peace, trust and reconciliation,
a very important aim FOR our Refugee Pastoral Care. In any case after this
first healing (cf. our Prayer Service) we have to have a follow-up meeting and
continue with meetings of this kind.
Father
Stan gave a talk to the
Fr. Stan
and Theophilus attended the yearly conference (16-
On
CHALLENGE:
Since we
started our Refugee Pastoral Care (February 2002) we registered more than 3,000
Refugees and Asylum Seekers. 95% of them are originally from the
Decision of the Spiritan
General Council
‘The Superior General (of the Congregation of
the Holy Spirit), with the consent of his Council, nominates Fr Stanislaus AUGUSTIJNS, of the Province of
Belgium, as Co-ordinator of Spiritan Ministry with Refugees, Displaced Peoples
and Asylum Seekers, for a mandate of three years, with effect from the 12th
March 2004’.
As the name of our Diocesan and
Spiritan organisation: Refugee Pastoral
Care indicates its first aim is our Spiritan Ministry. When I spoke to our
committee about my new appointment somebody explained his reaction with these
prophetic words: “We are ready to assist
you in this new task.” Really this
root assistance is very important for any success in our common work.
Eventually the essential elements
of our Spiritan Ministries to Refugees, Displaced Peoples and Asylum Seekers
can be summarized as follows:
a)
a varying mixture of pastoral and social efforts
which flow from the given situation, with the pastoral dimension as the
distinguishing charateristic of our work as Spiritans relative to that of the
international organizations and NGO’s;
b)
advocacy on behalf of the people with whom we are
working;
c)
efforts to bring about peace, healing and
reconciliation among all concerned parties.
This appointment is an
opportunity to enlarge the spreading of this bulletin to all involved and
interested in the Spiritan Ministry. Those who want copies of our former issues
No 1 to 9, please feel free to send a request. Welcome to all of you to our
Diocesan – Spiritan Bulletin KWETHU in which you can read about the running of
our organisation, testimonies and so on from people involved in this Ministry.
Your reactions, articles, testimonies, proposals and so on in order to arrive
to a dialogue are most welcome. On behalf of all our Refugees and Asylum
Seekers: Thank you very much for your Ministry to them and God bless!
REACTIONS AND
COMMENTS:
Herewith we would extend our sincere
gratitude to all those who sent us their expression of benevolence to
collaborate in our (Spiritan) Ministry with Refugees, Displaced Peoples and
Asylum Seekers! This gratitude goes at first to our committee and the
Archdiocese of Durban for their willingness to combine the working of our RPC and our Spiritan Ministry to these people.
“Dear Stan, Many thanks for
your e-mail inviting Spiritans involved in working with
refugees and displaced peoples to inform you of our work. Here in Taiwan, we
are involved with ministry with Filipinno migrant workers who come to Taiwan on
2 - 3 year contracts in order to try and earn some money - the jobs they work
in are usually the lowest paid and the work that the Taiwanese themselves are
not willing to do - I also visit a detention centre for mainland Chinese women
who have entered Taiwan illegally - Most of these young women are from poor
rural areas of China and are enticed to Taiwan by illegal employers in order to
work in the sex trade - at the centre where I visit, the girls usually have to
spend up to 2 years before they can go home - at the moment there are over 800
at the detention centre. So that is a brief description of our involvement with
migrants/economic refugees.”
God bless, Fraternally, Sean O'
Leary. (e-mail
DECEASED BROTHERS
AND SISTERS: May they rest in
Peace!
·
Mr. Branco Alex PINHEIRO born in
·
Mr. ABI MUSANGWA born in DRC
MARRIAGE: Congratulations!
Philemon MYANGY
and DEBORAH TEMBEA on
THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD FILLS THE WHOLE WORLD. IT HOLDS
ALL THINGS TOGETHER AND KNOWS EVERY WORD SPOKEN BY MAN.
ALLELUIA !
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Durban, April 2004
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAPLAIN
This is how they are to call down my name on the sons of
A couple of months ago a
friend wrote to me: The Refugee Pastoral Care is indeed very important. It puts
the love of God in practice with people who need it more than any one else. May
the lord strengthen you and the Refugee Pastoral Care! This encouragement and
blessing reminded me of God’s blessing of the biblical text mentioned here
above: May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace’. A first condition to this peace is ‘a job’.
A faltering economy and unemployment rate of more than 40%, feed
increasing xenophobia in
On
Fr.
Stan AUGUSTIJNS, CSSp. Chaplain.
ACTIVITIES:
1.
Since the opening
of the Refugee Pastoral Care, February 2002, the number of Refugees and
Asylum-seekers registered in our office was 1289 on
2.
Concerning the
English literacy done by the RPC, more and more Refugees and Asylum-seekers are
registering for the next courses and are improving their English language. Now,
they are able to communicate with our South African receptionist (Miss
Tandokazi Dambuza). At this moment a third series of two classes, one for
beginners and one for intermediates are in process. We take advantage of this
opportunity to express on behalf of our pupils our gratitude to our dedicated
teacher Mr. Tito. After every trimester both Intermediates and Beginners are
issued a Certificate for completing the course.
3.
Concerning our Pastoral
Care nothing has changed but another Christian community ( Shirika)
will be opened soon in the Stanger area.
4.
The
sewing project started last year by the RPC did not progress further
because of several problems and the sewing machines and sewn school uniforms
were stolen within the RPC premises. We want to restart the project as soon as
possible.
5.
As for our Health-care
project, we are still in discussion with St Mary’s
6.
Our Agriculture
project has started on 10th February and four Refugees have
been employed in the yard of the Spiritan Laval House in Pietermaritzburg. The
reason why the project started inside the yard of the Laval House, concerns
especially security. After six months we want to extend the project outside the
yard of Laval House. We are very grateful to Father Heinz GIBIS, CSSp. who
supervises the project.
COMMENTS
FROM THE RPC STAFF: S.O.S AN
APPEAL:
The Refugee Pastoral Care, is
a Service Provider which basically appeases and facilitates the integration and
well being of Asylum-seekers and Refugees in the Archdiocese of Durban. Its
service consists as well of: English literacy, short term aid of three months
to new arrivals, of food, clothing and shelter, burial of deceased Refugees or
Asylum-seekers as well blankets, sheets, towels for single mothers, unaccompanied
minors, orphans and poor people in need. (= the aim of the RPC expressed by our
Treasurer- Accountant: Williams Wilondja)
This last group of people
deserves our particular attention especially concerning their identification
and the following up of their files. That is the reason why we appeal to the
UNHCR, to Lawyers for Human Rights, Government, all partners of Service
Providers and people of goodwill to unite our efforts to find a lasting
solution on this matter.
Other points that deserve our
attention are scrutinizing the procedure of obtaining travel documents
delivered by UNHCR and funds allocated by the UNHCR for school fees of Refugee
children. It seems that the amount for school fees allocated by the UNHCR is
decreasing every year while the number of refugee children in the country
increases every time.
Our Chaplain Fr. Stan and our
Chairperson Mr. Théophile discussed these problems with the UNCHR in
Ms. Tandokazi Dambuza, our Receptionist expressed this on the
following way: ‘My message to everyone
living in
DECEASED BROTHERS AND SISTERS:
- Uwimana
Janviere, born in
- Erson Deo
Twagira, born in
- Babe Bonyimbi,
born in DRC (Uvira) on
- Ntahimpera
David, born in
May
they rest in peace!
BAPTISED
- Christiane
Melisa Biluku: baptised on
- Bernadette
Zaina Kungwa: baptised on
- Helene Kabeca
Kungwa: baptised on
- Francine
Basseille Nzombo: baptised on
- Evariste
Muhire Lutazana: baptised on
- Pierre Donatich
Kandol: baptised on
- Habimana
Lionel: baptised on
- Zimuhire
Sarah: baptised on
Welcome to our
Community and our congratulations!
Susana BARNES from the JRS
international office writes: ‘Choosing to
be with refugees and the displaced can often mean to choose to be companions to
those who in other circumstances we might reject or avoid. It may mean living
and being with people who have suffered brutality and violence, but also have
been responsible for atrocities themselves. To be with means to be companions
to accompany in the good and the bad. To be a presence and a witness to hope in
what humanly appears to be hopeless situations…. What does bring meaning and
sense to what we do is to be with, serve and plead the cause as witness of (God’s
and our) love stronger than hate’.
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Durban, January 2004
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAPLAIN
For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God,
mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice
for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food
and clothing. (DT 10: 17-18)
This biblical message is translated in our Spiritan Rule of Live in Chapter II No
18.1. entitled: ‘Our
We
summarized the essential elements of our ministries as
follows:
a)
a varying mixture of pastoral
and social efforts which flow from the given situation, with the pastoral
dimension as the distinguishing charateristic of our work as Spiritans relative
to that of the international organizations and NGO’s;
b)
advocacy on behalf of the
people with whom we are working;
c)
efforts to bring about peace,
healing and reconciliation between all concerned parties.
Finaly,
all eight Spiritans who participated in the meeting requested that the Congregation
reaffirm the priority it has given to ministry with displaced people and
refugees. (see proposals p. 3)
Fr.
Stan AUGUSTIJNS, CSSp. Chaplain.
MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!
ACTIVITIES:
The RPC (Refugee Pastoral Care)
is more and more involved in several activities for the asylum seekers and
refugees.
- From January
to November this year the RPC has received more than 1.000 new arrivals,
95% from them coming from the area of the
- On arrival the
RPC welcomes and receives these people and gives them food and shelter and
takes them to the Department of Home Affairs for registration. Each month
the RPC cares for more than 250 new arrivals. The RPC is also involved in
advocacy and accompaniment of them. This is necessary because on arrival,
nearly all of them are traumatised and feel estranged in a total foreign
country. In a first place they have to get ‘Refugee Status’ and then to
rediscover their dignity as human and religious beings.
- The English
classes are going very well. Two classes are organised: one for beginners
and the second for intermediates. These courses have a positive impact for
communication with the local people. Congratulations and thanks to our
English teacher: Mr. Tito LUHENBESA.
- The sewing
project started again in July 2003, sewing school uniforms that will be
distributed to refugee children, free of charge. We already have uniforms
to the value of 12,700 R. = 1,600 Euro.
- The
agricultural project in the Spiritan House (Pietermaritzburg) continues
slowly but surely. Every week we collect vegetables for our refugees. This
food is given free of charge. Our chicken project had to be closed because
of lack of experience. The agricultural project in the
- With money
(40,000 Rand) received from the Sisters of Mercy in
- We take this
opportunity to express our gratitude to so many sponsors, aid
organisations and benefactors for their material, moral and religious
assistance. Our annual narrative and financial report will be sent to all
of them.DECEASED
BROTHERS AND SISTERS:
- Mr. SONGOLA
HERI born in Uvira, DRC
- Mr. ABUKA
Christian June born in Bukavu, DRC
- Mr. MBONIMPA
Georges born in
- Mrs. BAZALA
MABONGE Yvonne, born in Bukavu DRC died in
- Mrs. KASGWA
MWADJUMA Rosette, born in Uvira DRC died in
May
they rest in peace.
MARRIAGE:
Ladislas NDUWAYEZU and Anna-Marie MANIRAFASHWA, on
Our
congratulations.
“A shameful wound of
our time”
In the letter he addressed
to the High Commissioner of the United Nations for Refugees (
When reaffirming the primacy and dignity of the human person, the Church speaks to every individual, to all peoples, to their national and international leaders, exhorting them to make use of their imagination and courage in the search for just and lasting solutions to what John Paul II has called: “perhaps the greatest tragedy of all the human tragedies of our time”.
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Durban, October 2003.
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAPLAIN
‘After the wise man had left, the angel of the
Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said: “Get up, take the child and his
mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you,
because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him”. So Joseph
got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for
Egypt, where he stayed until Herod was dead’. (Matthew 2: 13-15)
The
fact that
Thanks
to so many aid organisations, sponsors and benefactors we are able to assist
these poor and neglected people with moral and material support as a sign of
Gods’ love to all of them. One can wonder: For how long have they not
experienced this divine love expressed through human love… What a joy for them
to be directed to their relatives who stay here in Durban and live the same
situation, what a joy to feel at home (kwethu
– kwetu) in our parish with our beautiful cathedral where we can get in
touch with the local church and God, the Father who is the source of this love
for one another.
This
is one of our most important pastoral challenge: to bring this good news of
love and integration to these poor people: to proclaim liberty to these
children, women and men whom we call refugees.
Fr.
Stan AUGUSTIJNS, C.S.Sp., Chaplain.
SUGGESTIONS COMMITTEE R.P.C. TO COORDINATION TEAM
SPIRITAN REFUGEE MINISTRY (four of its five members are refugees)
- As the
Spiritans are interested to work with refugees, they should have an International
Organisation that could start in the African region. As the
Refugee Pastoral Care under the guidance of the Spiritans, is already well
established in
- The difference
between the Refugee Pastoral Care (RPC) under the Spiritan’s ministry and
the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is that the Spiritans are not only
assisting materially but emphasizing pastoral assistance through the
Eucharist celebration (Sunday masses), administration of sacraments,
catechetical teaching, pastoral, home visits etc. As for the fusion with
the JRS, this could not work, since the RPC has a different vision from
the JRS and its vision is pastoral in contrast to the exclusive material
assistance of the JRS. Suggested titles for the Spiritan Refugee
Organisation:
- SPIRITAN REFUGEE SERVICE
- SPIRITAN REFUGEE MINISTRY.
- The Spiritan
Refugee Organisation should work in the different refugee camps in
- We look
forward to vocational training in order to integrate refugees in the local
community and to use these skills acquired on their return in their
countries of origin.
- We will
endeavour a better accommodation for vulnerable refugees and
asylum-seekers: especially widows, single parents, orphans and
unaccompanied minors.
We
intent good education to asylum-seekers and refugees. MESSAGE FROM SOUTH AFRICAN BROTHERS AND
SISTERS
The Emmanuel Cathedral Refugee Centre is situated in
the Cathedral Mall and is a huge help in the parish. Due to the numerous
disasters in
Fr. Stephen TULLY,
Parish Priest Cathedral.
ACTIVITIES:
Our
main activities still consist especially in welcoming, advising and assisting
spiritually, morally and materially new comers who come to see us every day.
Our local and overseas’ sponsors and benefactors continue to assist us in this
sense. So during these lasts months we were able to continue our programme as
described in our activities of the former issues of our bulletin. Our work is going on, but there is still a
lot to do, especially in the frame of integration. Our weekend retreat and
evaluation meeting of 23-24 August we held at Mariannhill Guesthouse and our
closing Mass at the Emmanuel Cathedral of
‘THE
RETREAT
EVALUATION MEETING UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF SR. SILKA: MARIANNHILL: 23-24/08 2003
The theme was: On the road to Emmaus (Lk. 24, 13 – 35)
in which we could recognize ourselves as refugees who meet Jesus, are welcomed
by Him and gives us a deeper meaning to what had happened and is still
happening. Through the ritual of the ‘breaking of the bread’, the celebration
of the Eucharist with all our refugees and many people of the parish in the
cathedral we felt our ‘hearts burning’ as a healing of the trauma we went
through and an encouragement to cope with the future and welcome new refugees.
DECEASED BROTHERS AND SISTERS:
- Flora Kakashe,
born in Bukavu (DRC) on
- Rachel Mbuyi
Kabwina, born in DRC on
- Tarcise
Kabemba, born in Bukavu (DRC) on
Eternal rest grant
unto them,
O, Lord.
In his letter to the Hebrews (
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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAPLAIN
The Church looks with
deep pastoral concern at the increased flow of migrants and refugees, and
questions herself about the causes of this phenomenon and the particular
conditions of those who are forced for various reasons to leave their homeland.
In fact the situation of the world’s migrants and refugees seems ever more
precarious. Violence sometimes obliges entire populations to leave their
homeland to escape repeated atrocities; more frequently, it is poverty and the
lack of prospects for development which spur individuals and families to go
into exile, to seek ways to survive in distant lands, where it is not easy to
find a suitable welcome. (Pope John Paul II, Message on world Migration Day,
November 1997)
An answer to this appeal can
be found in our Cardinal’s letter (
To accompany refugees is to
assert that God is present in human history, even in most tragic episodes.
Jesus as an infant fled with his family into exile. During his public life, he
went about doing good and healing the sick, with nowhere to lay his head.
Finally he suffered torture and death on the cross. In companionship with Jesus
Christ and serving his mission in the midst of refugees in our archdiocese we
can be an effective sign of God’s love and reconciliation. The biblical welcome
offered to the widow, the orphan and the stranger is our model of authentic
pastoral service. Under the guidance of our bishops and together with our
refugees we try to realise this in our local diocesan
Fr.
Stan AUGUSTIJNS, CSSp. Chaplain.
ACTIVITIES
COMMITTEE MEMBERS (EMPLOYED PEOPLE):
Chairman:
Théophile Mukambilwa (D.R.C.):
- To coordinate
daily working of the office: to draw up the daily programme + following
up.
- To represent
the Refugee Pastoral Care at different meetings of several organisations
with the same aim.
- To council
refugees especially newcomers.
- To supervise
several projects: agriculture, sewing project, English literacy courses
for all the refugees.
- To supervise
the working of each department: secretariat, book keeping, reception and
public relations.
Secretary:
Tandokazi Dambuza (
- To compile
reports of all meetings and send them around.
- To compile monthly
and annually reports.
- To keep in
touch through administration with the department of home affairs,
lawyers for Human Rights, Welfare Department etc…
- To draw up
projects for financial assistance from aid organisations.
- To make
reports (intermediate and final reports) of implementation of these
projects.
Book keeping:
Williams Wilondja (D.R.C.):
- To keep up to
date daily financial operation: banking, payments, invoices…
- To buy and
provide assistance in nature to refugees: food, clothing even shelter.
- To supervise
stocks: food, clothes, linen, blankets …
- To give a
report of this operation to the committee during its daily meeting.
- To pay
tuitions, uniforms and transport fees.
Reception:
Ladislas Nduwayezu (
- To welcome
newly arrived refugees and assess their problems.
- To guide them
in our working structure of development and moral and religion education.
- To assess
cases of orphans, unaccompanied minors, widows.
- To work for
their protection survival and development through integration in the local
communities because of the constant presence of xenophobia.
To promote spiritual, social and moral support through home visits and
to work for justice, peace and reconciliation between themselves and their home
countries.
Public relations + Pastoral: Pierre
Matate (D.R.C.):
- To assist
newly arrived refugees in obtaining from the Department of Home Affairs a
residence permit and translation interviews.
- To keep in
touch with the department of home affairs, lawyers for Human Rights,
Welfare Department… (advocacy)
- To help them
in matter concerning health care, training of nurses, education regarding
aids and providing burial of refugees lacking resources.
- To give a
sense of hope and dignity in their awful situation showing that the world
loves and needs them. To realise that by small projects: sewing classes,
farming (rearing, agriculture), by recommending skilled refugees to local
businessmen.
- To provide
pastoral and spiritual care through meetings: youth, choir…, catechetical
teaching, pastoral home visits, small communities etc.
PARTICULAR
ACTIVITIES:
1.
On 09th
April Father Stan with Théophile and
2.
From January-April
03, the RPC registered 386 Asylum-seekers who are stressed and traumatized. When
they come to register for the first time, the RPC counsels, buys food and
provides shelter for them.
3.
The RPC has
provided: food; accommodation (shelter); clothes; blankets; towels and sheets
to other refugees as well. These goods are a donation from
It has also 17 group meetings with choir members and candidates for
baptism. The RPC made 78 visits to some shelters, hospitals and Refugee houses
for prayers. Four children have been re-unificated with their parents through
the RPC. The RPC celebrates every Sundays the French –Eucharist at
Return / Retour au choix de
l'année.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAPLAIN
This is how they are to call down my name on the sons of
A couple of months ago a
friend wrote to me: The Refugee Pastoral Care is indeed very important. It puts
the love of God in practice with people who need it more than any one else. May
the lord strengthen you and the Refugee Pastoral Care! This encouragement and
blessing reminded me of God’s blessing of the biblical text mentioned here
above: May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace’. A first condition to this peace is ‘a job’.
A faltering economy and unemployment rate of more than 40%, feed
increasing xenophobia in
On
Fr.
Stan AUGUSTIJNS, CSSp. Chaplain.
ACTIVITIES:
1.
Since the opening of
the Refugee Pastoral Care, February 2002, the number of Refugees and
Asylum-seekers registered in our office was 1289 on
2.
Concerning the
English literacy done by the RPC, more and more Refugees and Asylum-seekers are
registering for the next courses and are improving their English language. Now,
they are able to communicate with our South African receptionist (Miss Tandokazi
Dambuza). At this moment a third series of two classes, one for beginners and
one for intermediates are in process. We take advantage of this opportunity to
express on behalf of our pupils our gratitude to our dedicated teacher Mr.
Tito. After every trimester both Intermediates and Beginners are issued a
Certificate for completing the course.
3.
Concerning our Pastoral
Care nothing has changed but another Christian community ( Shirika)
will be opened soon in the Stanger area.
4.
The
sewing project started last year by the RPC did not progress further
because of several problems and the sewing machines and sewn school uniforms
were stolen within the RPC premises. We want to restart the project as soon as
possible.
5.
As for our Health-care
project, we are still in discussion with St Mary’s
6.
Our Agriculture
project has started on 10th February and four Refugees have
been employed in the yard of the Spiritan Laval House in Pietermaritzburg. The
reason why the project started inside the yard of the Laval House, concerns
especially security. After six months we want to extend the project outside the
yard of Laval House. We are very grateful to Father Heinz GIBIS, CSSp. who
supervises the project.
COMMENTS
FROM THE RPC STAFF: S.O.S AN
APPEAL:
The Refugee Pastoral Care, is
a Service Provider which basically appeases and facilitates the integration and
well being of Asylum-seekers and Refugees in the Archdiocese of Durban. Its
service consists as well of: English literacy, short term aid of three months
to new arrivals, of food, clothing and shelter, burial of deceased Refugees or
Asylum-seekers as well blankets, sheets, towels for single mothers,
unaccompanied minors, orphans and poor people in need. (= the aim of the RPC expressed
by our Treasurer- Accountant: Williams Wilondja)
This last group of people
deserves our particular attention especially concerning their identification
and the following up of their files. That is the reason why we appeal to the
UNHCR, to Lawyers for Human Rights, Government, all partners of Service
Providers and people of goodwill to unite our efforts to find a lasting
solution on this matter.
Other points that deserve our
attention are scrutinizing the procedure of obtaining travel documents delivered
by UNHCR and funds allocated by the UNHCR for school fees of Refugee children.
It seems that the amount for school fees allocated by the UNHCR is decreasing
every year while the number of refugee children in the country increases every
time.
Our Chaplain Fr. Stan and our
Chairperson Mr. Théophile discussed these problems with the UNCHR in
Ms. Tandokazi Dambuza, our Receptionist expressed this on the
following way: ‘My message to everyone
living in
This is our principal
challenge for this year 2003.
DECEASED BROTHERS AND SISTERS:
- Uwimana
Janviere, born in
- Erson Deo
Twagira, born in
- Babe Bonyimbi,
born in DRC (Uvira) on
- Ntahimpera
David, born in
May
they rest in peace!
BAPTISED
- Christiane
Melisa Biluku: baptised on
- Bernadette
Zaina Kungwa: baptised on
- Helene Kabeca
Kungwa: baptised on
- Francine
Basseille Nzombo: baptised on
- Evariste
Muhire Lutazana: baptised on
- Pierre
Donatich Kandol: baptised on
- Habimana
Lionel: baptised on
- Zimuhire
Sarah: baptised on
Welcome to our
Community and our congratulations!
Susana BARNES from the JRS
international office writes: ‘Choosing to
be with refugees and the displaced can often mean to choose to be companions to
those who in other circumstances we might reject or avoid. It may mean living
and being with people who have suffered brutality and violence, but also have
been responsible for atrocities themselves. To be with means to be companions
to accompany in the good and the bad. To be a presence and a witness to hope in
what humanly appears to be hopeless situations…. What does bring meaning and
sense to what we do is to be with, serve and plead the cause as witness of (God’s
and our) love stronger than hate’.
Return / Retour au choix de
l'année.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAPLAIN
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has chosen me to bring
good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and
recovery of sight to the blind; to set free the oppressed and announce that the
time has come when God will save his people (Luke 4: 18-10)
There are some indications
that things are happening, not only in Kwa Zulu Natal, but all over
From the other side the theme
of our Diocesan Synod (22/09 –
In this Spirit we held our
evaluation meeting and retreat in Pietermaritzburg (29/09 –
Fr.
Stan AUGUSTIJNS, CSSp, Chaplain.
MERRY
CHRISTMAS !!!
HAPPY
NEW YEAR !!!
ACTIVITIES:
The RPC (Refugee Pastoral
Care) is more and more involved in several activities for the asylum seekers
and Refugees.
- From February
till now the RPC has welcomed and received 1.222 new arrivals, 95% from
them coming from the area of the
- The RPC, after
welcoming and receiving these newcomers gives to them food and shelter on
arrival. On a monthly basis we look after more than 250 new arrivals. Our
organisation is involved in advocacy and accompaniment of these asylum
seekers and refugees. Why advocacy and accompaniment? Because arriving
here, nearly all of them are traumatised and tormented in a total foreign
country. In a first time they have to get ‘Refugee Status’ and to
rediscover their dignity like human and religious beings. Our English
literacy is going on very well. We started a third course. We assist with
health care and funeral fees as well. Till now we are unable to pay school
fees because of lack of funds.
- The RPC, is a
church organisation, helping refugees and asylum seekers to live their
Christian Faith, especially the Catholics invaded by the Muslims and other
sects. In this Pastoral, our main plan is to regroup the Catholics,
organising them in different areas of their life (basics communities), and
to promote more and more the teaching of the Church. One of the methods is
teaching as preparation to the Sacraments: Baptism, Marriage etc., Bible
sharing in the families and groups. Two basics Christian Communities are
implemented in order to reinforce the Archdiocesan policy voted during the
synod.
- Evangelisation
goes hand in hand with development. So different projects have been set
out in order to help refugees and asylum seekers to be self-sufficient.
The RPC is waiting for the Archdiocese and the Spiritan district of South
Africa to be given a piece of land, for their agriculture project: growing
crops and vegetables and animal rearing. Unemployment is a major problem
in this country. Meanwhile the RPC is looking for the collaboration with
the St. Mary’s Hospital at Mariannhill for a better and more efficient
health care for refugees and asylum seekers.
EVALUATION
MEETING LAVAL
From 29th October
till
The conclusion of the
evaluation was that all these organisations must collaborate in order to avoid
the duplication of assistance. They have also to share their data and
information. Eventually we arrived at one common budget with income sources
from every organisation. Since the RPC is known by mainly assisting with food;
accommodation and burials, it was agreed that the RPC must continue assisting
with food and will work hand in hand with MCC-UNHCR in assisting the burial of
the loved ones. The MCC-UNHCR will assist in education. The IRS will assist in
accommodation.
During the closing meeting His
Eminence Wilfrid Cardinal Napier said: “This day is historical. Refugees are
people who are tormented in their own country and are not treated as human
beings. They are facing many kinds of abuse mainly Xenophobia”. So he pledged
to the South African citizens that they should welcome every refugee as a
brother and a sister in their country and that refugees have to be supported
materially, morally and spiritually. He said he is very much in sympathy with
refugees. Finally he thanked Fr Stan and his committee for their job
remembering in gratitude what Fr. Pierre Sakodi had done before. A solemn
concelebrated Eucharist with a Congolese accent presided by His Eminence and
with many refugees and visitors from around the Archdiocese closed this
important meeting.
The RPC committee would like
to thank the following people: Fr Peter Lafferty (spiritan provincial), Fr
Paddy Dundon, (for his hospitality at Laval House), Fr Stan Augustijns,
(Co-ordinator and Chaplain of the RPC).
DECEASED AND NEW BORN BROTHERS AND SISTERS:
Ms. Jeanne BYUKUSENGE: born in
Mr. Olivier MATABARO: born in Bukavu, DRC died in
Mr. Emmanuel GAKWAYA, born in
Mr. Mwamba NZIMBI, born in Kinshasa DRC died
May
they rest in peace.
Francine NZOMBO born in
Marianne KABONGO born in
Our congratulations
to the parents.
Name +
address + account no.
First National Bank
Forex
1st Floor,
First National Bank (
Account Name: Archdiocesan Refugee Account
Branch:
Account No: 62012850691
With mention: ‘For Refugee Pastoral Care’
N.B.: A narrative and financial report will be sent
to our sponsors and benefactors.
Return / Retour au choix de
l'année.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Durban, October 2002.
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAPLAIN
‘Without beauty, without majesty (we saw him), no
looks to attract our eyes; a thing despised and rejected by men, a man of
sorrows and familiar with suffering, a man to make people screen their faces;
he was despised and we took no account of him. (Isaiah 53: 2-4)
In
the rule which he wrote for monks Saint Benedict tells them that they are to
welcome guests as they would welcome Christ himself. Not only do they encounter
Christ in those who are in need, but they have a sacred duty to welcome them
and to provide them with food and accommodation. In this text of Isaiah Saint
Benedict reflects the common perception of the early Church and authentic
African community which viewed hospitality as a means through which we
encounter Christ.
Every
refugee, especially newcomers, reminds me that this picture of the Good Friday
Christ. (Isaiah 53:2-4). Our refugees were not protected from these terrors of
war, fighting and persecution. On the contrary! This is why they fled their own
countries, left there families and relatives and arrived here in
Fr.
Stan AUGUSTIJNS, C.S.Sp., Chaplain.
ACTIVITIES:
Our main
activities, in collaboration with the local refugee communities, Kwa-Zulu Natal
Refugee Network, some governmental services and Ethekwini (Durban)
Municipality, still consist especially in receiving, advising and assisting
materially and morally new comers who come to see us every day. Our local and
overseas’ sponsors and benefactors continue to assist us in this sense. So
during these lasts months we were able to continue our programme as described
in our activities of the former issues of our bulletin. We could extend other
services as well and on the other side we have several plans in order to answer
to several expectations of our refugees together with local people
from this country:
1.
On the 1st of
August we started a sewing project. The aim is a sewing class, to sew school
uniforms in order to sell them to refugee parents for a cheap price. We want
this project to arrive to be a source of self sufficiency. A member of our
committee offered three of his own sewing machines to be used for this project.
A first set of shirts and trousers for school uniforms have been sewed.
2.
Three times we met the RAP
(Refugee Association of Pietermaritzburg). Together with that organisation, we
are intending to start an agricultural project.
3.
We want to be a part of the
soccer team of the RAP as well. In dealing with xenophobia they always go in
townships to play soccer with the young citizens.
4.
After several meetings with
the JRS (Jesuit Refugee Service) we hope to arrive to an efficient co-operation
from
5.
The funerals of late deacon
Eric Hugh MEYER (of the cathedral parish) and Jean-Marie Vianney BASESEKAZA
during the month of August were prayerful gatherings during which we all felt
united in brotherly love.
6.
Several refugees want to be
united in religious marriage some with a refugee partner others with South
African partners. Others asked for Baptism, Communion… Our Sunday Eucharist
celebration is a ‘happy gathering’ with always more and more people.
Our work is going on, but
there is still a lot to do, especially in the frame of integration. Together
with more and more South African brothers and sisters we are focusing our work
on the capital aim.
MESSAGE
FROM SOUTH AFRICAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS
‘KWETHU’: The word ‘Kwethu’ means ‘at home’. This word has a
genuine and valuable explanation. We know that there is no place like home.
Home is where you get comfort and healing. The RPC has nominated this word
‘kwethu’ because it is a home of comfort and healing to the refugees. Despite
the different countries of origin we are coming from. We have same goals, same
culture and same tradition. ‘Kwethu’ is a home, and needs support from its
children because a home is a home through the people who are living in it. Let
us unite hand in hand by trying to make our home A WARM WELCOME HOME THROUGH
UBUNTU (humanity).
Tandokazi
Dambuza (
‘KWERE
– KWERE’: It is a privilege for me in telling the media of
What I have noticed about them
is the use of hands when eating and sharing the food, clothes and can squatter
in one room but as long they are united in a foreign country. Our fore-fathers
were using hands before
I can say they are still using
that old time culture which some of our South African tribes have forgotten and
adopt the Western culture.
Their way of mourning is
totally different from ours but is interesting to learn from other tribes how
they are doing things. There are so many things I can say about them but let us
live in harmony because you will never find an Indian calling name to another
Indian because they are all alike.
Research taken from different
people: Sindiswa Qeja (
DECEASED BROTHERS AND SISTERS:
Mr. Christian WABENGA
NYANGI: born in
Mr. LENGWA MAZAMBI
KITAMBILA, father of Théophile KITAMBILA chairperson RPC, born at Mwenga (RDC)
1935 and passed away at Kitutu (RDC), fleeing Mayi-mayi rebels
Mr. Charles YENGA MONZONI, brother
of Espérance MANGAZA KITUKA: born in Kisangani (RDC) and passed away in Kindu
(DRC)
Mr. KABEMBA MASUDI born in
Mbandaka (RDC)
Deacon Eric Hugh MEYER,
deacon in the Emmanuel Cathedral: born in
Mr. Jean Marie Vianney
BASESEKAZA: born at Nyakogo (
Mr. BALEBENGA KATULA born in
Ms. Chantal MAWAZO KABI:
born in Bukavu (DRC)
Eternal rest grant
unto them,
O, Lord.
‘A faltering
economy and unemployment rate of around 40 % feed increasing xenophobia in
Return / Retour au choix de
l'année.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Durban,
July 2002
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAPLAIN
The two emblems on the head of
our pamphlet remind us that our Refugee Pastoral Care is a Diocesan service
(emblem on the left) assisted by the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (emblem on
the right). I am the second spiritan chaplain of this service. The first
chaplain from September 1999 till September 2001 was Fr. Pierre Sakodi a
Congolese priest, Spiritan as well. I take advantage of this opportunity to
thank him and his staff, on behalf of our committee and all our refugees and
our gratitude for his effective assistance. May Almighty God help him in his
studies in Belgium!
Our spiritan mission and
ministry are focused on those who are oppressed and most disadvantaged,
especially in places where the Church has difficulty in finding workers. In
this spiritan frame we try to be, through our Refugee Pastoral Care, a
spiritual and practical answer to the plight of refugees in the Archdiocese of
Durban and abroad.
In order to realise our
purpose as effective as possible our organisation is a member of the KwaZulu-Natal Network, which is a
network of all the organisations in our area assisting asylum seekers and
refugees. On 18th April we were invited to attend a meeting of the KZNCLG (KwaZulu-Natal Church Leaders
Group), with our Cardinal Napier as chairperson, and to share about our work in
Durban. Even the JRS (Jesuit Refugee
Service) and a representative of the UNHCR
attended the meeting. This meeting strengthened our mutual relationship in
order to arrive to a real and stronger co-operation between our organisations
and the JRS and the UNHCR as well.
It is true, beleaguered asylum
seekers and refugees, especially newcomers in a totally foreign country find a
welcome and support at our hands, but we are limited in our working by lack of
a professional staff and material possibilities as well. I think through this
mutual collaboration our service to the most neglected in our Archdiocese and
even in South Africa shall increase. This is our principal petition to the Lord
during this time. Let us pray for it.
Fr. Stan AUGUSTIJNS, C.S.Sp.,
Chaplain.
FURTHER ACQUAINTANCE WITH
OUR R.P.C:
Umbrella:
Archdiocese of Durban: Cardinal
Wilfrid Napier O.F.M.
Vicar
Gen. Fr. Barry Wood O.M.I.
154
Greyville 4023
Tel + 27
Fax + 27
e-mail chancery@durban-archdiocese.co.za
Chaplain
– Co-ordinator: Fr.
Stan Augustijns C.S.Sp.
Nazareth
House
Mayville 4058
Tel + Fax + 27
e-mail refpascdbn@iafrica.com
Committee:
Office: Refugee
Pastoral Care
Cathedral
Road
Durban 4001
Cell
First
National Bank
Account Name: Archdiocesan Refugee Account
Branch: Durban No 221426
Account No: 62012850691
With mention: ‘Assistance to Refugee Pastoral Care’.
REACTIONS AND
COMMENTS TO ‘KWETHU’:
1.
We received many
congratulations and encouragements: from the Archdiocese, parishes, people from
here and from abroad. Fr. Pierre Schouver, Spiritan Superior General expressed
his congratulations.
2.
Someone wonders: Why this
service to refugees and asylum seekers and not to the poor people of Durban and
the whole country?
3.
Another proposes to focus
our work on the spiritan charisma as well according to his founders.
4.
In his issue of 15th
May 2002 the ‘Southern Cross’ complimented the setting up of our organisation:
Refugee Pastoral Care.
ACTIVITIES:
Our main activities consist
in receiving (welcoming), advising and assisting materially and morally
refugees and asylum seekers, especially new comers, coming to visit us (more
than 20 per day). Through these activities we become more and more aware that
the several local communities of refugees have an important role to play in
this refugee pastoral work. We realised it mainly during the mourning of our
brother refugee Christian WABENGA NYANGI, Mlega from the East of the D.R.C. His
funeral celebration was like an invitation to strengthen our unity. Especially
from that moment on we are trying to get in touch more and more with these
communities in order to encourage them to receive and welcome newcomers from
their own land of their own area according to their little possibilities. It is
true, it belongs mainly to these communities to assist their brothers and
sisters to overcome the famous xenophobia. And thanks to God, they do so!!!
The youth of the Burundian
community started the catholic youth movement XAVERI with members of other refugee communities. This organisation
is even integrated in the cathedral parish… We participated in the celebration
of the installation of the new parish priest, Fr. Stephen Tully on Sunday, 9th June 2002. We get to know one another on a
daily basis. We have as well to underline the importance of the choir in our
refugee community. During our Sunday celebration we can see how our South
African brothers and sisters attend parts of our French Mass in order to listen
to their songs.
During these last 3 months
we distributed: (1 Rand =
- more than 800 hampers of food (30,000 Rand = 3,000 Euro)
- 500 kg second hand clothes (12,500 Rand) and 200 new blankets,
gifts from our Archdiocese, the diocese of Leribe (Lesotho), Lenten
Appeal, Nazareth House and St. Anthony’s Parish (7,500 Rand) and
- together with the local refugee communities we helped newcomers and
other people with accommodation, health care (5,000 Rand).
- The English literacy is going on very well. We started a second
level class. Nearly 100 people are following the courses (5,000 Rand).
- Several people are following, in the frame of the cathedral parish,
teaching as preparation for baptism…
Beside these activities we
attended several meetings regarding our work as described in our former issue
and in the message of our Chaplain. Also, we have had an interesting meeting
with the Department of Home Affairs.
MESSAGE
FROM THE COMMITTEE: CO-OPERATION WITH SEVERAL REFUGEE COMMUNITIES
‘Awe came upon everyone, because
many wonders and signs were be done by the apostles. All who believed were
together and had all things in common; .they would sell their possessions and
goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as anyone had need. Day by day, as
they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate
their food with glad and generous heart, praising God and having the goodwill
of all the people. And day by day God added to their number those who were
being saved.’ (Acts-Chapter 2:43-47)
Since the wars began in the
Great Lakes region in 1993, the Republic of South Africa (S.A.) has been
receiving many asylum seekers coming from Burundi, Rwanda and Democratic
Republic of Congo mostly, but also some from Ethiopia, Angola, Somalia, Sudan
etc. Most of these people when they arrived in S.A became aware that life here
is not easy. They organised themselves in small communities according to their
countries of origin; in order to try to solve some of the urgent problems, but
Congolese have many small groups which will be hard for the committee to see to
.
These communities are playing
a great role by accommodating newcomers, giving them advice about life in South
Africa, helping them to find jobs like car guards, security guards etc., and
integrate them in the local communities. As we have some refugees who are in
S.A. for more than five years now and have their own trade like hair dressers,
shoe-makers, workshops etc. are also giving some training skills to their
brothers and sisters so that they could found jobs and carry on with their life
in S.A .
We could say that refugees and
asylum seekers in S.A. had come to an understanding that they have to be
responsible in order to alleviate the life of their brothers and sisters who
arrive in S.A. without anything. These different communities show us the spirit
of “UBUNTU” that prevail in most
countries in Africa and the confirmation of the expression that once people are
out of their countries, they became all brothers and sisters despite the
problems back home. We will meet the representatives of all these communities
soon, in order to strengthen this relationship and also create a co-operation
with them and our Refugee Pastoral care.
Return / Retour au choix de
l'année.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Durban,
April 2002
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAPLAIN
Hallo…
new leaflet !
This new leaflet is called by the Zulu word ‘Kwethu’, translated in Swahili ‘Kwetu’. It means with us, at home. We chose this name in order to
invite every South African to feel at home, ‘kwetu’ in our Diocesan
organisation called Refugee Pastoral
Care. On the other hand we invite all our refugees to try to feel at home,
‘kwethu’ in their new society here in Durban and South Africa as well. This is
the principal goal of this bulletin we intend to publish every trimester, a
link between:
Ø
our
refugees in the Durban area and elsewhere,
Ø
our
refugees and their South African brothers and sisters,
Ø
our
refugees and their families, relatives, friends in their own countries,
Ø
our
organisation and other organisations with the same aim as ours: Refugee
Pastoral Care, here in Durban, in this country and overseas,
Ø
our
organisation and several people who are interested in our work.
In the statement issued by the
Southern African Catholic Conference on June 1st 2001 we can read: ‘Since 1990 refugees have been coming to seek refuge in South Africa
from troubled spots of Africa and other parts of the world…. There are many
reasons why we should, as church, support refugees: legal, humanitarian,
Christian, and economic’ It is why the Refugee
Pastoral Care (R.P.C.) has been founded under the guidance of the
Archdiocese of Durban in order to provide the pastoral, humanitarian,
educational, spiritual and moral care for the refugees. Without a shepherd to
care for the refugees they are vulnerable to malnutrition, numerous health
problems, lack of education, sexual abuse, harassment and often forced to
illegal activities for survival, xenophobia. I have been given the task of co-ordinating
this diocesan Refugee Pastoral Care.
I started this new job on February the 1st 2002.
Through this leaflet we want
to inform all of you about our work. We will also be pleased to receive your
reactions and short newsletters that we can publish in later issues. Thanks.
Happy and Holy Easter time! Alleluia!
Fr. Stan AUGUSTIJNS, C.S.Sp.,
Chaplain.
ACQUAINTANCE WITH OUR:
‘REFUGEE PASTORAL CARE’ (R.P.C)
Umbrella:
Archdiocese of
Vicar
General Fr. Barry Wood O.M.I.
Chaplain
– Co-ordinator: Fr.
Stan Augustijns C.S.Sp. (
Committee: Chairman: Theophile Mukambilwa (D.R.C.)
Secretary + Reception: Tandokazi Dambuza (
Treasurer, Accountant: Williams Wilomdja (D.R.C.)
Public relations: Ladislas Mduwayezu (
Member: Pierre
Matate (D.R.C.)
Objectives in
collaboration with other organisations with the same aim:
1.
To receive newcomers
(refugees) and help them with food, clothing and accommodation.
2.
To assist them to obtain a
residence permit (Home Affairs).
3.
To provide foods,
clothing and shelter to unfortunate refugees.
4.
To help them with
health care and provide burial of deceased refugees.
5.
To work for their
protection survival and their development through an integration in the local
community in order to fight Xenophobia.
6.
To provide the formal
education by paying their school fees and other requirements: transport fees,
uniform…
7.
To provide English literacy
courses for all the refugees.
8.
To give hope to these people
in awful situation that the world loves and needs them in creating self esteem
by small projects: sewing classes, farming (rearing, agriculture),
recommendation of skilled refugees to local businessmen, workshops etc…
9.
To promote spiritual, social
and moral support through home visits and hosting them at the values of Human
Rights. To work for justice, peace and reconciliation between themselves and
their home countries.
10.
To provide pastoral and
spiritual care by liturgical gatherings (Sunday masses etc.), administrating
sacraments, catechetical teaching, pastoral home visits etc.
ACTIVITIES:
During these three months we
have formed our committee (see above) and opened our office with ‘reception’.
Our office is open from 8h.30 a.m. till 2h.00 p.m. During the afternoon the
committee can discuss with the chaplain several problems and proposals, visit
people, do shopping, and draw up reports and so on.
We already registered more
than 300 refugees asking for assistance. Every registered refugee has his own
file and we assist everyone according our possibilities with food, clothing and
shelter. We assist also by referring them to the Department of Home Affairs in
order to be registered with the government. Preference is given to newcomers
because they are the poorest and most vulnerable people. Some urgent medical
aid has also been given. On March the 17th we started an English
literacy course.
Two Belgian aid
organisations donated some subsidies (World Missionary Aid and Salvatorian
Relief Action). Some other foreign benefactors assisted us with some aid as
well. It is with this assistance we started our working. Although the most
important help, moral and material, comes from the local community. Here we
have to mention especially the Archdiocese of Durban and the Emmanuel Cathedral
Parish as well as other organisations with the same aim as ours. Their
encouragement and moral assistance during our several meetings and individual
contacts are very important to us and to so many refugees as well.
To give hope to these people
in awful situation that the world loves During these past 3 months we received
from the following local communities some material aid (financial and in
nature):
- Caritas South
- Archdiocese of
- Diocesan Organisation
St. Vincent de Paul
- Emmanuel Cathedral
Parish
- Local benefactors.
Father Stan went to
Johannesburg and Pretoria to meet the Jesuit
Refugee Service (J.R.S.) to see the working of that organisation and to
study in which manner there could be a mutual co-operation.
Last
but not least it is especially through our Pastoral Care we try to give hope to
our refugees. As our organisation, Refugee Pastoral Care, especially the
Emmanuel Cathedral Parish in which area most of the refugees live insists every
time on a mutual integration. In this sense Refugee Pastoral Care has a
representative in the Parish Council and several meetings with several parish
movements have taken place. Every Sunday a Eucharist is celebrated in French in
the cathedral. There is an opportunity for a chat after Mass… This is the first
aim of this leaflet. It is why from the next issue on, we will leave one of
four pages free for our refugees to write an article.
MESSAGE
FROM THE COMMITTEE
My Brothers, what
good is it if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save
him? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes or daily food and one of
you says to him: "Go I wish you well, keep warm and well fed” but does
nothing about his needs, what good is
it? Faith is like that… without good works it is quite dead.” (Letter of St
James – Chapter 2:14)
Our
aims and objectives during this starting period are limited to basic assistance
such as food, clothing and shelter on a short period basis to newcomers. From
the more than 300 unregistered refugees we could provide this basic assistance
to more than 150 people, including emergency aid, as the payment for an urgent
surgical intervention as well and so on. That all for more than
At
this moment we have only a reserve left for one month… and we did not yet start
the implementation of our other objectives, except English literacy started on
March the 17th with 30 candidates (see p.2). What we especially need
is aid in food, clothing, shelter etc. You can get in contact with us at the
above mentioned address. For the other objectives that we want to start as soon
as possible we need especially financial assistance, for instance for payment
of school fees, development projects… Your financial aid can be sent to the same
address or to our bank account (in
First
National Bank
Account Name: Archdiocesan Refugee Account
Branch:
Account No: 62012850691
With mention: ‘Assistance to Refugee Pastoral Care’ Many Thanks.
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SPIRITAINS SUD AFRIQUE DURBAN AUGUSTIJNS SPIRITANS DURBAN SOUTH AFRICA aide réfugiés et pauvres