The Lutheran Church in the Central
African Republic
Projects of the Lutheran Church in the Central African
Republic Women’s Center
The
Women’s Center which our congregation helped fund through offerings last
year and this year is now built (see photo). Chez Marie et Marthe—Mary
and Martha’s House—is the name chosen for it. There are still some
finishing touches needed, such as tiling and light switches, but soon the FCC
(Lutheran Women) will be using the Center. The hope is to start with literacy
classes, since sewing and cooking classes would involve the purchase of equipment.
The Center will be dedicated when the construction of the church next door is
finished.
Young Women’s Scholarship Program
Three young Central African Women have completed the 4-year technical school
program in Maigaro. They hope to go on to 3 years of high school in the capital,
Bangui, starting next year. Two students have completed high school in Bangui
and are awaiting exam results, along with the one student in high school in
Cameroon. With successful exam results, the students are awarded the Baccalaureate
degree. Costs have risen, so a one-year scholarship for next year in Maigaro
will be about $460 and in Bangui, $1100, including tuition, living expenses,
and uniforms. The students in Maigaro receive $5 month pocket money, from which
they must buy such items as soap. Living costs are higher in the capital. The
hope for 2007-2008 is to fund 12 students in Maigaro and 11 in Bangui.
| Village
Education Project (VEP)
The great news of the VEP is that 103 students from 5 schools have passed
the state exams and graduated from elementary school. They are now qualified
to enroll in high school. Before this project, the children had no access
to education. However, the project is presently looking to close some
of its schools before the 2007-2008 school year because the money simply
is not there for it to maintain 20 schools. It has also “postponed
indefinitely” new teacher training, as there are no funds for this.
With no new teachers, some continuing schools will not have a new intake
of students in the fall. Teachers in closed schools will be sent to existing
schools requiring an additional teacher for the next level, provided there
are funds to buy the books and supplies. Village schools eventually go
through grade 6. The cost per child for one year is about $20. |
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Young women —
these are 13 of the young women at Maigaro. They are dressed in their school
uniforms and ready for the parade on December 1, which is the celebration
of Independence in CAR. |
 |
7 young women —
these are 7 of the 10 young women in Bangui, dressed informally on a Saturday
in January. |
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3 young women —
Beatrice Ngombe, Solange Zinanoun, and Micheline Mogan-Sobona Yangmane—completed
four years of study at Maigaro in the Central African Republic, the first
week of June. They hope to continue their studies in Bangui this fall, if
there are funds on hand for them to do so. This photo shows the 3 in
the “Central African kitchen”. The FCC secretary and bookkeeper
died at the age of 38, on June 7, after an illness. The local custom
is to mourn a woman who has died for 4 days. People come to the house all
hours of the day and night and when it’s meal time, they must be fed. Some
people never even leave during the 4 days! The young women on scholarship
at Maigaro wanted to help so they took the responsibility on the third day
after the death to prepare and serve the food, coffee, etc. One of
the women leaders estimated that they prepared lunch for about 100 and supper
for about 200. They prepared and served coffee all night as well. Their
willingness to do this is commendable ... and they had a chance to put into
practice some of what they have learned! |
Last updated:
2007-08-06