News in brief

Partner: Eastern Africa Province (AOR)

Fr Ponsiano Ngondwe SJ (right) receives food rations from Mr Berry Ochieng of the Rotary Club of Nairobi. 
(Photo: AOR)

Food distribution at Kangemi Parish, Nairobi.
(Photo: AOR)

On May 8, 2020, St Joseph the Worker Parish’s Development Programmes continued with its effort to serve the needy and vulnerable people in Kangemi Slums, Nairobi. Here, in the photos, Fr Ponsiano Ngondwe SJ receives food rations for 60 people from Mr Berry Ochieng of the Rotary Club of Nairobi-Langata at Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, Nairobi. This was followed by the subsequent distribution of the items at Kangemi Parish.

-Fr Allan Ggita SJ
Development Director

Partner: School of Medicine

We are still on enhanced community quarantine. Although our confirmed Covid-19 cases are in the margin of 60+, we have had some mortalities to date. We are also not out of the woods yet. The problem we have is health manpower shortage. Both the faculty and I are deeply involved in helping run other services that include the Covid-19 Centre, Tele Referral and Tele Education, doing contact tracing, manning other centres for triage, treating Covid-19 cases and helping oversee smaller hospitals to help trap entry of suspected cases from the peninsula into the city.

On top of these, we also coordinate other services like fundraising and production of improvised PPE and medicine procurement and their distribution to the locked down communities for their comorbidity problems. Almost half of the manpower go on forced quarantine after serving in critical Covid-19 areas and this compounds the situation. The same faculty members are also the same people that lead and run operations to contain the Covid-19 affected areas. Lately, we have also seen significant Covid-19 cases from prisons (20+ ), and we want to oversee and contain these cases, as most likely, the rest of these prisons could have been exposed. We do not know where they could be isolated, separated and housed for close watch. There is also the issue of guards that need to be posted to watch over them for security purposes.

The Covid-19 pandemic is a reality to us....and because there is no letdown, most of our manpower are undergoing Covid-19 related mental health issues including Covid-19 Fatigue Syndrome. In the first place, we were unprepared to handle a problem of this magnitude. Our hospitals, Department of Health and City Government Medical Centre were disunited and it took 2 weeks for them to reconcile and meet on common ground instead of finding fault and attacking each other. What is very inspiring is to see our own graduates in the front line, taking the lead, including providing advice to the city mayor and manning the Covid-19 centre and City Health operations.

-Dr Fortunato Cristobal
Dean
Ateneo de Zamboanga University (ADZU) School of Medicine

Partner: Moran Memorial School

People in the locality are in need of food and the local government is trying to assist people by distributing dry rations. The government has not been able to meet people's needs because they do not have enough resources, but they also have not been very transparent. With the help of NJS and some other donors, we were able to assist around 200 families with dry rations such as rice, lentils, cooking oil, salt and so on in this locality. Due to the lockdown, it is not easy to assist people who are in need.

Because of COVID-19, there will be more requests for scholarships next year. Our students come from economically poor families and the tea garden has been closed for the last two months. We were not able to collect all the fees from last year because schools were asked to close immediately. Even when the lockdown is lifted, it will take several months to really start classes because books and copies may not be available immediately.

We will communicate more on the adverse effect of COVID-19 in our area especially on our student body. As it is, the Catholic Diocese of Stockholm-Sweden has given some assurance in assisting the people in need (through us) in our vicinity with dry rations and a health and hygiene awareness program.

-Fr Boniface Tigga SJ
Director

Partner: Jesu Ashram

Jesu Ashram distributes relief goods to part time workers and students in Patherghata

Jesu Ashram distributes relief goods to part time workers and students in Patherghata

Relief materials were distributed by Jesu Ashram to part time workers and students stuck in Patherghata on April 27. We were able to help 100 individuals that day.

-Fr Joe Victor Pitchai
Darjeeling Province Treasurer and Development Director

Partner: Lok Manch
I'm sad to hear of the loss of life in Canada. At the moment, over 27,000 cases have been reported in India and around 900 people have died so far. The low fatality rate is no consolation to us because very little testing is done in India. So we are keeping our fingers crossed even as there's buzz that the lockdown may extend beyond 3 May.

Let's be united more than ever, as we fight this common invisible enemy that has caused so much of death everywhere!

-Fr Joe Victor Pitchai
Darjeeling Province Treasurer and Development Director

South Sudan’s Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala has urged his country to stay the course of peace, particularly after the establishment of the Transitional Government of National Unity:
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/africa/news/2020-04/bishop-kussala-urges-s-sudan-to-stay-the-course-of-peace.html

- News article shared courtesy of the Irish Jesuit Mission

Partner: Indigenous Rights Centre (CEDIAC)

This video was created by a group of young people from the Community Government of Chilón in Chiapas, Mexico, for their Agro-ecovisual Course for Autonomy that is supported by PVIFS, CEDIAC, Canan Lum and the Bachajón Mission.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mountainous territories of northern Chiapas at a time when these youth have already been embracing Mother Earth through ancient and agro-ecological agricultural practices. The Community Government of Chilón, its youth and communities are autonomously working the land and practicing their own form of government, while legally demanding their right to autonomy and self-determination.  This is an act worth knowing, spreading and supporting. In times of a pandemic, autonomy in food production and growing healthy food without pesticides is something the community in Chilón and many others are practicing as a real and concrete alternative to what the capitalist and market-driven food industry "offers" us. This goes hand in hand with establishing de facto political autonomy.

- Video shared courtesy of JRS International

Partner: Maharashtra Prabodhan Seva Mandal (MPSM)
We are very busy with hunger relief work. The lockdown deprived lakhs of labourers and the poor of their income for survival. The poor are starving further. They cannot protest. The powerful in this world can hurt them to death.

- Fr Godfrey D'Lima SJ
Director

Photo: MPSM

Partner: Nepal Jesuits
We have distributed some food items though our schools in Maheshpur and Sadakbari for the starving families. The distribution is extremely difficult. I have a few photos. The Distribution took place under the leadership of Fr. Boniface at Maheshpur. The Nepal Government is very strict and you hardly see any people on the streets.

There are 18 homeless people living at the social service centre during the lockdown including the cook. 10 are disabled or are dealing with mental health issues at Gaffeny Bhawan (homeless), one is in the boys' home (homeless) and others are at the girls' home; Their own homes are very far away from Kathmandu and there is hardly anything to eat their.

- Fr Boby Joseph SJ
Treasurer and Development Director

Food is distributed to families facing food insecurity in Nepal (Photo: Nepal Jesuits)

Partner: St Xavier Social Service Centre

Warm greetings from Nepal. Hope you are continuing to keep well.

We are blessed in the sense that the number of infected with COVID-19 in Nepal is only 16, two of whom have already recovered. We are not sure about the future seeing the conditions of the world but continue to pray for God's blessings upon each other. The government is stricter now with the lockdown. We have been able to send our children to their guardians - either to their relatives, uncle/auntie, single parent or local guardians as we couldn't have kept them above certain numbers ordered by the government. Currently we have 18 members who could not be sent home due to different reasons.

Movement is restricted and once again it is the poor who have become the victims of the lockdown who lack the basic commodities of life. Hunger seems to kill more than the virus. I believe that Canada is doing well to control  COVID-19, and from what we have heard, new cases haven't been seen at least for today. We wish and pray that it is under control.

As being the person in-charge of about a hundred members at St. Xavier's Social Service Centre and seeing the cases of COVID-19 around the world, I was totally dismayed with regards to what can be done. Thank God that as soon as we requested the guardians to look after the children at least for a certain period, all of them responded promptly. We covered all their travel expenses to their destination. Fear had gripped us with the thought that if any member gets sick, the rest may also become victims of COVID-19.

We are still worried for the safety of 18 members. I hope and pray that all of us and the children who have gone home stay safe and sound. We are not sure of opening after the lockdown. Our neighbouring country, India, is going though turmoil which directly affects Nepal. Lots of Nepalese have been stranded in different parts of India and some of them are already infected with COVID-19. God help us all to overcome the pandemic.

Fr Dilip Toppo SJ
Director

Partner: Nepal Jesuits

I think Nepal is doing well. Our Government has reported 16 Coronavirus cases so far. People are very supportive and hardly any people go out from their own residence. We cannot do much for the poor in this situation. We have done some support to very poor people in 5 districts out of 77 in Nepal. Our educational institutions are closed indefinitely. All the Jesuits and our collaborators are healthy and safe. We sent home our social service centre boys and girls due to the present crisis. We hope to continue to do more.

- Fr Boby Joseph SJ
Treasurer and Development Director

Partner: Lok Manch
COVID-19 has cast a pall of gloom on the whole of  humanity. The prospect of death – either by the virus or by starvation – is looming large. People are afraid that their home may become their own tombs.

However, tombs can become wombs! That is the message of hope that Jesus’ Resurrection brings for us. “The death of Jesus is not the last word or the end of the story. Resurrection is the ultimate word of God about life and death,” says John Bucki SJ.

There are already perceptible signs of hope! Platoons of good Samaritans are braving all odds in order to feed and help the people badly hit by the lock down. That is a clear indication that there is no dearth of human kindness.

What is more, as per the most recent data available, while there have been 107,781 deaths, 397,053 patients have recovered worldwide. Let us pray and hope that the spread of COVID-19 will be soon contained and those infected by it cured.

May Jesus’ Resurrection enable us to cling on to the HOPE that the current eerie situation of suffering and gloom will disappear soon!

In solidarity with you and the entire suffering humanity,

Sannybhai (Fr Stanislaus Jebamalai SJ)
National Coordinator

Partner: Human Life Development and Research Centre (HLDRC)
We hope that all of you are safe at this time. The world is suffering from this deadly killer. However, we are hoping this pandemic will end at the earliest. The number of positive COVID-19 cases in India is rising and has crossed 5700 with 180 deaths so far. We are very worried if and when it goes to the community level stage as India is very much ill-equipped with its health services. With a population of 1.3 billion and a majority of them poor, most people may not have access to quality health services like in the past. We are facing multiple crises from the lockdown as a large portion of the population live by daily wage. Migrant workers across all Indian states and tea garden workers are facing a food crisis which may result into another huge crisis in India.

We are hoping to reduce the lockdown period to get back to our regular work life. The present central government is not pro-poor and is forcing us to conduct crisis management  ourselves to serve the affected people. We are working with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Non Governmental Organizations (NGOS), Voluntary Organizations (VOs), Church Organizations (COS) and Community Based Organization (CBOs). Lok Manch is also active in most states at the moment.

In the Bagdogra Diocese in North Bengal, we have formed a large alliance to counter COVID-19. Bishop Vincent Aind heads the network as president . We have an advisory board, Core team members and Action team members at each Parish/church unit. The network connects all villages and tea gardens for some advocacy and relief measures simultaneously.

At the moment, this action plan seems to be working as we are in lockdown ourselves. By making our internal and external structures strong, our communication channel becomes effective and we are able to continue our advocacy with the government.

HLDRC is taking the lead on the diocese level as well as we have a well-trained human resource base which we have developed over the last few years. Our staff work from home but come out when dealing with  urgent issues.

Fr Pascal Xalxo SJ
Director

Partner: St Stanislaus High School

Warm greetings from St. Stanislaus High School, Bandra, Mumbai!

We have all been in lockdown for the last 15 days and this is supposed to last until the 14th of April. However it does look like it will be extended until the end of the month, as Mumbai has turned out to be a danger spot. We are just hoping for the best.

At the moment, all schools, colleges and Churches are closed. We do not hold Church services for the congregation, but we are livestreaming the Eucharist for our parishioners everyday. You can access it from the Church website at www.stpetersbandra.org or our YouTube channel: St. Peter's Church Bandra.

We have started a food packet service for people on the streets in our neighbourhood and currently, we are distributing 300 lunch packets. These are for migrant labour and other daily wage earners who have lost their livelihood and do not earn anything during this lockdown. We have also offered our premises to house migrant labourers as this has become a big problem in the cities. These labourers would like to go home to their own states in other parts of India, but all trains and buses across the country are paralyzed and state borders are sealed, to prevent them taking the virus to the remote corners of the country. It is a difficult situation for all, but especially the poor.

- Fr Frazer Mascarenhas SJ
Director

Partner: St Aloysius College
We have been under lockdown since March 16. It is supposed to end on April 14, but I doubt it. According to some, it might continue for over a month or two. Our campus is empty. All the students have gone home. We have been trying help migrant workers with some provisions for their daily sustenance.

It is really sad to know about the situation in Italy and other European countries and the USA.  We have not seen anything like this which has affected the whole world. We hope the situation will ease up soon.

- Fr Denzil Lobo SJ
Director

Partner: Fe y Alegría DRC
I follow the news on the evolution of the pandemic on a global level almost every two hours. I admit that the end of the tunnel is not yet visible. If in certain European countries the peak has been crested, it should be noted that the curve is still rising in other parts of the world. Soon, we will see a situation where, on one hand, things seems to have been brought under control but on the other, the effects of the pandemic continue to worsen the imbalance between the North and South.

In the DRC, the situation is already accelerating. As of tomorrow, the commune of Gombe, an upscale district and the place where large institutions are located, will be completely locked down because it is considered to be the epicentre of the epidemic in the city of Kinshasa. People are struggling to follow the preventive measures decreed by the government. This morning, we heard that some residents of the Gombe migrated to other communities that are low-income and more populated to seek refuge. We expect a difficult situation towards the end of April and throughout the month of May.

In Fe y Alegría, activities have been suspended to avoid exposing employees and students. For us, it was a way to align with the Congolese government's measures. However, the national office team now works from home. I'm sure we will have at least two months ahead us of working under this stressful situation.

The continuation of certain projects gives food for thought. Should the content of each logical framework be respected as approved? Or should we think about restructuring it to meet the social needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic?

Lots of courage, dear friends! I know that the situation we are experiencing requires that we have strong nerves.

- Fr Alfred Kiteso SJ
Director

Partner: JRS Ethiopia
We still have a moderate situation of 29 confirmed cases but we are uncertain how many more cases will develop in the coming few days/weeks.

Our work here is subject to change depending on how the situation with the epidemic unfolds. Please, stay safe and all the best in the fight with this invisible enemy.

- Neway Alemayehu
Country Director

Partner: Lok Manch

Partner: Formation of Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Promoters
Here in Bachajón, we have been in quarantine since mid last week. It is imperative we take all precautions and measures available to take care of ourselves and others.

We are in constant communication with the human rights promoters of the diocese.  We have postponed the workshop on child safeguarding scheduled on April 23 - 25.
As per our Bishop's instructions, there will be no Easter celebration at any parish. We are doing our part by closing all the ermitas (Indigeneous churches) and parishes in Bachajón.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire CJI team. We are all united in prayer. "We all need each other, no one can be saved by him/herself."

- Fr Jose (Pepe) Aviles
Coordinator

Partner: Human Life Development and Research Centre (HLDRC)
The whole world is fighting against COVID 19. We continue to pray for Canada and the most affected countries like Italy, China, Iran and many others.

Here in India, it is also bad as over 500 cases have been confirmed and about 12 have died so far. The Indian government has declared a 21-day lockdown and ordered everyone to stay home. However, this poses a great challenge in addressing the basic/essential needs of the people we serve. The poor will again be the most affected by this lockdown.

In the last few days, HLDRC has formed an action team to reach out to poor people in the tea gardens. The team will act as a helpline in educating them to follow proper medical care and isolation procedures. For sometime, the tea gardens were not part of the  lockdown due to economic reasons as it is peak plucking season. However, our hard work drafting complaints to the local authorities and at state level paid off.  Advocacy has worked and now tea garden workers are also under health security coverage. The  announcement by the Indian Prime Minister for a 21-day lockdown has also created big problems for daily wage and contractual workers as food and other social security are not enough to sustain them in the next 21 days.

HLDRC will take the lead in negotiating with local and state governments to address important issues during this crisis. Let us rise during this moment in our history and FIGHT TOGETHER against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Let us stay strong and pray for one another.

- Fr Pascal Xalxo SJ
Director

Partner: Indigenous Rights Centre (CEDIAC)
In Mexico, we entered into phase 2 (community transmission) of the outbreak yesterday.  Fear abounds as we realize we are slowly getting mired in the pandemic: there is uncertainty because we do not know what is going to happen; panic because of what we see in the news happening in other countries; and disbelief that COVID-19 has arrived and can affect us.

The government has been requesting people to stay home. As a consequence, people have been panic-buying resulting in an increase in price and scarcity of products and groceries. Chiapas is one of the states that has registered the fewest cases. This may be due to the lack of health services (and testing) because Chiapas is often visited by tourists. Most parts of the state are rural, offering some degree of protection. However, last week, there was a sudden influx of students and workers from other states who returned to their communities. This undermined the quarantine protocols.

We had a meeting with the coordinators of the different projects and services of the Mission across our territory. Our objective was to explain the following measures the diocese has taken (following the Episcopal Conference instructions): suspension of activities in the ermitas (Indigenous parishes), suspension of worship and activities for Easter, and suspension of visits to the sick, etc.

For communities like the Tseltal that have a deep sense of religiosity, these measures have come as a shock as they draw much strength from their faith.  These measures have increased the uncertainty and confusion within communities. Furthermore, activities will practically be suspended in the Mission offices, since working  from home is not feasible. Most of our collaborators do not have internet at home, and any virtual collaborations will be limited to emails.

Let us pray for each other.

- Fr Guillermo Estrada SJ
Legal representative

Partner: Nepal Jesuits
Our country is in complete lockdown. You can hardly find people and vehicles in the streets. Nepal has 4 confirmed coronavirus cases so far.

Our educational institutions are closed indefinitely. All the Jesuits and our collaborators are healthy and safe. We have sent home the boys and girls from our Social Service Centre due to the  present crisis.

- Fr Boby Joseph SJ
Treasurer and Development Director

Partner: St. Xavier’s School Sadakbari
The situation here is not as bad, but you never know when things may escalate. We are closed from March 18 onwards. We were about to finish our final terms when the government announced the closure of all school and colleges. It is a complete lock down lasting 10 days, but rural life is freer than in the towns...big space. We are virtually prisoners in the campus.

We are hearing lots of news about the coronavirus...including Canada. People are very frightened for the simple reason that if the Global North is not able to do anything, then what will happen if it hits Nepal?

Let us pray that this pandemic may end soon and normalcy in our daily life be restored. Thanks once again to CJI family for your concern and care. May God bless us and protect us!!!!!

- Fr Vijay Toppo SJ
Director

Partner: Children of God Relief Institute - Nyumbani
So far, all is well with us, and we are able to continue as usual with our services to our special children. We are aware that Canada is at a different stage in containing the novel coronavirus and we hope that containment is in sight.

- Sister Mary Owens
Director

Partner: Casa Ricci Social Services Foundation
In China, the situation is getting better, but it is not yet stable.  Never before have we felt so strongly that the whole world is connected. You cannot get better if other parts are still struggling. It is as if nature had pushed the emergency stop button of this fast and crazy train that is our world. The sad thing is, as usual, it is the poor and the weakest ones who suffer the most: those who have no seats on this train!  All this uncertainty will make us more humble.

- Fr Fernando Azpiroz SJ
Chairman of the Executive Committee

Partner: North Karnataka Jesuit Educational & Charitable Society
All our centres, schools and parishes are shut down until March 31. We are not allowed to go outside our compounds. Everything is restricted. Yesterday, government officials visited our schools and hostels, saying that in case of an emergency, they plan to convert these into quarantine centres. People still go outside of their homes; some of them do not understand the seriousness of the situation. Up until Saturday, we were still going around the communities to help people understand the gravity of our new reality. Now we are inside our own homes, and not allowed to move about. I reach out to the people and communities we work with through prayer.

I pray for all of us and ask God to heal our planet and people.

- Fr Francis Menezes SJ
Vice President

Partner: Fundación Rio Manta
Since last week, we have been working from home and trying as much as possible to support the community that needs us, including the elderly, as well as boys and girls. We have been assisting as much as we can, given our current strengths and limitations. Our efforts have been focused especially on providing food to those in need. We also try to ensure the well-being of our collaborators. The COVID-19 cases are increasing every day, and we already have over 500 cases.

Partner: Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Eastern Africa
Indeed, the COVID-19 situation is turning the world upside down with many worries and anxieties. Since the first confirmed cases in Eastern Africa countries, we have been busy ensuring the safety of the staff while not abandoning the people we are called to serve. It is not an easy task, considering that given the current circumstances, our work does put their lives at risk.

- Andre Atsu
Regional Director

Partner: Jesu Ashram
We have been in lockdown for two days now, and we are unable to offer assistance to people who are suffering and need our help.  I am trying to protect our patients, staff and students.  This has become a huge responsibility of mine. Let us pray this passes away soon. May God protect and help us.

- Fr Julius Kujur SJ
Director

Partner: Darjeeling Jesuit Province
Most of the states in India, including West Bengal, are under lockdown. There  are 498 coronavirus cases and 9 deaths reported as of today.  There is a lot of fear and anxiety as the number of affected increases everyday. There are no cases as of yet in North Bengal. Since March 22, all the parish Masses have been cancelled,  all the schools shut down and all public transport closed, including train and air service. Starting today, the police are enforcing a strict curfew. No outside work can be done.  The Jesuits here are working as per usual. We fall back on God's Grace, the ultimate source of everything, in these testing times...Let's live in hope and radiate it to one another.

- Fr Joseph Victor Pitchai SJ
Province Treasurer and Province Development Director

Partner: Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Colombia
Greetings from Bogotá. The quarantine started here last Friday, initially as a test, and it will now be implemented nationwide starting Wednesday, March 25.

We are certainly affected by the coronavirus health crisis. The entire JRS team and its 6 offices are now operating remotely with a few exceptions, primarily to finalize some commitments that were made beforehand. The challenge we are now facing is supporting migrants who are vulnerable, most at-risk and who have no social safety net to rely on during such a crisis. We are looking into alternative ways of giving support as we also need to protect the team from the risk of infection.

For now, we think that the quarantine will continue until the end of April, but it may be longer.

- Fr Mauricio Garcia Duran SJ
Director

Partner: Jesuit Service for the Pan-Amazon Region (SJPAM)
SJPAM has cancelled all project activities and events until the end of May. This includes Easter activities with Indigenous communities. They also postponed an international meeting of Fe y Alegría on the Pan-Amazon which was to take place in Boa Vista, Brazil.

- Fr Alfredo Ferro SJ
Director

Partner: Fe y Alegría DRC
Fe y Alegría Congo is closely following the situation in Canada. We are aware that this is an unprecedented humanitarian crisis that has enormous consequences on a national level, as well as impacting many families.

Fe y Alegría Congo wanted to express to the CJI team our profound compassion and offer our humble prayers. We are sure that an adequate solution will be found and it will relieve the sorrowful cries of  humanity.

-  Fr Alfred Kiteso SJ
Director