Domestic news, from East, West, North and South.
Brief News Aug. 15, 2009
Our 2nd steering comittee was held on July 21. We decided to donate US$20,000 to OLG schools to purchase a school bus in the current year, because we considered it useful for the education, and also the same amount to Maria Ines Vocational school in Lunsar for construction. Knowing Sr. Elisa's intention to use the multipurpose donation to purchase a school bus, we simply added the money she would need and remitted it already on July 14. The need of a bus you can see here after in Sr. Elisa's e-mail.
At this occasion, Mr. Sato, the chairman, reported a couple of unexpected cases of assistance which happened this year. He explained that we did them because the contributors appeared each time we appealed for help, but he promised never to do so again at the expense of the feeding program and the educational support of OLG schools in Sierra Leone. So he calmed the worries about unexpected assistance that might seem as if we are overextending our support.
Brief News Aug. 15, 2009
A total renewal of our Home Page. Thanks to Ceramist Touri Maruyama's effort, it was wonderfully renewed and got its own domain. Here is the new URL. http://tewokas.org/ You can read in English too.
Brief News Aug. 15, 2009
On July 2nd Mr. & Mrs. Joseph M. Sato attended the general assembly of International Ladies Benevolent Society and received \1,000,000 as their aid for the education of Maria Ines Vocational High school in Lunsar, Sierra Leone, and its feeding program. We are very thankful for this donation.
Also we were given \1,000,000 by Expert Charity Association on July 19th as the aid for the school feeding program of OLG schools in Lunsar, Sierra Leone. We are very grateful for the Expert Holdings Co. Ltd's continued assistance since 2005.
Brief News Aug. 15, 2009
There are about 40 copies of the book The Children's Smiles Rose Again which remain unsold. We will be glad if they are sold out thanks to some of you.
Brief News
Renewed 2/20/2001
In Sierra Leone there was supposed to be a presidential election in February of this year 2001 according to the constitution, but it has been postponed half a year due to the unstable circumstances. It is said that lack of funding to do so is another reason. But will it really happen in August?
Two-thirds of the country is under rebel occupation, but there is no fighting, and peace is being maintained for the time being. But next door in Guinea, violence is being repeated among the rebels of Sierra Leone, troops from Liberia who snuck themselves in, and the Guinean national army. It is said that there are 300,000 refugees from Sierra Leone and Liberia in Guinea, but the situation is so rough that aid organizations cannot even go in, and it has become one of the worst fighting areas in the world. It really makes me angry and wonder until when they intend to continue this senseless war.
Father Bruno wrote us on February 15, 2001. He told us that he was able to go to Lunsar in order to attend, with other missionaries, a trust-building discussion with the rebels. According to him, helicopters flew above them ceaselessly, and that it was a very heavily guarded mission. However, the discussion itself did not lead to progress, with the commander of the rebels giving a seemingly threatening speech, "We do not have the intention to disarm nor the will to surrender to the United Nations." But Father Bruno writes that the commander had to show power in front of the visiting organizations and the people, for deep inside he is in fear. As a matter of fact, what they fear the most is the reprisal of the people and to face trials for war crimes. That is why they do not let go of their weapons and are taking citizens hostage by force.
The Father and his company got to see schools in Lunsar with permission. But since they were allowed very little time, they only got to see the office. He says that although the building was still intact, that it was completely empty. They probably did not have the chance to see O.L.G., since he made no comments on it. The fathers are hoping that the UN Peacekeepers advance and that they will be able to reopen the schools, but it seems that the negotiations are slow in development.
Clearly, the Fathers are not the only ones who are becoming irritated and impatient with the UN, wondering why the peacekeepers won't forcefully remove the rebels who have been sitting in the same place stubbornly for a year and a half already after the Lome' Accord, at which they agreed to the stationing of the UN troops.
