Express News
Message from Sierra Leone
Message from Sierra Leone Aug. 15, 2009
The letter from Sr. Leticia Negishi (Extract) July 12th, 2009 Dear members of Lend a Hand Movement, are you all fine? Here in Sierra Leone, the months of July and August are the season cooler than in Japan. This year we don't have much rain. However once it rains, the surroundings become wholly green as if the dirt of the dry season is washed away. It is the season the snakes lay thousands of eggs. A couple of years ago it happened that many thousands of cobras were born in our yard and astonished us very much. But today we are safe, for the grass is cut clean and the convent is built well. The snake doesn't attack us unless he is surprised by the encounter with us and his escape is disturbed. It then spits venom swelling his head. This deadly venom makes a man blind when it enters his eyes. Every year some people die because of the poisonous snake. But its death rate is quite low in comparison with malaria. Many missionaries died because of malaria. Thanks to the progress in medicine we are now protected from the death, but we still suffer a lot from the malaria, in short the mosquito is our worst enemy. During the dry season they don't appear because of the lack of water, but once the rainy season comes they enter through the smallest hole of the net. We close the room completely, but they come in smartly. The best defense from malaria is to eat well and take siesta even 15 minutes. I believe I am escaping most successfully from malaria among us, 10 sisters, as the effect of malaria is serious for an aged person like me. But I must stop here this topic, so that I don't be taken by it after having bragged about it... During the summer vacations many youths come from Europe. In July the medical students came from Spain and in August the common students from Italy as volunteers. This is why the quite large ground floor of our house is occupied by them. Their singing voices come up to my room of 2nd floor, but being convent we oblige them a rule not to make big sound after 10 o'clock PM. We hear that the student as accustomed to a life of late night begin a new style of life after they have experienced a life in a poorest country. Thus the Italian scholarship for OLG primary school girls started thanks to these students. Sierra Leone is still poor, but is developing without doubt and we see the construction of new houses in the towns and villages. Really the peace brings the happiness. I imagine the nuclear test of North Korea is uneasy for Japan. Let us pray unanimously for the peace. This school year has ended on July 10th. I am very grateful to all of you. Thanks a lot for your support. I ask you to continue helping us from now on too. Sr. Negishi |
A short news from Sr. Bernadetta Shirahata 5th July 2009 “Last week, I had a fever for three days. A Spanish doctor declared I had been attacked by malaria and typhoid after the examination.  I took the medicine he gave me, but the
quinine was so strong for methat I couldn't sleep day and night during four days. Moreover, I suffered the vision which appeared incessantly during 2 days. But thanks to the kind care of the sisters, I am now quite fine. Thanks to God! |
| Lunsar, 25th July 2009 To you all I say also a big THANK YOU. Dear Mr.Satoh, Yesterday there was a big day for us. The ambassador of Japan in Ghana came to our school and handed over on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an award to Sr.Leticia for the 30 years she has worked in Sierra Leone. There were about 80 people in the hall. The ceremony started with a speech by the Ambassador explaining why the giving of the award and later he pr  omised to continue helping the country. Later Sr.Leticia responded with another speech followed by a dance by the Maria Ines Vocational students. The bishop of Makeni was also present. The ceremony concluded with the vote of thanks by me. Everything was simple but meaningful. I am sure that while we were thinking on all that Japan has done for Sierra Leone, we all had in mind people like you that has worked relentlessly and have made of our mission of what it is today. To you all I say also a big THANK YOU. Sr. Elisa, m.c. 2009/07/25 |