Reassuring news from Kontum !
At the end of 2018, we were very worried as we were without news of the nuns following their move to new premises in September. Given this uncertainty, we decided to suspend our bank transfers (school fees, salaries, food aid).
In order to evaluate the situation, the members of our committee judged that it was necessary to send two of our members to Kontum for a surprise visit. Just for once, faced with this urgent situation, it was unanimously decided that our organization would finance the trip.
The delegation was composed of Carole AGNES (for her sound knowledge of both our organization and the nuns of Kontum) and François ACCILI, a relatively recent member of our organization (for his fresh view).
During their stay in Kontum from January 13th. to 19th. 2019, they observed that the nuns and the boarding girls were housed under decent conditions. The move was undoubtedly a source of great stress and some urgent work had to be done quickly on the new premises (financed by the church and a local benefactor), but the nuns had now recovered their serenity.
Our sponsor children were still in school and overseen by the nuns. During the four months when our bank transfers were suspended, the nuns had borrowed money from the Congregation to pay school fees. Carole and François were able to meet some sponsor children during a distribution of food parcels.
In the new premises, the dormitory is smaller (130 m2) so there are fewer boarding girls than previously – 77 girls aged from 6 to 18. During the period when our bank transfers were suspended, they were able to eat thanks to gifts of food from villagers and to the vegetable garden tended to by the girls themselves.
Because of the change of address, the nursery school’s state approval has become null and the nursery school is currently closed for an unspecified period of time. However the nuns have requested planning permission to build a new school. This project will take time and it will be necessary to find funding, but the nuns are confident that it will happen.
The nuns now have access to internet once more and so we can communicate with them again by email.
Conditions are in place in Kontum for us to resume our bank transfers. We have just made a bank transfer covering the first quarter of 2019 and the fourth quarter of 2018. This retro-active bank transfer will enable the nuns to reimburse the money borrowed from the Congregation.
A full report, with photos and videos, will be given at our annual general meeting on April 27 th. and between now and then we will publish more in-depth articles.