A missionary sister who works in the Diocese of Pemba, which is racked by terrorism and deeply affected by a recent cyclone, thanks Aid to the Church in Need for the help it provides civilians.
Sister Aparecida Queiroz from the Congregation of the Daughters of Jesus arrived in the Diocese of Pemba, Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, seven years ago, just as an Islamist insurgency was beginning to terrorise the province.
Since then, she has seen the insurgency grow in violence and reach, leaving in its wake at least 5,000 dead. More recently, the region also felt the effects of Cyclone Chido, which caused terrible destruction across the country, making the plight of around one million displaced Mozambicans in Cabo Delgado that much harder.
In a message to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Sister Aparecida spoke of the challenges facing the region at the moment, but also of the importance of the help that the pontifical charity continues to provide in Mozambique.
“Imagine that you are in your house after a day’s work and suddenly a group of armed men breaks in, kills your children and kidnaps members of your family, forcing you to flee through the bush for days, scared, hungry, thirsty, and in terrible anguish. Well, that is the pain that thousands of our brothers and sisters in Cabo Delgado are experiencing, people who have lost everything: their homes, family members, places of worship, their identity, and who have had to flee not once, but many times,” the religious sister explains.
Cabo Delgado is the northernmost province of Mozambique. Historically poor and neglected, the population lives mostly from subsistence farming, which is of course disrupted at times of instability.
“The constant mobility, the coming and going of people who are just trying to survive, is at the root of this cycle of poverty. Children are unable to go to school, there is no access to health, families can’t farm, and there is terrible hunger,” says Sister Aparecida.
Fortunately, she adds, ACN has been present throughout the bad times. “In this context of suffering, ACN’s help has been like the hand of God, bringing relief and saving lives. Because of it, people are receiving visits, being listened to. They have access to the sacraments, to the Eucharist, but also to material aid, such as food and hygiene products. This is a type of assistance which is transformative, which helps them grow, and empowers them,” states the religious sister.
According to Sister Aparecida, the foundation’s aid has translated into food for over 2,000 families, besides allowing those on the ground to provide religious services to “communities we had lost access to; train seminarians and reach thousands of people through the voice of hope of the diocesan radio station”.
“Through ACN, the hand of God is returning life to these people, and that is why we cannot stop, we must continue to be the face of Christ in this context of despair.”
Sister Aparecida concludes with a message directly to benefactors, saying: “This is what we are doing with the help that you and your family provide through ACN. That help reaches these thousands of people in this part of the world. Thank you so much!”
