DEMSA

The community of the Daughters of Jesus of Karna (Ngaoundéré) travels regularly to Demsa about thirty kilometres away to lead celebrations of the Word.

Demsa is a village whose inhabitants come from the extreme North, Cameroonians and refugees from Chad in search of land to cultivate that is more fertile.
The villagers are welcoming, open and friendly. The sisters observe that it is difficult to keep the children clean, they show signs of scabies and have a lot of diarrhoea.

In dialogue with the people they express their needs: health and education but a particular need emerges, that of water.

There are no wells, the temporary seasonal source of water is far off and the water is dirty and polluted…. their health depends on this water! The priority lies there but what can be done?

The cost of digging a well is beyond the means of the sisters and the villagers.

The latter are prepared to contribute: they will furnish the sand and the gravel, help to dig and will lodge and feed the well-diggers.

The sisters solicit the help of their Provincial Council who speak in turn to the General Council and a positive response arrives. What joy!

The villagers get to work with CODAS (a branch of Caritas) who can dig at a more affordable price. The community comes together to support, encourage and remind everyone of their commitments.

At the end of two months the well is finished and everyone celebrates together, Muslims and Christians!

Prayers are said, the well is blessed, and there is dancing and a traditional meal.

A committee is formed to look after and organise the opening and closing of the well.

KARNA

Water is a problem all over the district.
The school children and the families around had no more water close to hand and the wells needed to be repaired.
In another community in the Extreme North living at a distance from the village, the people drank the same water as the animals.

The inhabitants have shown the same awareness and engagement as in Demsa and here the families of the sisters have helped us.

Like Mary at Cana we have presented our request to Jesus : “They have no water to drink” and Jesus has answered us as he did the disciples : “Give them something to drink yourselves!” So the inhabitants, the community, the Congregation, the families got up, each one carrying “his small calabash”.

Alone we can do nothing, together we can do a lot.

By means of these projects lead by our community, each Daughter of Jesus, wherever she is, has contributed to this development action.

The Karna community