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Missionaries of Africa forges symbiotic relationship with Fian

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“Love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will embrace”. Psalms 85:10.

Through the spirit of reconciliation and in keeping with the above quotation from the Good News Bible, the Society of the Missionaries of Africa (M. Afr) has provided 150 metal dual desks to Fian D/A Schools in the Diffiama-Bussie-Issa District of the Upper West Region.

Beneficiaries
The package which is valued at 45 thousand Ghana Cedis was shared among the schools.

The Kindergarten (KG) wing had 40 the dual desks, 65 were given to the Primary section while Junior High School (JHS) had 45 the metal dual desk.

The donation which is the fruit of a reconciled relationship between the Fian Community and the Missionaries of Africa has really shown that love and faithfulness have met whilst righteousness and peace have embraced after more than 70 years.                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Blessing of furniture & presentation

 

The Parish Priest, St. Benedict Parish-Wa, Rev. Fr. John Mubanga and the Curate of St. Benedict Parish-Wa Rev.  Fr. Nicholas Mulinge jointly presented the furniture to the School Management Committee (SMC) Chairmen of the Fian Junior High and Primary Schools, Messrs Sabastian Domasaa and Iddrisu Noore Naa.

Rev. Fr. Nicholas Mulinge

The two Priests made the presentation on behalf of the Provincial Superior of the Missionaries of Africa, Ghana-Nigeria Province, Rev. Fr. John Aserbire.

Rev. Fr. John Mubanga

Prior to the presentation, Rev Fathers Mubanga and Mulinge blessed the furniture.

Rev.  Fr. Nicholas Mulinge said: “The Congregation of the Society of Missionaries of Africa was in Fian to appreciate and say thank you to the people Fian for their great guest and the love that they have for God, for themselves and for the Society of the Missionaries of Africa. The gift we are offering here coincides with the 150 years [anniversary] of the founding of the Society of Missionaries of Africa by Cardinal Charles [Martial Allemand] Lavigerie in the year 1868 in Algeria.”

He added the donation of the furniture was in response to a request made when the Provincial Superior visited the School to see how the children were faring.

Rev. Fr. Nicholas Mulinge on behalf of his Superior thanked the Fian Community for the land given to them adding that they are almost done with the acquisition of the legal documents in respect of the land.

He stressed the need for students and pupils to take good care of the furniture and “use them for the betterment of their lives”.

Background to reconciliation

The Spokesperson for the Chief of Fian, Naa Bambieu Bapin, Ivan Domasaa traced the history of the reconciliation between Fian Community and the Missionaries of Africa (M. Afr) which necessitated the donation.

The Spokesperson for the Chief of Fian, Ivan Domasaa

Mr.  Domasaa said according to Messrs Augustine Mwindingu and John Baptist of blessed memory who were some of early Christians of Fian, the Missionaries of Africa came to the community in the 1930s with the intention to settle and propagate the Catholic faith to people of Fian and surrounding villages.

The account continued that then Chief of Fian, Naa Ballannoe did not allow the Missionaries to settle in the community.

The Missionaries were not happy with the Chief and people of Fian, as such shook off dust from their feet for not allowing the gospel to be propagated in their land (Lk 10:1-12)

Reconciliation process

The account continued that early documentations of the Missionaries of Africa in Wa Diocese and the Vatican captured what transpired between the Fian community and the Missionaries. Rev. Fr. Martin Wullobayi (M. Afr) during his studies in Rome, he found information about what happened and decided to initiate a reconciliation process.

On his return to Ghana, Fr. Martin Wullobayi and his senior brother, Awaana Wullobayi visited Fian in August 2013, to kick-start a reconciliation process.

After a number of interactions and preparations following Fr. Martin’s initial visit to Fian, a colorful reconciliation ceremony was held on Saturday, June 28, 2014, in the community.

After the reconciliation, the people of Fian decided to celebrate the event yearly making it a kind of religious festival for the community.

As a result, the first reconciliation anniversary was marked on November 7, 2015 and it has subsequently been held annually in Fian with the latest one taking place on October 16, 2019.

Mr. Domasaa on behalf of the Naa Bapin thanked the benefactors for the support.

Mr. Domasaa appealed for computers to be donated to the school to improve ICT education and called on public spirited individuals and organization to help construct a fence wall around the KG.       

Homily

Rev. Fr. Gaeton Banyong-Enne delivering the Homily

As part of the event, the Parish Priest of Daffiama, Rev. Fr. Gaeton Banyog-Enne in homily at a mass, stressed the need for people to eschew hypocrisy and live life simply.

Rev. Fathers John Mubanga & Nicholas Mulinge(right) presenting the furniture to SMC Chairmen, Messrs Sebastian Domasaa & Iddrisu Noore Naa (left)

He said: “We know that before God, we are all sinners, before God, we are not worthy then we continuously ask God for His mercy and pardon. And just as we ask God for mercy and pardon, we also do same to one another.”     

State of library & appreciation

The Head Teacher of Fian D/A Primary, Thomas Kaapuori who was engaged on the margins of the event, said the school library has not received modern books in recent memory, “and the state of the library for now is not the best condition”.

He continued that most of the books are archaic and out of the system now and do not serve the needs of the children and stressed the need for a support.

Touching on the donation of the furniture, Mr. Kaapuori said “its as a great joy because you can see in the eyes of the pupils, everyone is smiling. It was a burden, our necks and spines were being affected because the load was too much.”

“What Missionaries of Africa has done is like the way Jesus died for the sinners, taking away all their pains. So they have taken a lot of load on us, so we are most grateful to Missionaries of Africa and we promise that we will make good use of these furniture to the betterment of these pupils,” he observed.  

Support from MP

The for Member of Parliament (MP) Daffiama-Bussie-Issa, Sabastian Sandaare announced that the best student at the BECE level  will benefit from the MP’s scholarship. He equally promised to give 1000 exercise books, a football and a set of jerseys to the school.

Story by Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo

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