After the presidential election July–December 2006, there was a situation of fierce gun battle in Kinshasa in March 2007 between the governmental army and the chief rebel Jean Pierre Bemba. But since then, the calm has returned to Kinshasa.

The insecurity is high in the East of Congo (Goma) where fighting is still on its way with the rebel soldiers. All this unrest makes it impossible for the improvement of social life. If the war goes on any longer, then we will face another humanitarian crisis.There is a growing total misery in this dark country in the heart of Africa.

The schools opened on Sept 04–07, mostly in Kinshasa. Since then, the parents who take care of the children haven’t been able to send them to school.

Last week on Oct 4 there was a plane crash in Kinshasa which killed nearly 60 people and injured more.

Some of them are suspected of HIV. Their health is not really good enough. Others enjoy of good health though they face fierce poverty in the different families were they live in. The list below shows only the school fees. Any benefactor will think of an additional donation for cloths and other tuition fees, medical care.

A part from the school fees problems; the children are facing the problems of cloths, objects of games, and facilities to the health care.

In the name of all the families who take care of the children in Kinshasa, I thank you very much for your heartily contribution to the future of these children.

List of Children, their age, gender and current level in primary or Kindergarten.

Saint Thomas Parish has been helping the last 2 year a project that  the agustinians misionaries have in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a project to help abandoned children in the street because their family has no economical possibilities to have them or they are children of the war, without parents. In Kinshasa there are more than 25000 children in the street, without any education, some of them with sicknesses like AIDS and those that proceed from no hygienic condition. 

The Augustinian have opened a center called ST. RITA that try to help these children. The responsible of the center is P. Guillaume MIGBISIEGBE, OSA, that is working with more than 135 children (between 0 and 15 years) in the center with some voluntaries.

1. They want to attend the main necessities. Now they need milk for the children. After the civil work in the country there are no cows. They must buy milk to give to the children. They need for this project 2500 $ a year (this is the project that we, like the Parish, are going to help during Advent time).

2. Education. In Congo less than 50% of the Children go to the school. To send the children of the center to the school they need for year 4280 $.

3. Health care. They are thinking to create a Pharmacy to take care of the children. 60% of the children in this center need medical care. They have no professional and no money to pay for doctor. They will need for this project 4500 $ every year.

4. Agriculture. They have the possibility to buy land were they can train the children to work. It would mean that they will have possibilities to produce some goods for then and prepare them for a profession. The land is free but the tools and people to take care means 5000 $.

We want to help with the feeding of the children of the augustinian center in Kinshasa. We are asking for sponsors that will be able to donate 2 CZK a day for milk for a child. It is only 600 CZK a year. Can you help them? See Fr. Juan (602 684 538 or www.augustiniani.cz) for details.

600,- CZK annual money you can  pay:

1. Post to the adress:
   P. Juan Provecho, OSA
   Kostel sv. Tomáše
   Josefská 8
   118 01 Praha 1
2. Transfer to the bank account number:
   1933791339/0800
   Variabilní symbol: 2
3. Personally at the monastery of Saint thomas to Fr. Juan or Fr. William Faix.

Thanks for your help!