Jens
Rapport annuel 2021 : Construction d'une école supplémentaire à Mabala
Nouveau bâtiment scolaire à Mabala
Après avoir construit un puits d'eau potable pour notre école au milieu de cette année, les parents de nos élèves ont initié et soutenu la fabrication de 10.000 briques pour un autre bâtiment scolaire. En 2018, notre école a commencé avec trois salles de classe pour chacune des classes 7 et 8. Chaque année, de nouvelles classes ont été ajoutées, et cette année scolaire, nous avions besoin de deux salles (de classe) supplémentaires pour les sections agricole et vétérinaire de la classe 11.
En plus des briques, nous avions besoin de bois et de tôle ondulée pour le toit, de fenêtres, de portes et de ciment pour protéger les murs de la pluie, ainsi que pour les sols et les terrasses extérieures. ADH a apporté les fonds nécessaires à l'achat de ces matériaux et a payé les ouvriers. La construction a bien avancé et tout le monde est maintenant très content des deux nouvelles salles de classe et de la nouvelle salle des professeurs.
Dieu merci, le coronavirus n'est pas aussi répandu au Congo que dans d'autres pays, de sorte que notre école peut rester ouverte et que les cours sont assurés. ADH continue de payer les enseignants, mais nous espérons que cette responsabilité sera bientôt reprise par le ministère de l'Éducation, puisque notre école est enregistrée depuis le début comme école publique.
Le directeur de l’école, l’agronome Philémon, a également lancé un nouveau projet avec les élèves de la section agricole devant les bâtiments de l’école, où ils plantent des légumes et où chacun doit s’occuper de sa propre parcelle de terrain.
Joseph a bien progressé dans son travail à Nsioni. Il est très encourageant de voir comment il utilise les fonds que nous lui avons donnés pour ce projet agricole. Il a construit une porte d’entrée pour la ferme, a construit un bateau pour les étangs à poissons et a tracé un nouveau canal pour les alimenter en eau.
ADH a décidé de lancer un nouveau projet de microfinance avec notre manager local Jean. Il a besoin d'un soutien pour des semences de légumes afin de faire avancer son projet agricole sur le Plateau de Bateke, à l'est de Kinshasa.
Lors de l'assemblée annuelle d'ADH - à nouveau en ligne - nous avons confirmé Tereza, la nièce de Lenka, comme nouveau membre de l'association. Elle nous aide depuis un certain temps déjà avec Instagram et d'autres travaux qu'elle peut effectuer en ligne, et nous sommes très heureux d'avoir une autre jeune personne dans notre équipe.
Après de nombreuses années, Lenka a pu revoir Madlen, qui a rendu visite à des supporters en Hongrie pendant quelques jours après son traitement médical. Elle a appris comment Madlen, après avoir terminé la construction des nouveaux bâtiments scolaires, s'occupe maintenant de l'aménagement intérieur.
L'achèvement et l'impression de notre livre ont constitué une étape importante. Après des années d'écriture de "Changez le monde avec amour" en trois langues (allemand, anglais et tchèque), des mois de relecture et de collaboration avec notre graphiste, les livres sont enfin imprimés et prêts à être distribués !
Nous espérons que ce livre, en plus de tout le travail que nous pouvons faire sur place, aidera les gens du Congo à faire de grands progrès au niveau national et international. Pour plus d'informations, consultez le site web du livre, qui est encore en cours d'élaboration.
                  
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Unity in Diversity
One man says the new 5G mobile data transmission speed is terrible for your health; another says it is better for it. One is for the ruling party; another is for the opposition. One is all for the vaccine and wants everyone to have it; another is against it and wants to keep freedom of choice. One likes to see manger scenes in public places; the European Commission tries to cancel Christmas.
Both sides are convinced that they are right. What are we going to do with these discrepancies, how do we react to one and then the other? How can we reconcile, avoid arguing, getting upset? How can we bring peace and unity in the midst of such diversity?
I have noticed that in countries with more democracy and freedom of expressing opinions, the divide amongst its citizens can go to the point of getting aggressive and nasty, even between members of one’s own family and community.
This interview of Andy Stanley with Sarah Anderson, the author of the book “The Space Between Us” talks about this subject. The author, whose family is involved in higher up politics, describes how people fight each other even within their own party. She suggests that even if there is a divide in our own family or party, we should make an effort to go out of our way to meet the other side and try to find common ground.
think it is great that we can each express our own opinions, left or right, for or against, as long as we are loving in what we say, show respect to each other, and use kindness, tact, and tolerance.
The Golden Rule is pretty universal, endorsed by many religions. Jesus expressed it this way: “Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them (Mat 7:12).”
So, how can we have unity in diversity? The point is not that we all have the same opinion, but try to achieve unity in spite of differing opinions. I believe it is a matter of the heart, starting in our own. What is in our heart comes out of our mouth. This goes also for what we write and post online.
I am learning to go slow when I receive an email which evokes a strong opposing opinion in me on a given subject. Instead of answering that email with my immediate reaction, I wait for a day or more. I ask myself what to do with it. Should I answer at all? If yes, what should I say, what would help bring peace and unity – despite the differences of opinion?
Listening to the other side, receiving constructive criticism to my opinion, to what I say, do or write, can be beneficial. I prefer to hear about it before my standpoint is widespread, because once it is out there, I can’t take it back and might have to apologize for it later. When writing something, I want to hear about any mistakes I made or things that are not clearly expressed before it is published. Our counterpart can become our helper.
Since Christmas is just around the corner, I was reminded of an incident in World War I, where German, French and English soldiers were laying down their weapons for some time to celebrate this special occasion instead of fighting each other. The beautiful movie “Joyeux Noel” depicts this “Christmas Truce of 1914”, a series of widespread unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front. Unfortunately, the politicians and higher up military officers did not approve and sent airplanes to restart the fighting.
Let us follow the example of these peace-loving soldiers, lay down our weapons, in words and deeds, and unite around the common goal of working together and helping each other no matter what the challenge may be. Can we try to look beyond the words into the heart of the person who is so strongly opinionated? Why is the other side so heated up; is there fear involved; did one of their loved ones suffer or even die because of a controversial issue at hand? There is always a person behind an opinion, someone who suffers and goes through difficulties like us. Life can be hard so why make it even harder for our fellow men?!
We don’t have to let the media or anything else get us all riled up so that we lose sight of the heart of the person in front of us. We can rather choose the loving way. God loves every person, even the ones who can be a challenge for us personally. – Let us use the Golden Rule!
Copyright © 2021 Aktive Direkt Hilfe e. V.
Competition vs Compassion
Wolfgang Schmidt:
The other night I had one of those “chasing” dreams, where one runs away from an opponent, trying hard not to get caught. In this case, I had to flee from two people. I got away, but when I woke up, my heart was racing.
Then I asked God for the meaning of this dream and He showed me the futility of such chases and races. Why do we do that instead of living a peaceful life? I realized how we are raised, trained and surrounded by that kind of a mindset, basically from the cradle to the grave. We are trained to be the best, the fastest, the “Number One”.
Think about games, from Monopoly to other board games, to computer games. Don’t most of them teach us to try to win, to beat the other participants of the game? We see each other as competitors instead of working together!
How different God and His approach are! He has compassion for the people. He has mercy, grace and love. Jesus is the most tangible proof of God’s love. He healed the sick, even on the Sabbath day, when – according to the law enforcers – it was not allowed to heal. He forgave the adulteress when she was about to be stoned to death. He talked with a Samaritan woman who was already married five times and was living with a man, who was not her husband, at a time when it was forbidden for Jews to even have contact with Samaritans.
When we look at the world, isn’t it sad how people and nations are competing with each other? The rich want to become even richer, the powerful nations want to be even more powerful. They build ever bigger barns and more and more powerful and deadly weapons. When will they be satisfied with what they have? Don’t they realize that the big, powerful people and nations will always fall, always? Just look at history. They all fell, the biggest empires, the biggest popes, the richest people have to die one day and cannot take a cent with them.
So, why not rather be compassionate, why not share with the poor? Why not work together instead of against each other? Why not be a peacemaker instead of a warmonger? The most peaceful people I ever met were the simplest people, the Pygmies – looked down upon by their neighbors, their own countrymen. They have as good as no possessions, but have love for each other and prefer to move to another location rather than fight against those who despise or mistreat them.
Jesus was the best example. He had no earthly possessions. Yet, He had compassion on the poor, and the people loved Him for that. He told us: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Mat 5:5-9)
Let us follow His example and show love and compassion to others instead of seeing them as competitors.
Copyright © 2021 Aktive Direkt Hilfe e. V. – Picture: Pygmy children dancing for us in thankfulness for the goods we brought them, Cameroon 2003.