AFRICA/GHANA – Education, health and care for the environment among the priorities of the missionaries in Keniago

AFRICA/GHANA – Education, health, and care for the environment are the top priorities of missionaries in Keniago

Monday, 4th July 2022

Keniago (Agenzia Fides). – “We do everything we can to help our people, but God gives us strength to move forward”, writes Agenzia Fides Fr. Auracio Eyram Tegbui is a priest from Ghana for the Society for African Missions. “Our parish of St. Peter is home to about 34 detachments, in which Father Biro Junior, from Central African Republic, and me serve,” continues the missionary of Togolese descent, who lives in Keniago in the region Ashanti, diocese Obuasi. Missionaries are able to help in any way they can, in a social environment that is becoming increasingly difficult by rising inflation.
“First, we try and carry out our ministry by celebrating Mass with the faithful every day, trying to meet most of the working needs for the inhabitants, who are mostly farmers.” Due to the number of villages around, we are unable to say mass in all of them so we visit them during the week and pray with them, as well as give communion. Fr. Tegbui says that most of the population is not literate and does not see the need to encourage children to study. Others who want to study are unable to afford it and have to give up their jobs. “All of these factors affect the development of the towns where we do our work. However, we try to help them understand and take care of their environment. The government runs the schools in Keniago. They were built by early missionaries. “Currently, we SMAs manage one of the primary schools. Most students attend the school for free because they cannot afford the fees. We help the sick to get to hospitals, and often, pregnant women give birth in our vehicle before we arrive, because we don’t have any means of transportation. The school bus is the main mode of transportation for everyone. It can also be used to transport coffins to the cemetery for funeral masses or to transport them to community activities, retreats, and workshops in some of the remote stations. “In rural regions – concludes a missionary – we help to resolve conflicts between communities, families or couples, as well as between members of our church. According to Ghana Statistics Service, inflation has reached 27.6% in Ghana. This is the highest level in 18 years. It was followed by an unstoppable rise in prices. According to available data, imports have grown faster that those made locally. Food costs rose by 30.1% in May 2022 compared to the previous years. The largest increases were in water, oils, and cereals, which were imported from Russia. Transport, which also includes fuel, saw a price increase by 39.0%. Housing, which includes water and electricity, saw an increase of 32.3%. The local currency, the Ghanaian Cedi, continues to decline. (AET/AP) (Agenzia Fides, 4/7/2022)

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