One of those was the presence among us during a full week of Fr. Fratern Masawe, a Tanzanian Jesuit who has been appointed as a part-time chaplain. His presence was a hope for all not to speak about the presence of 10 other chaplains. Another part-time chaplain has also been appointed : Fr. Moses Hamungole from Zambia. At the time of the PAA, he was in Europe for duties but he met the International Team in Paris to know more about IMCS. All both are now in charge.

When addressing my last message at the PAA closing session, I expressed my joy for the tremendous experience it was for me to accompany the successive Coordination teams during 8 years. My gratitude rejoins also all members of National Movements and their Chaplains I met when  visiting many countries of Africa. It is unforgetable ! During these two mandates, I have seen a growing IMCS-Africa with an increasing number of affiliated National Movements and open doors for more in the process to join the Pax Romana family.

In this last message of our Newsletter, I would like to be very practical inviting all National Movements and branches to realistically fight poverty. Remember : it was the main theme of our PAA. One particular presentation impressed me : the panel about NGOs work as presented by Fr. Oreste Incimatata of Caritas-Rwanda and Mr. Edouard Rubahiza, chairman of ICMICA-Rwanda. Both are working at the grassroot level in poor and rural areas. They insisted about the duty of SAVING. Their experience is that even poor people are able, day after day, coin on coin, to save enough money to initiate a sustainable project that will raise money for more for them and their family and help them to come out of deep poverty.

This is my insisting invitation to all of you : get into that experience of saving money. Initiate in your environment some « Saving Clubs » according to Edouard’s message. Poor people do it ; it is thus possible for us too.

First of all, we need some « know how » to beign and manage an « Saving Club » ; as a first step, you have to invite a competent person in the matter to explain the requisities for success. I am sure that such experts exist everywhere and that they will be encouraged seeing the commitment of students.

Our members have to study how micro-credit actions do function. Our PAA speakers gave many testimonies about the faisibility. Many families and organisations succeeded and are now out of misery. They are more developed and help people aroung them to develop themselves. Why not the same with our National Movements? We are speaking of “evangelisation” and “preferential option for the poor”: let us be honest and become examples and apostles among our fellow-students. Thousands of people succeeded ; it is possible.

A second step after getting informed, would be to convene a ‘brainstorming’ to collect all ideas and proposals to progress in the process. Every new club has to find its own way.

To be realistic, I propose to all of you a possible way. Let us learn how to control the use of mobile phones.  Mobile phones have modified our cultural environment and are very useful tools. We even do not remember how was life 5 or 10 years ago without mobiles ! Practically all students have their own.

My question is : are we not using it excessively ? Did we ever calculate how much we spend every month for communicating. Are all communi-cations necessary or useful ? And are we not prolonging our conversation more than requested? Our invitation,  our objectif: buying a scratch card less every month! Depending on countries and networks, I am sure that every club member should be able to save 1 USD each month. If the club gathers 12 members, we are able to save some 150 USD each year. Who could contest it? Such an amount is not negligeable. 

Being a “Saving Club” member will help us to discipline ourselves along another way that is important for the development of our societies. We have to control the use of the capital we save. We thus have to save the money in some safe place or with a person of confidence. We surely will find the good place.

My suggestions about the use of the saved money. As an IMCS Movement, our first duty is to support the International Team paying our annual affiliation fee : 50 USD.

Second suggestion: with the 100 USD left, do some realistic action on your campus as a commitment of you branch. If you first do something by your own and produce a good narrative and financial report, present a project to a funding agencies and you will have bigger change to be supported.

Third suggestion: be aware that the 10^th Pan African Assembly will be held in 2010. We are not sure that the Pan African Coordination Team will get enough support for all travel expenses. Let us be prudent and think about it.

Good luck!