Hope for our girls in Nigeria
In mid-June S. Joyce Nyakwama, SSND, Principal of Notre Dame Secondary School, Mkar, Nigeria, sent news that a fire had razed a wing used as a hostel for 50 students. They lost literally everything yet there were no casualties or injuries. You can offer them hope. What/who gives you hope when you experience loss?
Fire Destroys Hostel
Adapted from the School Sisters of Notre Dame Africa’s Facebook page
June 16, 2014 by S. Kathy Schmittgens, SSND
We received this news from S. Joyce Nyakwama, SSND, who is the Principal of Notre Dame Secondary School, Mkar, Nigeria.
June 15, at exactly 8.00 pm, a fire whose source we do not yet know, razed down the right wing of the old convent that is used as a hostel for 50 of our students. Despite the fact that the students lost literally everything, we are so grateful to our dear and faithful protector God that there were no casualties or injuries. Students were in class for their night studies when this happened.
The right wing of the hostel was burnt to a condemned state while the left wing of the hostel was finally saved by a generous crowd of youth and adults, men and women who responded to our cry of distress. Our parish priest, Fr. Michael Dogo was first at the scene. Really the gesture from everybody was just overwhelming. Even our bishop, Most Rev. William Avenya was at the scene in 30 minutes time and he, like everybody else was helping to put off the fire. He later addressed the students calling for calm among them, prayed over and blessed them. It is coincidental that S. Vic, Provincial Councilor was with us in community on visitation when it happened.
MAKE A GIFT OF HOPE: If you can help with rebuilding the hostel and help replace the things the girls lost, you can go to http://www.ssnd.org/africa/gift-africa. Any support will go a long way to restoring hope to these young women.