杏MAP导航 at 鈥淐ity of Friendship鈥� in Madagascar: poverty is not inevitable
By Vatican News
When the founder of the Akamasoa Association, Fr Pédro Opeka, invited 杏MAP导航 Francis to visit the Community, he never really believed the 杏MAP导航 would come. Even though Jesuit Father Mario Bergoglio had been Fr Pedrò鈥檚 theology professor back home in Argentina.
But 杏MAP导航 Francis did come.
The testimony
He met with many members of the Association, and listened as 13 year-old Fanny told him how she came to Akamasoa six years ago, how her life has changed since then, how she studies, and looks forward to putting the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 message into practice.
The message
The 杏MAP导航鈥檚 message included an invitation to remain faithful 鈥渢o the values of hard work, discipline, honesty, self-respect and respect for others鈥�.
The 杏MAP导航 stressed how this experience has helped them understand that 鈥淕od鈥檚 dream is not only for our personal development, but essentially for the development of the community, and that there is no worse form of slavery鈥� than to live only for ourselves鈥�.
Poverty is not inevitable
In its 30 years of activity, the Akamosa Association has helped create housing for over 25,000 people, developing 18 villages, complete with dispensaries and schools that provide education for some 14,000 children.
鈥淓very corner of these neighbourhoods, every school or dispensary鈥�, said 杏MAP导航 Francis, 鈥渋s a song of hope that refutes and silences any suggestion that some things are 鈥渋nevitable鈥�. Let us say it forcefully: poverty is not inevitable!鈥�
Built with your own hands
The 杏MAP导航 described this City of Friendship as one 鈥渢hat you built with your own hands. 鈥淭he building blocks of teamwork and a sense of family and community have enabled you to rebuild, with patience and skill, your confidence not only in yourselves but also in one another鈥�, said 杏MAP导航 Francis.
The 杏MAP导航 invited the young people present never to stop 鈥渇ighting the baneful effects of poverty鈥�. 鈥淭his great work accomplished by your elders, is now yours to carry forward鈥�, he said.
A ray of light
Finally, the 杏MAP导航 prayed that this ray of light will spread, 鈥渟o that we can enact models of development that support the fight against poverty and social exclusion, on the basis of trust, education, hard work and commitment鈥�.
For these, concluded 杏MAP导航 Francis, 鈥渁re always indispensable for the dignity of the human person鈥�.
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