Fr Rex Fernandes and Fr Vincent Lobo along with the clergy at St Joseph's Cathedral, Nouakchott, Mauritania.
It was May 2017, already in the fifth month since we began staying at Kaédi, our new mission station in Mauritania, far, far away from home. The sun would shine as brightly as possible for more than twelve hours a day, sapping all our fluids in no time. We had no local contacts as yet. The neighbourhood was as calm as a ghost town.
Out in the street, rarely some donkey carts passed by slowly. The environs resembled much like Rajasthan, except for the habitants. It would come alive during the night, when it cooled down a bit. Our little campus has a small chapel and a library with a few hundred books. Inside it felt like a furnace, yet we were instructed to keep it open. No soul turned out to visit the library, except a herd of adamant goats. Chasing them out was my only activity thus far.
We needed to break the ice. I made it a point to explore the environs through evening walks. If someone was passing by, they would stare at me with curiosity. I was much more curious to befriend, to have a genuine encounter. My glances and smiles were returned by a ‘Salaam Mallykhum!’ that’s it. No one seemed to wait for my response ‘Mallykhum Salaam!’
Fr Vincent Lobo along with a group of children in Kaedi.
Once Fr Pachel Mohizi, a Spiritan from Congo-Brazzaville, the earlier non-resident mission incharge, came here to visit us. One evening we set out for a walk and while returning he introduced me to Santy Diallo, a youth who had a photo studio on the street. To my surprise, he could speak a fair amount of English. He offered us the traditional three cups of mint tea. My visits to him continued. We managed to get to know each other over numerous cups of tea. He was already fascinated by India and was glad to befriend one. I finally had a Mauritanian friend.
It was from him that I learnt that youth are interested in learning English. He also introduced me to Hamed Fall, an English teacher at the local high school and a beneficiary of our Mission Library in his student days. We visited a few schools and interacted with the students. His enthusiasm and encouragement to start English classes at the library was contagious. Walks and off course ‘chai pe charcha’ under the Mauritanian starlit skies were encounters where strangers became family. What more could I ask for?
Fast forward to May 2019. We were able to conduct a few sessions of English and French classes for the youth. We had a visiting professor for French and we even started computer classes. Our library registrations swelled by about a hundred and fifty.
It was nice to see more and more youth/students coming to spend time at the library, do some research and surf the internet. We had some learned people, local teachers, administrative staff and other officials visiting us. The library was indeed a contact point for us.
This is the norm, the mission-model here in the diocese of Nouakchott. Fridays and Saturdays we engage with the kids in the vicinity, teach them English and conduct some play and learn sessions. This is the description of our mission here. The kids do not want to get back home. Fr Andy Gomes with his guitar teaching them nursery rhymes and songs has achieved cult status.
To our surprise, women in the neighbourhood approached us to revive an existing association. They sought for some help in literacy and skill formation, motivation and to conduct some input sessions etc. Envisaging a social centre in the future for the neighbourhood, we made all efforts with the assistance of our FMM Sisters to revive it, making this our common activity. Building relationships got no better boost than this. This is the goal of our Apostolate of Presence here in Mauritania.
Fr Andy Gomes and Bishop Martin Happen with the youth learning English at the Mission Library in Kaedi.
Our presence is slowly felt by people and our activities are growing gradually. We have many friends now, young people and families in our neighbourhood. We visited quite a lot of them, especially during the Feast of Ramadan.
It was indeed a great joy to be welcomed so warmly. Their simplicity, openness and generosity touched us. God’s ways are marvellous. Chasing goats and that initial stage of isolation was God’s way of strengthening me. The missionary strength of our Society of Pilar stood out. I always felt our persistence would not go unrewarded. Working, sharing and praying together as a community with a joyful ardour is a sure way for us to be ‘Christ’ to these Muslims.
Our mission of presence here is all about commitment and sharing of life with people around us. It’s about building relationships and discovering harmony. It’s filled with adventures, challenges and uncharted prospects to incarnate oneself and enculturate the faith. As a missionary society, we have just taken a few budding steps!
[The writer is presently based in the Pilar Mission at Senegal]
