CiN Christmas Campaign
Vienna/Dolian/Minya/Assiut/Kathmandu/Enugu – Not all children in this world have the same opportunities. Many grow up without adequate education, without a family or in poverty.
Christmas shows us what peace feels like and also that it is possible: between people, between nations and in our hearts. The birth of Jesus symbolises hope, light and new life. It invites us to build bridges where there is division and to show compassion where there is suffering. For this reason, as every year, CiN is calling for a Christmas campaign for the children in our CiN projects. An excerpt:
Minya & Assiut (Egypt)
CiN supports schools for children aged between 5 and 12 with learning difficulties and hearing impairments, promoting education and self-confidence.
Thanks to CiN‘s help, books tailored to the needs of these children are being printed. CiN helps not only children from poor Christian families, but also those from Muslim families. At the beginning of the project, radical preachers stirred up fear of the 70,000 Christians living in the valley. The unfounded accusation was that the school projects were intended to convert people. It took six months for the Muslim village community to open up and for joint lessons to become possible. Today, the parents of Muslim children also see that the Christians are there for them, not the preachers of hate.
Kathmandu (Nepal)
Around half of Nepal‘s population lives below the poverty line. At the Moonlight School, with its Austrian class, children are given a real chance and do not end up on the streets. CiN teaches interfaith tolerance and understanding towards other religions. This prevents these street children from being incited by Hindu hate preachers later on.
Dolian (Haiti)
The outbreaks of violence on the Caribbean island are forcing families to flee. Displaced families must be cared for. CiN ensures that the children have at least one meal a day (see article).
Enugu (Nigeria)
Almost all of the children at the CiN orphanage in Enugu come from northern Nigeria. They are survivors of bloody attacks on Christians living there by Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen. Thanks to our donors, the orphanage‘s running costs can be covered and the children can be housed and cared for. They also receive an education there.
At Christmas, children should be able to enjoy a day of joy with presents and Christmas dinner.
pictures (C) CiN: The orphans in Enugu also keep Msgr. Ike on his toes. / Boys at the school for the deaf in Assiut. / A pupil at Moonlight School won a national creative competition. / The ongoing violence in Haiti has driven a million people to flee their homes.