Syria Earthquake Response Appeal

On 6 February Syria and Turkey were hit by two catastrophic earthquakes that have claimed the lives of thousands of people.

In response Jesuit Mission Australia has launched a Syria Earthquake Response Appeal to provide immediate assistance to those people most affected living in Aleppo.

Your compassion in action will help the Jesuits provide emergency assistance to people who have lost homes and their loved ones, made possible thanks to a partnership between Jesuit Mission Australia, Xavier Network and Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Syria.

To support Jesuit Mission in responding to emergencies donate at the link below.

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While Turkey is already having a formal Government-led response to the Emergency, in Syria this will remain a challenge. Thankfully the Jesuits already have an active presence in North-East Syria, having supported refugees there for many years, and they can focus their emergency response on assisting these vulnerable communities.

Click here to watch a video update on the Jesuits' emergency response from the Xavier Network Emergency Coordinator.

JRS Syria reports that there is significant damage in Aleppo, with thousands of houses and hospitals collapsing and becoming uninhabitable.

Vulnerable people are now homeless, shaken and frightened. Many people prefer to remain outdoors in the cold and rain fearing the aftershocks.

In addition, the people of Syria have long been suffering from decades of conflict that has displaced millions of people. Combined with the trauma of the earthquake, JRS Syria will also provide long-term psychosocial and mental health support for survivors.

To support Jesuit Mission’s Emergency Action Fund donate at the link below.

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Please join us in celebrating the first graduating class of Xavier Jesuit School, Cambodia, who completed their final exams in December 2022.

Of the 28 graduating students, 9 are scholarship students, such as Rany, whose life has been forever changed through our program.

Rany

Like 90 percent of Cambodians who live in poverty, Rany comes from a rural area. Her parents are farmers who work tirelessly, relying on their crops for income.

Rany, who has two siblings that left school to help support the family, and one who never attended school at all, was in Grade 6 at her local government school, when a Jesuit Service Cambodia outreach worker identified her as a candidate for a scholarship to Xavier Jesuit School.

Rany’s parents were thrilled for her to accept a full scholarship, and she started Grade 7 at Xavier Jesuit School in 2017.

Although shy to begin with, Rany has thrived at the school year after year. Bright and studious, she’s learned to express herself, problem solve and has developed her compassionate spirit.

When our Jesuit Mission Australia team first met her in 2019, she was in Year 9 and dreaming of becoming a teacher so she could give back to her community.

Education in Cambodia

In Cambodia, poverty and extremely poor access to education mean just 1 in 4 young people finish school. Sadly, many don’t even start.

While parents value education, the burden of poverty and vastly inadequate education infrastructure – the result of decades of war and conflict – means there are many barriers to sending their children to school.

The real curriculum is often taught during these classes, so students who can’t afford this extra tuition – like Rany – fall even further behind their classmates.

This has resulted in an education crisis where just 50 percent of young people in Cambodia begin high school, and only around half of those finish.

In rural areas, the rate is even lower because children from poor families must leave school early to work and contribute to the survival of the household.

Xavier Jesuit School

The Xavier Jesuit School is ensuring more young people have a quality education that will help safeguard them from a future determined by poverty, injustice and inequity.

Founded by our local partner Jesuit Service Cambodia, Xavier Jesuit School was established in one of the poorest provinces in the country to provide local students with affordable, quality education.

From primary to high school, Xavier Jesuit School students receive a full day’s education across the full Cambodian curriculum, including English, Khmer, maths and computer studies.

With the generous help of our supporters, the school has flourished. In 2022 Xavier Jesuit School educated 850 students, including 75 full scholarship students (49 girls and 26 boys).

These life-changing scholarships cover full tuition fees, accommodation, uniforms and living costs, helping to ease the burden for very poor families.

In the short term, families have the benefit of one less mouth to feed, while in the long-term young people help lift their families out of poverty.

Without the generosity of Jesuit Mission supporters, Rany would most likely have left school in Grade 9 and be working in low-paid job in Phnom Penh. But instead, she’s graduated Xavier Jesuit School and will soon begin University to pursue studies to become a teacher, turning her dream of sharing the gifts of her education into reality.

“I’m so lucky to come and study at Xavier Jesuit School and stay and graduate Year 12," she says. "I gained a good education and learned how to be a good person, now I want to help the poor.”

Find out more

About Xavier Jesuit School Cambodia

All our programs

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Read the latest Summer edition of Reflections and see how your compassion is empowering live around the world.

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An appeal for peace from religious leaders in Myanmar: Cardinal Charles Bo, Archbishop Marco Tin Win, Archibishop Basilio Athai

Dear People of Myanmar, State and Non-State stakeholders.

Peace be with you all.

As leaders of major religions/faiths in Myanmar, we make this passionate appeal for peace, urging that all of us need to undertake the pilgrimage of peace.

The recent months have seen great threats to the sacredness of human life, the lives lost, the lives displaced, and the lives under starvation. In a country blessed with so many great resources, the destruction of lives is a heart wrenching tragedy.

Increasingly the places of worship and monasteries, where communities sought peace and reconciliation are themselves under attack and carnage. International instruments like the Hague Convention call for the protection of places of worship, places of learning, and places of healing. With pain and anguish, we ask why these sacred places are attacked and destroyed.

As a nation, we need to heal. Healing comes through our deep sense of interrelatedness. Places of worship to promote this interdependence, leading to peace. When they are burnt mercilessly returning to normalcy becomes a great challenge.

As leaders of the various faith traditions, our passionate plea to all stakeholders in Myanmar, is we have suffered enough as a people, let all guns fall silent, let us reach out to all, as brothers and sisters and start the sacred pilgrimage of peace - united as a nation and as a people.

Peace is possible, peace is the only way.

With prayers for peace and reconciliation,

On behalf of religious leaders.

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For 13 years, Zainuddin has been giving refugees hope through his work with our partner Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Indonesia.

Zainuddin works on the Journey with De Facto Refugees Program, which provides support where it’s needed most for refugees living independently
in Bogor and Jakarta.

As the Case Management Team Coordinator in Bogor, Zainuddin’s responsibilities extended to handling JRS’ COVID-19 response across the city during the pandemic.

“In the pandemic, refugees became even more vulnerable. If they got COVID-19 they weren’t guaranteed access to health services, they also starved if they had to be isolated,” said Zainuddin

“As someone who had COVID-19, I was lucky because I had family and friends who supported me. I am also a citizen who has access to health services. But many of the refugees we support do not have these things,” said Zainuddin

Thanks to your generosity, in the last six months JRS Indonesia supported over 1,200 refugees in need.

“Wherever they are from, refugees are a group of people who have lost part of their lives. They just need to be protected, to keep their hope and dignity in order to be able to survive and thrive in their future,” said Zainuddin

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It shall be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people’s way. For thus says the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with those who are contrite and humble in spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will lead them and repay them with comfort. Peace,peace, to the far and the near, says the Lord; and I will heal them.

Isaiah 57:14-19

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1. Desire...I ask the Spirit to Remove Obstacles

I find and hold an object that symbolises for me the easing, or taking away of

obstacles, so that I can move forward in spiritual progress, in doing good.

I consider, 'What voices eradicate illusory obstacles to my good action'?

'What voices place spurious obstacles in my progress’?

'What is the contrary of a disquiet built on false reasons’?

I ask the Spirit for the gift that removes obstacles, clears the mind, and eases my way.

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2. Choice...Today I Choose the Open Way

I choose the open way, led by the good spirit who removes all blockages to God’s love.

I reject the obstacles, imagined or perceived, placed in my path by a bad spirit.

I turn and walk in the contrary direction, from dismay, to smiling heart, to peace.

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3. Progress... I live in the Freeing Trinity

I imagine I am surrounded by the Freeing Trinity. Father, Jesus and Spirit. Each

addresses me by name, saying, ‘Nothing will separate you from my love.’

I rest for a bit, in the dispelling of my fears and false reasoning, by the Trinity. I feel at

peace and free of deceptions of the bad spirit my way is easy.

I conclude giving thanks for the Spirit who removes obstacles in my spiritual progress.

PRAYER TIME: 10 minutes.

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Isaiah 57:14-19

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Click here to download the Prayer of Clearing Airways.

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Thanks to the compassionate gifts left by Jesuit Mission supporters in their Will, change is afoot in the rural villages of Hazaribag in India.

These legacy gifts are supporting the Ankur Project, which is empowering Dalit people –previously known as the ‘untouchables’ – by opening up new ways to overcome stigma, access education and gain opportunity.

The Ankur Project provides tuition centres for Dalit children and began in response to school closures during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The project enables a local tutor in each village to provide tuition to village children, giving them the opportunity to continue their education and find a future path out of poverty.

The Hazaribag Jesuits aim to renew the interest of Dalit parents in education and encourage students who have dropped out to return to school.

His father is a farmer, who only studied up to Year 9, yet he always encouraged Ramashish and his four other siblings to pursue an education.

Ramashish's education has earnt him a lot of respect amongst the local villagers and through
this he has been able to encourage parents to value their children's education.

He joined the Ankur Project to help the children of his community to study and get a proper education so that they can improve their family’s situation in years to come.

A gift in your Will to Jesuit Mission can help us create real, transformational change for our sisters and brothers overseas, giving them the hope and future opportunities they deserve.

If you are considering leaving a gift in your Will to Jesuit Mission please get in touch with Susan Vaz for a confidential discussion on 02 8918 4109 or email susan.vaz@jesuitmission.org.au

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For Jonia, a 28 year old mother, village chief, part-time coffee worker and graduate of the Jesuit-run secondary school NOSSEF, the installation of a water facility on her doorstep in Railaco has dramatically improved her community.

Thanks to the collaboration of many village leaders and your generous support, our four-year partnership with Jesuit Social Service (JSS)Timor-Leste has brought clean water to more than 15 rural villages, transforming the lives of over 5,000 people.

“It is all totally different now. Our house is very close to the water tank, just a few metres away. We can use it any time we like,” said Jonia.

Previously, Jonia’s community would walk over one kilometre to the nearest clean water source in the river, a trip that had to be made multiple times in the day by different members of the family.

“Water helps our children grow. We want them to be teachers, doctors, and engineers. We want them to have a good life,” said Jonia.

As a village chief and a mother, Jonia is ensuring that the next generation has access to all their basic needs and opportunity. Since the beginning of the water project in her village, Jonia was responsible for organising meetings between her community and the JSS team.

As a result, the people in her village were very cooperative and saw the significant change fresh water in the village could bring. Her community was happy to financially contribute to the facility, as well as provide the labour to build the water tank.

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Your support is invaluable, and because of that, we’d like to hear your thoughts on how Jesuit Mission can better serve you.

Please take 5-10 minutes to complete our online survey.

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Your solidarity guides our mission and helps us plan the future of our work with our Jesuit partners to uplift the most vulnerable communities overseas.

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We would like to thank all our supporters for their valued and ongoing support this year.

As our office will be closed from 24 December and reopening on 9 January, we leave you with a video Christmas message from our CEO Helen Forde.

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Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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