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Easing the financial burden of education

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For Loyola College graduate Fernandito, your support is easing the financial burden of education on his family.

At 21 years old, Fernandito from the rural community Ulmera-Liquica in Timor-Leste, was one of the first batch of students selected for a university scholarship program when he graduated from Loyola College in 2019.

Run by our project partner, the Jesuits in Timor-Leste, the scholarship program aims to increase the number of qualified university graduates from vulnerable families in Ulmera-Liquica, Timor-Leste.

From hearing about the opportunity, Fernandito immediately applied and was eager to take his education to the next level.

“My family lives a very simple life. My father is a teacher, and my mother is only a housewife. Many times, my father struggled to cover all the expenses of the house, my sibling’s education and many other things. So, this financial aid is truly the best for us all.” - Fernandito

Many of the students at Loyola College also known as CSIL (Colégio de Santo Inácio de Loiola) in Timor-Leste, face the same difficulty of covering their student expenses.

Thanks to your generosity, now 32 graduates of Loyola College like Fernandito can focus on their tertiary studies without worrying about finances.

Fernandito is incredibly grateful to the Jesuit Mission community for not only supporting his future but the future of his family too.

Fernandito studying at the English Language Centre at his university, UNTL (Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa).

“Now I have enough money to buy school supplies, for photocopying, fuel, food, phonecards, buy some of my clothes for school. My parents do not have to worry about all these things anymore. I just have to do my best to succeed." [break height=20] “My hope is to finish my studies in 2023 and find a good job to support my family and my community." - Fernandito

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Gifts for Change Mother's Day

Looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift? Give a gift with the power to transform lives by supporting our Gifts for Change program.

First Spiritual Exercises - Renewing Inspiration

Let us join together in the Prayer of Renewed Inspiration written by Fr Michael Hansen SJ, National Director of the First Spiritual Exercises Program.

Year 8 student bakes for Ukraine

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Niamh (middle right in orange) at the bake sale on Easter Sunday with her family and friends.

When Niamh, a year 8 student from Loreto College Queensland, heard about the Jesuit Mission Ukraine Emergency Appeal, she knew that she could do something to help.

Over the Easter break, Niamh dedicated her time to arrange a bake sale after Easter Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel church in Queensland, and impressively raised almost $2,500 for those fleeing the war in Ukraine.

“I can’t emphasise enough how this was started and driven by Niamh herself. We really wanted to call out her wonderful effort, giving up a large part of her Easter holidays to make it happen.” - Conor, Niamh's father.

Niamh made the flyer that she emailed and texted to family and friends, asking them to support her by contributing to the bake sale. Later she approached local shops and bakeries asking them to contribute as well, a number of which did, including Botanica and Bakers Delight.

Following this, Niamh started baking by herself over several days.

“Niamh visited the Ukraine Society in Holland Park to get a Ukraine flag for the table. There she saw first-hand Ukrainian refugees who had escaped Ukraine via Poland and made their way to Australia. It really hit home how real and important this appeal is for people.” - Conor, Niamh's father.

The response from the community was amazing and Niamh is very grateful for the support from her friends and family. It is fantastic to see the youth of today take positive social action and care for their sisters and brothers overseas. Thank you Niamh!

The Jesuit Mission Ukraine Emergency Appeal is delivering immediate support - including emergency shelter, food and essential items, medical escorts, translation and accompaniment to those fleeing the crisis in Ukraine.

If you would like to support refugees fleeing the crisis in Ukraine, you can donate here.

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Gifts for Change Mother's Day

Looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift? Give a gift with the power to transform lives by supporting our Gifts for Change program.

First Spiritual Exercises - Renewing Inspiration

Let us join together in the Prayer of Renewed Inspiration written by Fr Michael Hansen SJ, National Director of the First Spiritual Exercises Program.

Accelerating the water project in Timor-Leste

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Jose standing outside the office of JSS in Taibessi, Dili, Timor-Leste. Image taken by Gervaldo.

This month’s eNews coincides with World Water Day on 22 March. We reached out to Jose, the Program Manager Assistant for Jesuit Social Service’s (JSS) Water Project in Timor-Leste on the importance of his role.

[quotes]“I started working here in mid-2021. JSS needed a person to help in accelerating the implementation of the water project in rural areas and I was hired for the job.”[/quotes][quotes_author color="#000"] Jose [/quotes_author] [break height=30] [quotes]“I hope to give more formation on water management and also on environment protection, how to take care of water by protecting and conserving the ecosystem that supports the sustainability of water."[/quotes] [break height=20]

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The water project helps bring life-changing new water systems to remote villages in Timor-Leste, which is vital in a country where one-third of people in rural villages do not have access to clean safe water.

The burden of collecting water often falls to children, who have to walk up to five hours each day, carrying heavy containers of water.

Jose (left) in the JSS office with his team. Image taken by Gervaldo.

[quotes] “What I like the most about this program is that I can be part of the JSS team and I can apply my knowledge and skills to help others."[/quotes][quotes_author color="#000"] Jose [/quotes_author] [break height=30]

Prior to his role at JSS, Jose studied community development at university and was also a coordinator and activities organiser for Magis group in Timor-Leste.

Now his tasks include contacting beneficiaries and coordinators at the project locations in order to organise meetings and mobilise the resources needed to finish the establishment of the water facilities.

Thanks to your generosity, Jesuit Mission’s partnership with JSS has brought clean water to more than 12 rural villages, transforming the lives of thousands of people.

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A family celebrates the inauguration of clean water in their village.

Gifts for Change Easter

Instead of buying chocolate eggs for someone this Easter, you could consider supporting our Gifts for Change Program.

First Spiritual Exercises - Finding Light

Let us join together in the Prayer of Finding Light written by Fr Michael Hansen SJ, National Director of the First Spiritual Exercises Program.

Milk for malnourished children in Vietnam

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Thanks to your generosity, 8,000 at-risk children in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam received emergency food packages and milk.

For three months in 2021, Ho Chi Minh City was in complete lockdown, where residents were forbidden from leaving their homes – even to shop for food, or exercise. Soldiers enforced stay at home orders and helped with limited food deliveries.

These restrictions to control the spread of COVID 19, since lifted, forced millions of migrant workers out of employment and into emergency levels of poverty and hunger. Mothers were struggling to feed their babies because of poor diet, leaving thousands of children malnourished.

In response, the Jesuits in Vietnam launched the Charity Rice and Food Supplies project to support hundreds of families in crisis in the Southern Provinces of Vietnam and help them survive.

The project was implemented through a great collaboration of lay volunteers, religious sisters and brothers, and trained social workers, all of whom were willing to serve vulnerable communities together during an intense period of the pandemic.

In addition, the project supports many elderly people by providing them with food, rice, milk and soup.

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Gifts for Change Easter

Instead of buying chocolate eggs for someone this Easter, you could consider supporting our Gifts for Change Program.

First Spiritual Exercises - Finding Light

Let us join together in the Prayer of Finding Light written by Fr Michael Hansen SJ, National Director of the First Spiritual Exercises Program.

“The first need is to welcome these people”

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An interview with Marius Talos SJ, Director of JRS Romania since 2013, who is welcoming refugees in Romania.

What was the situation in Romania before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine?

We find ourselves in a situation that we did not imagine two weeks ago. Faced with this tragic surprise, we want to make the maximum effort to find the minimum support for those millions of displaced people.

Due to its vocation, JRS Romania is not an emergency organisation, so we had to improvise essential assistance in terms of food, clothing, mattresses, medicine… And, at the same time, we have to ensure accommodation and legal advice for those who want to seek asylum in Romania. We must bear in mind that the average number of asylum applications (for JRS) annually is around 6,000, while this year we have had 3,200 in two weeks. It is something we never had before in Romania.

Safe transportation opportunities must also be provided both within the country and towards the borders with other Western countries. Safe transportation must be offered to these war victims.

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What needs do people who are arriving at the border have? What is the work that JRS does?

There are three stages in this assistance.

The first need is to welcome these people, who have spent more than two days before being able to cross the border (Romania shares a 650 km border with Ukraine).

Then you have to find how to meet the needs of food and accommodation.

It is winter, with very low temperatures, below zero, so there is also a great need for warm clothing. Then medicines, personal hygiene and sanitary items. It is necessary to ensure a minimum heating for them and they must be assisted at a legal level to continue the journey, to request asylum in the country, which is requested by less than 10% of the population that passes through Romania.

And it is also necessary to provide psychological assistance for people who have experienced unimaginable trauma.

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Mothers with children and babies who will never be able to find their husbands or fathers. You have to assure them of assistance.

In addition to Ukrainians, refugees from other countries are also fleeing the country and arriving at the border.

Yes. We have to distinguish between refugees from Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees, because in addition to Ukrainians, there are also students from Asia and Africa who want to leave the country as soon as possible to save their lives.

The transit for one and the other is not the same and, sometimes, it is more difficult to ensure the transit of students of African origin who have to wait for contact with their embassies to see how to resolve the trip to their countries of origin. There is a global problem, but with different nuances for each country in this situation.

Who were the people you welcomed before this crisis at the Arrupe House in Bucharest? Now you will also have to welcome these victims of the war in Ukraine.

The Padre Arrupe Centre, founded in 2000 by a Belgian Jesuit priest, has welcomed thousands of refugees from virtually every part of the world. In the last 8 years the majority came from the Middle East: Syria, Sub-Saharan Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, Kurdish population from four different countries (Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey).

But there are also Vietnamese and people from Sri Lanka, from Colombia, who complete the picture of refugees with a new reality for Romania: the reality of economic migrants. People who do not leave their countries of origin for reasons such as war, famine or natural calamities, but for lack of vital resources.

Here we offer shelter to people who are waiting for a response from the Romanian State and live for a few weeks, a few months or a couple of years in a transitional regime. In addition to a humanitarian reception, which is an alternative to detention on Romanian territory, we offer legal and social advice and open our space for cultural associations. We offer a place of coexistence at a social and cultural level and training courses and workshops in Internet, Romanian and English.

How do you expect this Ukrainian crisis to evolve? Do you expect the arrival of many more refugees in Romania?

There is hope against any despair. We are very discouraged by what we hear from people coming from Odessa and southern Ukraine. But despite this discouragement, we hope that the conflict will not escalate into nuclear war. And we hope to see an end to this humanitarian crisis that affects millions of people.

What would you ask to those reading this interview?

That with their help they have been present on a border that they could not even see until now. It seems to me that a Europe in crisis is much smaller, because it is much more supportive. I sincerely appreciate this generosity that reveals us brothers and sisters even without knowing each other. We keep going. Thank you.

Interview previously published by Entreculturas.

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Images taken by Sergi Camara and Marco Giarraca.

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Jesuit networks rally emergency support for Ukraine

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We are so grateful for the wonderful support and generosity for our Ukraine Emergency appeal from supporters, parishes and school communities. Together we are providing hope to those who are facing extreme injustice and conflict.

The appeal provides emergency shelter, food and essential items, medical escorts, translation and accompaniment to Ukrainian people in desperate need, made possible thanks to a partnership between Jesuit Mission and Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Europe.

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JRS Europe is coordinating the emergency response by mobilising support from offices across Hungary, Poland, Romania, Macedonia, south east Europe as well as within Ukraine.

In Lviv, Ukraine, a Jesuit house has already been converted into a transit home for the displaced and in Romania and Poland, JRS is responding to an influx of refugees like never before.

To meet the growing needs, JRS is also collaborating with other religious congregations to find additional accommodation options.

In Romania JRS continues to be present in Bucharest and at the borders to ensure first necessities, and legal advice for those who want to seek asylum.

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“It is deeply distressing seeing our Ukrainian sisters and brothers suffer like this. Any donation towards the Jesuits’ vital efforts will make an enormous difference on the ground,” said Helen Forde CEO of Jesuit Mission.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to mass displacement and violence against men, women and children.

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According to the United Nation’s High Commissioner, the war has forced 10 million civilians to flee from their homes, including about 3.5 million who have sought refuge in other countries already.

Pope Francis called for an end to the conflict, urging people to support the vulnerable Ukrainan people.

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“Rivers of blood and tears are flowing in Ukraine. It is not merely a military operation, but a war, which sows death, destruction and misery. The number of victims is increasing, as are the people fleeing, especially mothers and children. The need for humanitarian assistance in that troubled country is growing dramatically by the hour.”

After meeting with refugees at the Hungarian-Ukrainian border in early March, Jesuit Cardinal Michael Czerny was grateful to see the support that many refugees were receiving.

"I am so happy to see how everyone is working together to meet the needs of the people who are fleeing for their lives and where they can have their first security, first rest and take the next steps,” he said.

Jesuit Mission stands in solidarity with the devastated families in Ukraine, and urges supporters to keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

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Gifts for Change Easter

Instead of buying chocolate eggs for someone this Easter, you could consider supporting our Gifts for Change Program.

First Spiritual Exercises - Finding Light

Let us join together in the Prayer of Finding Light written by Fr Michael Hansen SJ, National Director of the First Spiritual Exercises Program.

Riding from one opportunity to the next

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Rambo smiled with confidence as he rode his bicycle out of the school gates on graduation day. For three years he lived and studied at Jesuit-run St Joseph’s Catholic Hostel, in Siem Reap, Cambodia thanks to your support.

Since graduating at the end of 2021, Rambo has passed the national qualifying exam and has enrolled in Public Administration at the University of Southeast Asia in Siem Reap.

For students like Rambo, being accepted into university was an unattainable dream, made possible by your generosity.

As one of six siblings, his parents struggled to make ends meet. He often lacked food, clothing and school materials and would walk to school without breakfast.

It hurt to see how his parents suffered to raise the family.

As a result, at 16, he left Cambodia for Thailand to work as a fruit-harvester for six months, to help support his family. With no proper identification or documentation, he risked ending up in Thailand’s prisons if he was caught.

After six months working as a farmer he began working at a small Thai restaurant but missed his family greatly. He returned home after he found a job working as a labourer in a warehouse in his hometown.

[quotes]“I had no ambition to study anymore. I just wanted to work so I would be able to build my own future." [/quotes][quotes_author color=#000] Rambo [/quotes_author] [break height=30]

In 2017, when he was 18, he met his former parish priest who was now assigned in Siem Reap. Through our project partner, the Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang headed by Spanish Jesuit, Bishop Kike Figaredo, he was given the opportunity to stay in the hostel and study secondary education.

For three years, he studied well, helped the parish and created a network of good friends.

At 21 years old now, his future is looking very bright.

[quotes]“I am happy. I will live a dignified life and will share with others what I have."[/quotes][quotes_author color=#000] Rambo [/quotes_author] [break height=30]

The Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang supported over 280 people in 2021. Covering nine Provinces in Cambodia, the project provides education scholarships, accommodation and holistic support to children and young adults living with poverty.

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First Spiritual Exercises - Companionship

Let us join together in the Prayer of Companionship written by Fr Michael Hansen SJ, National Director of the First Spiritual Exercises Program.

13 Nepali detainees return home

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In late 2021 we received news that 13 Nepali detainees in the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) in Bangkok, Thailand, were safely released and returned home to their families in Nepal.

Incarcerated because they lack correct visa or paperwork, these families in pursuit of a better quality of life in Thailand, are separated and abysmal conditions wreak misery.

Once detained, they are often at the lowest point in their lives.

Ex-detainee Chandra, now back in Nepal, is enjoying his freedom and has begun a great job as a cook in a Nepali restaurant.

[quotes]“For me it is a joy to work, even though the work is hard. I enjoy cooking Nepali chicken curry."[/quotes][quotes_author color=#000] Chandra [/quotes_author] [break height=30]

Thanks to your generosity, our partner The Jesuit Foundation, supports over 6,000 people each year in the Bangkok IDC, providing practical help and pastoral care for detainees.

The project provides healthcare delivered by a doctor or nurse, including hospital referrals, and social services and basic supplies such as food, clothes and blankets - particularly for the elderly and vulnerable.

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It also provides administrative support and solutions for detainee release, including organising travel documents and visas.

Due to COVID-19, airfares were much more expensive and families of the ex-detainees could only cover some of the cost. In response The Jesuit Foundation financially supported the outstanding cost of flights for those returning home.

[quotes] “Thank you very much for your kindness and support. After 19 years (detained) I am very happy.” [/quotes] [break height=5] [quotes_author color=#000]Netra, another ex-detainee that recently returned home to his family.[/quotes_author] [break height=30]

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First Spiritual Exercises - Companionship

Let us join together in the Prayer of Companionship written by Fr Michael Hansen SJ, National Director of the First Spiritual Exercises Program.

Pilgrims 100 raise $85,000 for Timor-Leste water project

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The Adelaide collective giving group known as Pilgrims 100 has raised $85,000 for the Jesuit Mission-supported water project, that is installing clean and safe water facilities in remote communities in Timor-Leste.

Run by our partner Jesuit Social Service (JSS) Timor-Leste, the water project helps bring life-changing new water systems to remote villages in Timor-Leste, which is vital in a country where one-third of people in rural villages do not have access to water.

The burden of collecting water often falls to children, who have to walk up to five hours each day, carrying heavy containers of water.

This is an exhausting task for children and as a result they are unable to focus in the classroom and many give up on their studies.

Children in Tocoluli village celebrate the inauguration of clean water.

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Jesuit Mission has been supporting the water program for the past three years and during this time JSS has brought clean water to more than 12 villages!

Last week at an Awards Night held on Zoom, Pilgrims 100 members voted to support the water project, which is currently transforming the lives of thousands of vulnerable people.

Pilgrims 100 is an inspiring initiative launched by St Ignatius' Norwood parishioners, alumni and friends in 2020 in partnership with Jesuit Mission. The concept is that each member gives $1,000, the funds are then pooled and the members vote on which Jesuit Mission program will receive the funds.

If you would like to be involved in Pilgrims 100 to support programs like this, please contact Pilgrms 100 co-founders James Hill and Genevieve Hill 0412 163 142 or pilgrims100@ jesuitmission.org.au.

Children in Rematu village celebrate the inauguration of clean water.

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First Spiritual Exercises - Companionship

Let us join together in the Prayer of Companionship written by Fr Michael Hansen SJ, National Director of the First Spiritual Exercises Program.

Winning Project 2021

At an Awards Night held on Zoom on 14 February 2022 Pilgrims 100 members voted for the Jesuit Mission project that is providing clean and safe water supplies to rural communities in Timor-Leste.

Click here to learn more about this vital project in Timor-Leste.

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