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Surviving war and striving for peace

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Your generosity is a beacon of light in the lives of refugees, promising of a better future.

In the heart of Renk, South Sudan, a courageous young woman, Awen has been seeking refuge. Her journey here was a testament to her unwavering determination and love for her family.

Awen and her family, consisting of 19 members spanning from two to 50 years old embarked on a grueling two-day bus ride from Khartoum, Sudan, to reach Renk.

Triggered by the war that started in Sudan in April, a serious humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the region. To date, over two million people like Awen have fled to neighbouring countries.

“Life was good in Khartoum. But when the war started, it all changed…Bombs were falling next to our house, and we could hear and see random shootings in the streets. It was frightening,” she says.

They had hoped to leave Khartoum earlier, but it took them more than three weeks to gather the funds necessary for the bus tickets that would take them to safety.

Her heart is heavy with worry for her own security and for her two-year-old daughter, as there is a scarcity of food and clean water and the future remains uncertain.

She dreams that her daughter grows up in a nurturing and peaceful environment where she can above all, attend school, as Awen had to drop out of her primary education because she married at a very young age.

*Awen with her friends under the make-shift shelter of the camp.*

Unfortunately Awen’s own mother could not afford the bus ticket to Renk.

“I pray for her to come join us as soon as possible,” she says.

Hoping to reunite with the rest of her family soon, your compassionate support has played a pivotal role in giving her hope.

Our project partner JRS South Sudan is providing vital assistance to those like Awen who have endured unimaginable hardship. Their dedicated teams are offering essential support such as emergency food, shelter, clean water and psychosocial support.

The emergency support provided not only addresses immediate physical needs but also extends a compassionate hand to heal the emotional wounds inflicted by the horrors of conflict and displacement.

Through your generosity Awen’s dream for her daughter’s bright future becomes more possible each day.

Around 10,000 attend Bazaar

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As the clock ticked over 9am on Saturday 9 September, there was a buzz of excitement in the air as thousands of people spilled into the gates of Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview for the annual Jesuit Mission Bazaar.

Attendees were greeted by an electric atmosphere of rides, a wine auction, food stalls, music, the lively chatter of old and new friends and all for a common purpose – to raise much needed funds for vulnerable communities around the world.

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Laughter echoed throughout the day and the sense of togetherness was palpable, with around 10,000 people coming together for a sustainable day of fundraising, a testament to the community’s spirit.

This wonderful community event took place during the Season of Creation (1 September – 4 October), a time where we celebrate and reflect on the mission given to us by God to care for our common home and respond to its needs and crises today.

Thanks to year-long preparations from parents, volunteers, schools, students and parishes, the joy-filled event left little environmental impact.

Hosted annually at Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview since the 1950s, year by year the Bazaar’s commitment to sustainability strengthens in a conscious effort to reduce waste.

“School students collected and recycled all cans and bottles from the event, as well as used what food wastage they could as compost. All food containers were recyclable. Leftover books were donated to other fundraising events. Bric-a- brac leftovers including board games for children, crockery and toys, were given to victims of domestic violence" said Katrina Varis, Jesuit Mission's Event Coordinator.

Moreover, leftover food products were donated to both Jesuit Refugee Service Australia and Jesuit Social Services Australia.

“It is great to see how determined people are to give up their time to help make a difference, whilst also committing to tread lightly on the environment," said Katrina.

Proceeds from the day will directly support Jesuit Mission’s community-led programs, to empower vulnerable communities around the world to liberate themselves from poverty and injustice.

Fr Vincent Hansdak SJ, the Provincial of Hazaribag, India, and project partner of Jesuit Mission also attended the Bazaar this year.

“It was very encouraging for me, seeing all the stalls and all the people who are really involved in the good cause of the mission. Some of them told me that they have been involved since the beginning, over 70 years ago. That is something saintly, they are the real missionaries," said Fr Vincent.

We hope to see many of you again next year at the Jesuit Mission Bazaar for another joint effort to empower communities abroad and to take care of our environment.

Bringing medical relief to Timor-Leste

Manuela, a resilient mother of two, lives in the heart of a small rural community in Timor-Leste.

Thanks to your generosity, the mobile medical clinic comes directly to her doorstep, saving her family the hardship of travelling great distances for medical assistance.

Perhaps the most significant relief is that the consultations and medicine provided by the roaming doctors and nurses, are entirely free of charge.

In contrast, other clinics require families like Manuela’s to pay for medicine, at significant costs, which brings great financial pressure to vulnerable families.

“I am very grateful for this mobile medical clinic program as we cannot afford to go far. At other clinics a bottle of medicine can be $4, $5 or $6 which is a lot for us," said Manuela.

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Many people living in rural Timor-Leste cannot even afford the transportation cost to the nearest medical clinic.

Our partner on the ground, Jesuit Social Services (JSS) Timor-Leste, identified this need when they established Centro de Saúde Daniel Ornelas (CSDO) medical clinic in Kasait.

The clinic is located opposite the Jesuit-run secondary school CSIL and teacher training college ISJB. The clinic provides critical healthcare to adults and children connected to these two education institutions, as well as to people in the broader community.

The mobile clinic offers free medical consultations and treatment to twelve communities on a twice-monthly basis. This service can reach over 7,000 patients per year, and is preventing the outbreak of diseases among the remote populations it supports.

All services provided are free of charge, which includes the distribution of basic medicines as required.

“My eldest child is six years old and the other is three years old. My dreams for my two children - for my daughter I want her to become a doctor. For my son I want him to study well so that he can go abroad," said Manuela.

First Spiritual Exercises – Checking Health

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Honour physicians for their services, for the Lord created them; for their gift of healing comes from the Most High. The Lord created medicines out of the earth, and the sensible will not despise them. By them the physician heals and takes away pain; the pharmacist makes a mixture from them. God’s works will never be finished; and from him health spreads over all the earth.

My child, when you are ill, do not delay, but pray to the Lord, and he will heal you. Then give the physician his place, for the Lord created him; do not let him leave you, for you need him. There may come a time when recovery lies in the hands of physicians, for they too pray to the Lord that he grant them success in diagnosis and in healing, for the sake of preserving life For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour. Because you are precious in my sight, and honoured, and I love you.

Sirach 38:1-14

We pray that the standard of health improves in rural Timor-Leste. We pray that the roaming doctors and nurses continue to provide quality medical care to those in need and that their reach expands throughout the country.

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1. Desire...I ask the Spirit for the Gift of Health

I hold some medicine, new or old, of any kind. I consider how access to doctors, health care and medicine is a basic human right. So too is sanitation and security in the event of disability. I remember the times I have urgently needed health care and how dire it would have been without it. I open myself to the needful Spirit of Health.

I ask the Spirit for the medicine, health care and healing I need for myself or one I love.

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2. Relish...Today I live in the Trinity of Health

I imagine I am surrounded in a circle by the Trinity of Health. Father, Jesus and Spirit, address me by name, saying, ‘I will help you become healthy. Your faith will heal you.’

Not knowing how I will receive health care, it being far away, too expensive, or denied, I sit humbly, for a while, with my desire and the mystery of the Trinity of Health.

I relish being well and healthy.

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3. Health... I breathe in the Spirit of Health

Then I imagine and feel the Spirit of Health breathing health into me.

I breathe it in deep, wait, then breathe it out to flow through my need or the need of one I love, imagining it healing. I repeat as desired – breathing, healed, healthy.

I conclude giving thanks, looking forward to the well-being of good health.

PRAYER TIME: 10 minutes.

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Click here to download the prayer of Checking Health.

Light of Mercy Home – Video

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Our project partner Jesuit Service Cambodia made the video above to show the wonderful work they have done for children living with disabilities in the last year.

Light of Mercy Home (LMH) is a home centre for children living with disabilities in Cambodia. Here the children receive a formal education and live in community together.

LMH encourages individual talents and interests through extra-curriculum classes such as computer skills, music, dancing, tae kwan do, and simple craft skills, depending on an individual’s abilities.

Makara is a student at Light of Mercy Home who was born with a hearing impairment. Growing up this meant he did not go to school and became isolated and excluded from the community.

From an isolated child who was unable to communicate with others and had no real prospects for an independent future, he’s now blossomed into a confident teenager with many new friends and new interests (including gardening).

Today, you can help Light of Mercy Home provide life-changing education for young people, like Makara.

Click here to read his story.

Refugee-led tailoring hub weaves resilience, empowers futures

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Ahmad, a refugee from Afghanistan, opened a tailor learning centre in Cisarua, Bogor that provides training and skills development for refugees interested in tailoring and garment-making.

Ahmad has experienced unimaginable pain and loss in his life. His whole family was killed by the Taliban, and he narrowly escaped death when a bullet hit him.

Despite all of this, Ahmad is determined to make a difference in the lives of his fellow refugees. With his experience in tailoring, Ahmad had the idea of creating a learning centre for refugees interested in garment-making.

He wanted to share his skills with others in the community and provide them with an opportunity to learn a trade that could help them secure a better future. The centre has three small rooms for English classes and offers basic tailoring skills, which may include training on using a sewing machine, measuring, and cutting fabrics, and creating basic garment patterns.

“At the beginning we had 15 students, offering classes only two days a week. But people kept coming, and now we have around 40 students, male, and female, from different countries (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan), who speak different languages. We have several Indonesian students too, they live nearby." said Ahmad.

As word spread of the centre's success, more and more refugees flocked to enroll in his classes. Now the course has now grown to 40-60 people and is open for 6 days a week. Ahmad was thrilled to see the impact he was having on his community. The centre grew to become a thriving hub of activity, offering basic tailoring skills to dozens of students, many of whom were women.

Thanks to your support, Ahmad receives a monthly stipend to run the centre, materials, and rent through JRS Indonesia. The centre has a significant impact on the lives of refugees by providing them with valuable skills and training that can lead to better employment opportunities and increased self-sufficiency.

Despite the success of the center, Ahmad remains humble and is seeking ways to improve the lives of his students. He is looking to hire an English teacher and he is hoping to expand his program to include business skills as well.

"We are all here (in transit) waiting. Suffering. Till when? Nobody knows. Just accept it, it’s our time to do good things, only good things. Some people choose to do nothing, just like I used to do. It’s OK. But if you keep doing it, it won’t make my life easy," said Ahmad.

The learning centre has become much more than just a place to learn garment-making. It is a community, providing a sense of belonging and psychosocial support for refugees struggling to adjust to their new lives. Ahmad has turned his tragedy into an opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of others, and his community is all the better for it.

"I am happy to see other people happy, seeing the students busy studying. What I love the most about this place, is it has pulled together people from different countries. We don’t care about the language barrier. When I see students come with gloomy faces, I make jokes, and they laugh." said Ahmad.

Why not start a chicken farm this Father’s Day?

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

This Father’s Day you can choose from a range of gifts, including helping a family living in poverty to start a chicken farm. For families in need, getting food on the table is a day-to-day struggle. A chicken farm will give them access to sustainable food, income and opportunity.

Thanks to your support, farmers in rural Cambodia are learning sustainable agricultural techniques such as the system of rice intensification method, sustainable livestock, and vegetable farming, plus the promotion of direct access to local markets.

With the help of a chicken farm, families can finally feel a sense of food security, engage better with their communities and can tackle unexpected costs as they appear.

"By raising chickens, families can reduce their reliance on others and enhance their financial autonomy,” said Helen Forde, CEO of Jesuit Mission." said Ahmad.

Gifts for Change are tax-deductible, and you will receive an instant e-card with your purchase to be shared with your loved one.

Gifts for Change provides vital funds for a range of Jesuit Mission partner programs around the world – including providing hygiene kits to refugee families displaced by the war in Ukraine, providing a child with a bicycle to get to school, sign language classes for a hearing-impaired child and more.

This Father’s Day you can invest in someone’s future and help them to free themselves out of a life of poverty and injustice.

To browse our Gifts for Change eCards – click here visit our online shop.

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The countdown to the Bazaar begins

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In two weeks, Saturday 9 September, over 5,000 people in Sydney will enter the gates of Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview for the annual Jesuit Mission Bazaar.

The Bazaar is a day of fun, friendship and solidarity with rides, music, stalls, cakes, books, toys, wine auction and more, all to raise funds to support Jesuit Mission works with vulnerable communities around the world.

This community event began in 1952, to support the works of the early Australian Jesuit missionaries who were sent to Hazaribag, India, to uplift the marginalised and the outcast through education and social activism.

Fr Tony Herbert SJ, Australian Jesuit and Hazaribag missionary of over 40 years has advocated for the Dalits in Hazaribag, India, in across the board educational, health and social issues.

“Our mission, our living and our work, as far as I know, is entirely on income from Australia, and that came through Jesuit Mission. Key to this funding has been the tireless efforts from those back home involved in the Bazaar and the Maytime Fair. This funding has provided the gradual growth of infrastructure, and education, especially for women, and the incredible growth into two dioceses and our own Province," said Fr Tony.

Fr Tony arrived in India in 1965 and since then, his ministry has overseen the implementation of life-changing health and educational programs, the creation of women’s savings groups and human rights issues.

“My first impression was of crowds and blaring horns, of life on the footpath, of differences in language and culture, a place full of life and energy. In reality I was entering into an indigenous world, discovering the beauty and values of life there, finding a life reality stripped of its artificiality, but also seeing the hard reality of life without backups," said Fr Tony.

Now one of his main ministries is the Ankur project, which 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.

Today Jesuit Mission has expanded its work beyond India, supporting programs in over 10 countries across Asia and Africa.

Funds raised at the Bazaar will support programs around the world that provide life-changing teaching and education programs; provide essential services to refugees displaced by conflict; provide healthcare and livelihood training to vulnerable communities and provide emergency relief to those most affected by disasters.

Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview has generously held this event since 1952.

“During my last two years at Riverview, 1958-1959 my allotted task at the Bazaar was to run a stall, the Balloon Barrage. I wasn’t too happy when the balloons burst and I had to give a prize, but nor were they when I suggested for the prize they take another three shots for free," said Fr Tony.

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“I picked up contact with the Bazaar again in much later years when I returned on leave from India. The most moving thing was to find my former school companions running a variety of stalls, and to get a glimpse of how much hard work they put into preparation and running it. Darcy Hall and his team ran the children's park, John Maguire the wine stall, in their numbers the DeCarvalhos and the Meaghers were all there in competition with one another as to how to get as much money from people as they could. Notable was Michael O’Dea and the Old Boys barbecue, which is still commemorated with a plaque on the Chapel wall, in Latin, ‘they cooked here lest they be cooked elsewhere’. There were also the unnamed volunteers in their dozens, the backbone of the whole program. It was all coins and raffle tickets and spinning wheels, but driving it all was a depth of commitment, they knew it was about something bigger and deeper." said Fr Tony.

Come join us on Saturday 9 September from 9am to 5pm at Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview and together we can empower those living in poverty and injustice.

Click here for more information on the Bazaar, including purchasing ‘All Day Rides’ passes and raffle tickets.

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First Spiritual Exercises – Restoring Love

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Now says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour. Because you are precious in my sight, and honoured, and I love you.

Isaiah 43:1-4

We pray that refugees like Ahmad in Indonesia, who has experienced so much hardship, experience the restoration of love and a bright future. We pray that his tailoring centre continues to provide a sense of belonging, psychosocial support to other refugees and builds a community of acceptance.

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1. Desire...I ask the Spirit for the Gift of Love

I hold a cross. I trace and feel the figure of Jesus on it, considering his life-giving love.

I touch his wounds and feel the touch of the Spirit on mine.

I read the prayer texts that we are precious and dearly loved by a personal God.

I ask the Spirit to be loved and loving when I most need it – even in the bleak times when love is denied and life itself may be at stake.

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2. Relish...Today I live in the loving Trinity

Now I imagine I am surrounded in a circle by the Loving Trinity, Father, Jesus and Spirit.

Each person addresses me by name, saying, ‘You are precious to me, I love you’.

Without knowing quite how this love will feel when I can barely love myself, or how I will feel loved when my situation is without much affection or tenderness, I sit humbly for a while in the mystery of the Loving Trinity and my desire.

I relish being loved.

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3. Love... I breathe in the Spirit of Love

Then I imagine and feel the Spirit breathing the gift of Love into me.

I breathe it in deep, wait, then breathe it out to fill my life and all my relationships, and flow into those who have been denied love, or live a loveless life.

I repeat as desired – breathing, loved, loving.

I conclude with thanks, cross in hand, moving into daily life feeling I am truly loved.

PRAYER TIME: 10 minutes.

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Click here to download the prayer of Restoring Love.

The courage to flee war-torn Ukraine

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The theme for this year's Refugee Week, from 18 June to Saturday 24 June, was ‘Finding Freedom.’

Recently in our webinar ‘Hope for Families Fleeing Ukraine,’ we heard Anastasiia’s story of finding freedom, her difficult and brave journey fleeing the war in Ukraine to Romania with her 11-year-old son.

“On the first day (of the war) we heard bombing in our city in Odessa. I woke up and felt like I was in some movie. We stayed home and many of my friends were calling me and asking ‘can we come to your flat?’ They thought that it was safe near me. Of course my door was open for them and on that first day we only watched the news. We watched the news because we didn’t understand what was really happening," she says.

Soon after, a close friend recommended Anastasiia and her son should leave the country to find safety. Her friend suggested contacting a priest who would meet her at the border and connect her with others to cross the border.

“In one or two hours I packed all of our bags. I didn't even take all the necessary documents. I just had a jacket and some clothes," she says.

Since making that decision to flee, it’s been one year and four months for Anastasiia and her son, who remain in Romania today. Although they have been warmly welcomed by our project partner Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Romania and the local community, the process of leaving Ukraine and integrating into a new country has been a difficult journey.

“I left because I feared for my life and the life of my son. I saw how my son was scared. I heard bombs, I heard alarms and I decided we should go," says Anastasiia.

At 11 years old, her son was devastated separating from his grandmothers, who at the time stayed in Ukraine, and he developed a neurotic tick from the trauma of fleeing the war.

“I felt like I fled with a little child and in one year he has had to grow up too quickly. All children deserve a childhood," says Anastasiia.

At the JRS Romania Centre, Anastasiia’s son has received psychological assistance to help manage the tick he developed and to help him connect with fellow Ukrainian children.

JRS Romania is assisting thousands of Ukrainian children by offering educational services, psychological assistance and recreational activities for children aged 3-17.

“In over 16 months, we have assisted more than 22,000 refugees from Ukraine, from welcoming to protecting, from promoting to integrating them," says Fr Marius Talos SJ, Director of JRS Romania

Anastasiia herself has also received psychosocial and housing support and is now employed by JRS Romania to assist other Ukrainians in need.

*Webinar panelists - (From top left) Helen Forde, CEO of Jesuit Mission, Kath Rosic, International Programs Director, Anastasiia and Fr Marius Talos SJ, Director Jesuit Refugee Service Romania.*

“It was very difficult at first because I didn’t know Romania. I didn’t know the Romanian language, I didn’t have any friends here at the time. But we made this first step and we came into this beautiful country,” says Anastasiia

*Helen and Kath met with Anastasiia in Romania on their recent project-monitoring trip.*

Anastasiia mainly assists other Ukrainian refugees with translation, especially with medical appointments where Anastasiia will accompany them to the hospital and translate from English to Ukrainian.

“They feel bad not speaking English or Romanian, it's a very big problem. Romanian medical staff, they try to help you, but without a common language, it’s very difficult," says Anastasiia

Grateful to be safe and beginning a new life in Romania, Anastasiia and her son are moving forward and taking every opportunity they can get.

With her new job at JRS and her son being able to study, they are looking forward to brighter days ahead.

“Now I feel good because I have a great job and beautiful colleagues. I'm very happy because I'm supporting other refugees with JRS," she says.

Click here to hear Anastasiiia's story on our recent webinar 'Hope For Families Fleeing Ukraine'.