Sister
Augustina Ugbana and members of the Catholic Evangelisation Group of the Gambia
Pastoral Institute (GPI) on St Valentine’s Day, Tuesday 14 February, extended a
helping hand to needy children of various learning centres across the Greater
Banjul Area.
The
team of evangelization sisters and brothers, on Valentine’s Day, reached out to
children at GOVI, St John’s School for the Deaf, and Missionary Sisters of
Charity at Bakoteh with foodstuffs and clothing materials in celebration of the
life of St Valentine and his true love of God.
Speaking
at the various centres visited, Madam Augustina Ugbana, initiator and
coordinator of the event, told the beneficiaries that their team’s mission to
them was to celebrate the true love of God, and expressed how St Valentine
symbolizes true love.
They,
therefore, visited the children to share with them in demonstration of their
love and concern for especially children with physical difficulties.
Sister
Augustina, who is also founder of Youth Moral Education Foundation
International (YOMEF), said the whole essence of Valentine’s Day is nowadays
being misconstrued as many people, particularly young girls and boys, use the
occasion to involve in illicit romantic love, such as making it a day for
boyfriend and girlfriend illicit love affair.
The
day is about a man called St Valentine who loves God, and was helping the poor
and the less privileged in his community, as well as preaching to the rich to
help the poor and share true love of God with them.
Because
of what he was doing, St Valentine was killed on 14 February, which is why the
day has been set aside to remember him and celebrate his deeds and life.
This
is also for people to emulate his actions of sharing the true love of God with
the less privileged in society.
Sister
Augustina said St Valentine did not encourage sex out of marriage.
Their
mission, therefore, to the children is to share and pray with them so as to
show the true love of God with all of them.
She
said God loves every human being, and as children they should not consider
themselves really unfortunate and less privileged, as God is always with them.
She
advised the children to be listening to their teachers in class, and be praying
for the sick at Missionary Sisters of Charity and other similar centres across
the country.
“In
the presence of God all are equal,” she said.
In
his remarks during the visitation, Livinus Ekechukwu told the children at the
centres visited: “The way God loves us
is the same way he loves you. Never think of yourselves as not important, as
you are all precious in the eyes of God and you are his number one interest.
“In
as much as you are alive, there is a God who is taking care of you,” he said,
urging them to extend the love of God to everyone around them.
Fatou
Secka, one of the visually impaired women at GOVI, in her brief remarks,
thanked the team for remembering them and reaching out to them.
She
said: “In the past when you are visually impaired, for instance, people tend to
neglect you; but thank God that now people consider and involve us.”
She
said she is hopeful that the partnership would go from strength to strength.
Students
at St John’s School for the Deaf also thanked the GPI Catholic Evangelisation
Group for the foodstuff and other items given to them.
They
said they were very happy to spend such a day with the team, and prayed that
God blesses the group with more resources to be able to continually render such
help and support to the needy.
Beneficiaries
at Sisters of Charity, who are mainly women and children, also thanked the
group for the foodstuff, clothes and other items.
