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Volume 24No. 2 |Winter 2014
peacebuilding, reconciliation anddevelopment, which
areChristian values,”he said.
“In theethnic conflict-proneenvironment of Yendi, this
project is apowerful instrument to alsoenhancepeace
andestablish abetter rapport amongMuslims and
Christians.”
Thanks to thegenerosityof the local Chief of Yendi,
supportedbyhismanyMuslimelders, and fromCatholic
friends inAustralia, including theDivineWordMissionaries,
through their benefactors, aplot of 67.7acresof landhas
beenacquired for theCollege,withablockof three lecture
rooms and four offices constructed so far.
“Recently, roofingworks havebeen completed, while
ceiling, finishing cement works, includingplastering,
rendering, screeding, glazingetc areongoing,”he said.
Fr Erasmus said theCatholicDioceseof Yendi has recently
receivedofficial approval from theGhanaNational Council
for TertiaryEducation toestablish theYendi College. The
GhanaMinistryof Educationwill alsopartner theCollege in
the formof the recruitment andpayment of salaries for all
lecturers and staff of thecollegeaswell as theprovisionof
subsidies for infrastructureandadministration.
“However, this crucial partnershipwith theGhanaMinistry
of Educationwill onlybegin after wehave completed and
furnished the current three lecturehalls and four offices,”
Fr Erasmus said.
“TheDivineWordMissionaries of Australiahave
generously assistedus towards the completionof this
building. However, besides this, we still need about
$35,000 for glazing, furnishing andequipment.”
Recent fundraisingefforts inWesternAustralia resulted
in a container being shipped toYendi with librarybooks,
text books, classroom furniture, computers andprinters.
Other collaborators have committed toproviding further
computer technology equipment once the college is
ready to commence admissions.
Speaking at a fundraisingevent inPerth last year, SVD
AUSProvincial FrHenryAdler (whowas thenMission
Secretary), praised theworkof all involved in theYendi
CollegeProject and thanked thosewhohad supported it.
“So thisworthwhileproject, while alreadyon itsway, still
needs further work tobe ready to achieve its goal of
educating local people to continue theprovisionof an
education to their community into the viable future,”he
said.
FrHenry saidhewas proud to advise that theDivine
WordMissionariesAustraliaProvincehad, thanks to the
generosityof its benefactors, provided two significant
financial contributions to theproject, for the raisingof the
buildingwalls and towards the roofing, plastering, tiling,
windowglazingetc.
“Together we canmake this happen, not onlyproviding
life changingeducation, but promotingpeace in an
environment of ethnic tensions, therebydisplaying
‘tenderness’, as PopeFrancis calledus to show toother
people inhis inaugural homily.
Fr Erasmus saidbenefactors for theproject included
ArchbishopBarryHickey (former Archbishopof Perth),
Margaret Box andRomanoSalaTenna, JohnWillett,
Honourable JanNorberger,MLA (Joondalup), andmany
others.
