African, Indian, U.S. Marianists partner for children
Most of the children living on the outskirts of Ranchi, India, work on the subsistence farms of their parents. Some get to go to school, perhaps to the Marianist-sponsored Morning Star School.
“While an American child may look forward to receiving the latest video game,” an article in the Marianist magazine Alive reported, “a student from one of these schools may look forward to having her own pencil.”
The African children in the Marianist-sponsored Our Lady of Nazareth School live in a Nairobi, Kenya, neighborhood called Mukuru. The literal meaning of Mukuru is “garbage dump.” A single pit latrine may serve 20 families there.
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me.”
These two schools are among the Marianist ministries supported through the order’s Partnering with the Poor Program. The Marianist Mission estimates that $125 can provide an elementary school student with a year of education, including tuition, books, uniforms and a daily meal.
“Getting an education is a huge advantage for these kids. Realistically, it’s the only chance they have of escaping poverty,” said Brother Alex Tuss, S.M. ’71, of the Marianist Mission, which is headquartered on the edge of Dayton. One of Tuss’s favorite Bible verses is from Matthew: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me.”
For more information on the Marianist ministries in Africa and India, see www.marianist.com/India-Africa or contact Tuss at alex.tuss@marianistmission.org.