Cagliero11_2022_04_en


Cagliero11_2022_04_en

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~
AGLIER0 11
newsletter for Salesian
Missionary Animation ' Publication of the Missions Sector for SDB Communities and Friends of the Salesian Missions
Cuisine as a Door
JI
to Cultures and Peoples
Dear friends,
From the heart of Africa from
where I greet you, as I prepare
myself to sing with you these
words which express the joy of
the Resurrection: He is alive! He
has truly come back to life!
Through this cry of victory, it is the
paschal event that illuminates our
faith and revives our hope in the
midst of contexts marked by
illness and suffering.
All over the world, women and
men full of humanity are, each in
their own way, signs of this hope.
They take care of each other
without discrimination. This is a
strong message for our time. To
this openness of solidarity, the
Risen One invites us: 'Go,
therefore, to all people" (Cf. Mt
28:19)
▀ Fr. Privat-Ignace Fouda
Bieme, SDB, Regional
Coordinator for Missionary
Animation Africa-Madagascar
The word "cuisine" is commonly defined as a style or method of cooking that
is characteristic of a particular country, region, or group. It is a style of cooking
or food preparation using distinctive ingredients and techniques associated
with the traditions and customs to create dishes unique to a specific culture or
a particular geographic region. Traditional cuisine reflects a people's unique
history, lifestyle, values, and beliefs. It is passed down from one generation to
the next as an expression of cultural identity.
Every one of us is born into a culture. Hence, we grow up eating the cuisine of
our cultures. Thus, our local cuisine becomes a part of who each of us are. In
fact, continuing to prepare food from one's culture is an expression of affirming
one's ethnicity. It also becomes the 'comfort food' we seek to cope with
homesickness or in times of frustration and stress. Thus, one way of
appreciating our heritage is by embracing our culture's food
Culture is the way of living, thinking, and relating of a group of people. Since
people evolve, cultures continually develop and evolve. Similarly, cuisines
evolve continually, and new cuisines are created by innovation and cultural
interaction. Many migrants make their traditional dishes in their new country.
Since some ingredients needed to make traditional cuisine may not be readily
available, alternative ingredients available are used to prepare traditional
dishes. When migrants open restaurants, they also adapt their traditional
cuisine to cater to a wider range of customers with distinct tastes and flavour
preferences. These alterations create new flavours that still retain the cultural
significance of the dish.
As the world becomes more globalised, cuisines from diverse cultures become
easily available. This gives a great possibility to all to become more informed
about other cultures by trying their cuisine. This should bring us to realise that
each dish has a special place in the culture to which it belongs and is special
to those who prepare it. Indeed, food is not only for nourishment. It is a door
into a culture, and it should be appreciated as such.
▀ Fr. Alfred Maravilla, SDB
General Councillor for the Missions
FOR REFLECTION
AND SHARING
PLEASE NOTE: The Missions
Sector is preparing the
"BoscoFood" making available
every week the recipe of a typical
dish from a country where the
Salesians are present. Each
community is invited to prepare it
and to help its members to
broaden their cultural horizons.
▀ Am I willing to try
cuisines from other
cultures?
▀ How can I help
my community to
open up to other
cultures?

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BEING CLOSE TO
THE SICK IN TOGO
Fr. Cyrille, some Salesian presences in Togo are involved in health
care. Who are those seeking assistance at your clinic?
The "Maria Auxiliadora" dispensary, inaugurated on 11 February 2000,
is a Salesian social work in response to the healthcare needs of the
inhabitants of the Akodessewa district in the capital Lome. This district,
due to its proximity to the port, welcomes many other citizens of
neighbouring countries (Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, etc.). Our dispensary
records an average of 1,500 patients per month. It is the first medical
charitable centre in the district The people who frequent our
dispensary are mainly the inhabitants of our neighbourhood,
parishioners, students from our Technical Training Centre, Confreres
and many foreigners. The activities of the dispensary revolve around
primary care for common diseases (malaria, malnutrition, anaemia,
respiratory infections, parasites, etc.), to the follow-up of patients with
certain chronic conditions (diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension,
sickle cell anaemia, etc.), support for the elderly, social cases and
orphans due to AIDS.
How do you ensure the personnel and financial sustenance of the
clinic?
Currently, the staffing for the dispensary includes a state nurse of
Italian nationality, a local auxiliary nurse, a local nurse, two guardians
and some Togolese, French and Italian volunteer trainees. Funding for
the dispensary"s activities comes mainly from the consultancy charges
from patients and above all from donations from Italian, German and
Spanish benefactors. The Salesians of Don Bosco accompany and
assist the staff to care for the sick.
When the word "mission" is said, what does it mean to you?
The word mission refers me directly to Jesus the Good Shepherd,
ardent with love for the salvation of men, to availability, to the
expression of an active pastoral charity, to the gift of self, to solidarity,
to the desire to become, especially for young people of all the world
who do not know Jesus, a sign of the Father's love and testimony of
the Good News.
Fr. Cyrille Agbomadi, SDB
Salesian of Don Bosco since 2008,
originally from Togo, currently is in charge
of the Salesian community of San
Domenico Savio of Akodessewa, is the
parish priest of San Benedetto of
Akodessewa and also the Provincial
Councilor besides being the Chaplain of
the Maria Auxiliadora dispensary.
Sa_lesl a_ns ir:1 Ukr:aine
Our Salesian confreres are among those who are risking their lives right now
and need our • . - and
▀ The Salesians of the
- of the Byzantine rite are 26 and are located
in several large cities: Kyiv, Lvov and Dnipro. From among them, there is a young
practical trainee in Italy, at Castello di Godego, and another novice in Slovakia, in Poprad.
u.: ▀ The Polish Province of ~.a.u..A.u
~ has 14 confreres of the Roman rite in five houses
in Ukraine in Odessa, Korostyshiv, Peremyshlany and Bibrka.
APRIL
SALESIAN
For our brothers and sisters
in Ukraine
WORLD
r'~
For those who die and suffer in the war in Ukraine.
MISSIONARY So that the hearts of the responsible for this conflict may
be touched by the love of Christ.
INTENTION
“We ask the Lord with insistence that Ukraine can to see fraternity
flourish and overcome divisions.” [Pope Francis’ prayer]