Children’s workshops – a way forward to end the cycle of crime and violence in Honduras
In an interview with Stephen Axisa, National Director of ACN Malta, Mgr Bonello the bishop of Juticalpa in Honduras spoke of the difficult times the country was going through. Honduras’ problems of violence, crime, unemployment and its consequences, especially poverty, were a legacy of the past. The solution does not lie in trying to eliminate the causes of all these evils but in working to help future generations, especially children, regain moral values which have been lost.
For the past six years, two dioceses have been running a Campania Infantile with help from teachers to offer training and instruction, especially about Values, in a school environment. Every year a new Value is chosen and works done around it – songs, literature, dance – anything that will communicate this beautiful message to children and youths.
Three months of intensive instruction requires a lot of preparation, especially from teachers. The role of the dioceses is to provide literature and training so everything will be ready by August to start the Campania Infantile. Their first campaign was a phenomenal success so they are making even greater efforts for the second one. Like everywhere else in the world, a new initiative attracts a lot of interest but once the novelty wears off enthusiasm decreases. They don’t want this to happen to the second campaign so they are making an even greater effort to meet with and prepare teachers to give them a bigger push and fill them with enthusiasm for the next campaign. Mgr Bonello said he had just spoken to the nun who was in charge of co-ordinating the latest campaign and she told him that everything was going well.
“We are sowing seeds – one needs patience, time and of course funds to realise the project” explained Mgr Bonello. Distance was a major factor in a diocese which is 86 times as big as Malta and Gozo. People attending the workshops were coming from far away so the diocese has to provide accommodation and food for participants. “They have made a great sacrifice to attend so we need to provide everything they need to participate in the workshops” he said.
Mr Axisa assured Mgr Bonello that ACN Malta will do everything it can to raise funds and offer support to make sure that this worthwhile project succeeds.
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