Author name: Lauren Morley

December 2024 Since 2002, 448 people have volunteered with projects run by the Vincentian Fathers and Daughters of Charity through VLM. Sr Hiwot, Daughters of Charity Provincial in Ethiopia, wrote the following –  “Each year we are blessed with the gift of wonderful groups and individual volunteers whose generous contributions to our missions make such an impact to our community and to the lives of those whom we serve. Together with all of you we continue to create better opportunities for people who are poor through health care, education, programmes for women, pastoral care and youth ministry, housing support, services to migrants/refugees and victims of human trafficking, care for the elderly, support to people with disabilities, and helping children living in difficult situations. All human beings desire to be appreciated, cared for, loved, trusted, respected, to be understood, listened to and to have a better quality of life. You have enabled us to give these essential needs to those God has entrusted to our care and to accomplish our common mission. The volunteers’ expertise and skills help us to be better organized in our missions and more effective in our services. Through your continuous support and the courageous efforts of our sisters, I hope that our dreams for self-sustainability will become a reality in the near future. It is my greatest wish that our community and VLM volunteers will continue to benefit from this relationship.”

November 2024 The running costs of the Alitena Youth Centre are funded annually thanks to the generosity of VLM donors. This centre benefits over 5000 youth per year through the provision of meals, school materials, tutorial support, clubs and activities, sports events, skills training and income generating activities. The funding also benefits the staff who can earn a secure income to support themselves and their families.

September 2024 VLM donors have been very generously sponsoring the college fees of a medical student in Masanga for the past three years. This will benefit both the individual, Romara, and his family through the provision of a sustainable livelihood and will positively impact the whole community by the better health care they will receive from this additional role within the hospital. After graduating next summer Romara is going to volunteer at the health centre in Masanga run by the Daughters of Charity. He says, “I want to offer my service to those vulnerable as I was”. This truly encapsulates the Vincentian spirit and ethos.