1998

29th May 1998
Tanzanian Bishop to Share Stories of Despair and Hope with Catholic Students
Catholic students of the Newcastle, Hunter and Manning areas will be given a first-hand account of life in African refugee camps when Tanzanian Bishop, Severini Niwemugizi (pronounced: Ni-whem-oo-geezee) visits the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle next week (June 1-4).

The Most Reverend Severini Niwemugizi is Bishop of the Rulenge Diocese, which is located in the north-western region of Tanzania and shares borders with Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi.

His diocese (an area of 20,720 square kilometres with a population of 840,300 people) has given shelter to 700,000 Rwandan refugees who were repatriated by the United Nations to Rwanda in December 1996. There are now also approximately 300,000 Burundi refugees seeking haven within his diocese.

During his visit, which is being sponsored by Catholic Mission, the Australian Church's official mission aid agency, Bishop Niwemugizi will speak to students of the church's efforts to ease the suffering of the refugees and the struggling population in general.

Mark Lees of Catholic Mission's national office will accompany Bishop Niwemugizi. Commenting on his recent experience of Tanzanian refugee camps and villages in the bishop's diocesan area, Mark said: "I saw hundred's of refugees on the roads into Tanzania from Burundi, adding to the already existing poverty levels. I very quickly realised that most people were simply eking out an existence from one sunrise to the next."

"After years of drought, dams were running low so there was no water to run the hydro-power stations or electric bore pumps. Cars are constantly hijacked for food or money by 'bandits', who in reality are nothing more than hungry, drought-affected villagers trying to feed their families."

During his visit to the Manning, Hunter and Newcastle areas, Bishop Niwemugizi will meet with students at the following schools:

• Monday June 1: Holy Cross Primary School Glendale, St Mary's High School Gateshead, and St Pius X High School Adamstown.
• Tuesday June 2: St Paul's Primary School Rutherford, All Saints College Maitland (St Mary's and St Peter's Campuses), and San Clemente High School Mayfield.
• Wednesday June 3: St Catherine's High School Singleton, Holy Spirit Primary School Kurri Kurri, and St Joseph's Primary School East Maitland
• Thursday June 4: St Clare's High School Taree

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