You likely know of the recent abduction of 234 girls in northern Nigeria by the radical Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram. In light of this atrocity, we will continue the focus on HEAL’s educational mission.
Boko Haram is named for its antipathy for Western education in general and for the education of girls in particular. It is no irony that the 16- to 18-year-old girls were abducted during their end-of-year, secondary school exams
HEAL Vice President, Brother Leo Okonkwo, is distressed by this atrocity, and the HEAL family prays earnestly for the girls’ rescue. In that spirit, HEAL also wishes to contrast the nobility of our mission to the wicked agenda of Boko Haram.
HEAL stands for the proper education of ALL children. In fact, we have surviving victims of Boko Haram’s savagery in our home school. It is my privilege to introduce you to two of them, Fustina and Scholastica.
Scholastica’s family home in Minna, Niger State was destroyed by bombings, and Fustina’s family was purged from their home due to raids. Brother Leo and HEAL missionaries intercepted these refugee families, and Fustina and Scholastica are now residents of HEAL in the primary and kindergarten school programs.
As you can see, HEAL’s mission reaches into the dark corners of the world. Our missionary brothers and sisters, featured in the last newsletter, embody the Church “for the poor” that Pope Francis speaks about.
Please help us in our struggle, against any and all dark forces commandeered against us, to provide a good education to the children we serve in Jesus’ name!
Thank you for being a part of our HEAL family!