Change comes with a price
Change is a challenge. To accept it, one needs courage. Change is part of our daily life and it is essential for growth. “The world hates change, yet it is only change that has brought progress,” said a wise man. We are constantly changing, our environment is changing, our place of residence is changing, our friends are changing and our world itself is changing. Those who accept it with courage grow, but those who resist it end up disappointed. In this issue of the Salesian bulletin you find many changes starting with its very name; to make it sound more universal we have changed the name to “Don Bosco East Africa”. You find a new editorial team, one each from Kenya, Tanzania and Sudan, new topics and new correspondents. Though international, being a magazine mainly for private circulation within the salesian family we have tried to get a person to write from every community and association existing in our province (AFE). I must admit that we have not succeeded, it is tough but I will try other means and I hope to bring you at least a small piece of news from every corner of the province. Feel free to write a comment to the editor about what is published, and about the magazine itself. The Change is everywhere. Year 2009 saw the Catholic Church opening its door to the Anglicans which means a change of outlook in the Catholic as well as Anglican Church. USA has the first African American president, a change many still have to accept. The African Synod has invited us to a change of attitude in our life of faith. After waiting for almost 20 years Kenya has a draft Constitution, a change towards democratic governance is clearly laid out in it. Change is all around us. As we look back to where this salesian bulletin has reached, we owe a debt of gratitude to Fr. Tom Kunnel who with will and vision brought this magazine to what it is today. Our bulletin has reached world standard, and the credit goes to him. In this issue we bring you the main issues of the Second African Synod because it is time for us to study deeply this Pentecost that has taken place in the Church in Africa. In addition to news from different houses and groups within the province you will also find small write-ups on Sports, Music, Films, Christian life etc. It is my sincere hope that this magazine will help each one of us to know more about our province and bond together to become one family. We are in 2010! 2009 was a very significant year for all of us. Don Bosco Technical School Embu and Don Bosco Boy’s Town celebrated silver jubilee. In Kenya we saw the struggle to put behind us the pain of post-election violence, the struggle of IDP, the plight of the Mau forest eviction victims, the scandal in the political circles etc. In Tanzania we saw the Albinos being reduced to commodity to be dismembered and sold for money. In Sudan we have seen the suffering inflicted upon the poor people due to lack of peace and we look forward with hope to the referendum that is coming. The economic crisis which began elsewhere affected all of us. Many bread winners lost their jobs. Some of our institutions were affected. In spite of all these we can say that we have been given much but we can only see it when we take our eyes off the things we don’t have yet. And so we have to be grateful to the almighty and the goodness of our benefactors and friends. In the year 2006 our province celebrated 25 years of service to the youth of East Africa. We cannot sit back and say we are still young, we are at an early stage, we need more personnel etc. But it is time now to forge ahead with a more aggressive, different and modern way of approaching our mission in pursuit of bringing the Kingdom nearer to the people.
Sebastian Koladiyil
