Lent, the time of preparation for Easter, is a time of penance, prayer and good works. One of the fasting activities in this church is a collection for the benefit of a project for refugees. This year the workgroup Diaconie has chosen for a project of JRS in Myanmar, the former Burma. JRS stands for “Jesuit Refugee Service”. This is an international organisation, founded 40 years ago by the Jesuits, to help refugees with the education of children and adults, support in their livelihoods, defence of their rights and reconciliation.
From this weekend until Easter you can make a contribution. This can be done in the following ways: 1. after our celebrations in the weekend there are collectors at the entrance of the church building; 2. during the opening of the church building in the special collection box at the entrance or 3. transfer to the bank account of R.K. Stichting De Krijtberg NL56 ABNA 0466 9999 41, please note ‘Lent Campaign JRS 2020’. Thank you very much!
For many decades there has been a civil war in Myanmar between the military government and the different ethnic groups of the country. This internal conflict has caused hundreds of thousands of people to flee, either abroad or within their own country. In spite of several attempts at peace, the violence is still continuing. Lately more than 6000 people have been forced to flee again. This comes on top of the 100,000 displaced people who were also displaced more than seven years ago.
JRS Myanmar works for displaced people within the country and for refugees returning from Thailand. JRS cooperates with local church organizations and other local partner organizations in remote areas. They try to boost the carrying capacity of people and communities through the provision of education. That is why JRS provides teacher training, coaching and supervision for new teachers. It works on school renewal and parental education. In 2017 JRS Myanmar started the Peace Education project to promote the peaceful coexistence of host communities, displaced persons and returnees.