Our SVD Lay Partners, called as FRIENDS OF SVD, here in Kenya took initiatives to help the vulnerable and needy people in their neighbourhood during the lockdown caused by COVID-19. They contributed money from their little savings to buy different food items like maize flour, sugar, cooking oil, sanitizers, soap and masks to donate to the poor and needy families to show solidarity with them.
They also gave little cash for medicine to those who were really sick and needed treatment and medication. This is a tremendous gesture shown by our Lay Partners as most of them are also low income earners. They have their own families and relatives who depend on them for their needs.
But they are able to go beyond their family boundaries to help their needy neighbours. Our Lay Partners contributed from the little they have, sacrificed their time and energy to visit the needy and vulnerable families and to distribute the food stuff and other health care items. The province Mission Office together with our confreres in different parishes and leaders of our Lay Partners coordinated the charitable efforts of our Lay Partners. May the Divine Word be their light and help in their missionary journey. The charitable efforts of our Lay Partners are on-going and will continue until the Corona virus crisis will be contained by the government authorities.
Fr. Amaladoss Rethinasamy, svd.
Mission Secretary (Kenya).