The Pedro Arrupe World Association

• The main focus of activity in 2001 was information and communication using the ETC bulletin and the World Union site on which a brochure was published, with the help of Mario Soavi, webmaster for the World Union, the main aim being to promote the anniversary of the death of Father Pedro Arrupe (5 February) as a key moment in the world-wide Arrupe Dollar Campaign. In 2001, this campaign brought in 10,213 euros. A number of new associations participated in the campaign, alongside the A.J.A.A. (Australia), which is becoming the most loyal association, and including the Ecole Ste Geneviève’s alumni association (France) and Stellaner Vereinigung E.V. (Germany). These donations were used to finance programmes amounting to 19,304 euros (in Europe and Africa), the largest of which, as you know, is in the Great Lakes region in Africa (see below extracts from the activity report prepared by the Director of the JRS Great Lakes region on this project).

  Report on the help of the Pedro Arrupe World Association to Great Lakes JRS

  1. The context
     From 1999, the Pedro Arrupe World Association showed an interest to help the refugees and displaced people by war in the Region of Great Lakes and because the Jesuits have been working there within the framework of JRS , one of its Vice-Presidents put himself in touch with Fr. Mateo Aguirre s.j. who was The Regional Director at this moment.
     Subsequently, in January, 2000, the Pedro Arrupe World Association donated 5.000 dollars to Great Lakes JRS. This donation was used for the building, the furnishing and the supply in books of two rooms designed to be reading-library rooms : one in the Byumba's Congolese refugee camp and the other one in that of Kibuye, both in Rwanda.
     In August, 2000, Mr Eric de Langsdorff travelled in Rwanda to estimate better the needs and to elaborate a new project of help towards the refugees. He visited the camps of Byumba and Kibuye with Frs. Mateo Aguirre and Joaquin Ciervide s.j. who had just appointed as the new Regional Director of the Great Lakes JRS. The result of the visit was the present project which is still current.
  2. The current Proiet : Scholarships for refugees pupils registered in secondary schools of Rwanda
     1. The school year 2001-2002
        The JRS administers the elementary schools of the two camps, with more than 60 classes each. In the end of the 6° primary year, the pupils present the Official Exam organized by the Rwandan State. Those who obtain the best results have the opportunity to be registered in the public schools of Rwanda. These schools, although not expensive, are not free : as the refugee families live in an extreme poverty, they would be incapable without an outside help to send their children in these boarding schools and their children would lose the place which they deserved by their application in the study.
        This year 2001-2002, we have 323 pupils of Byumba and Kibuye's camps who follow courses in 58 secondary schools of Rwanda.
        On August 8, 2001 we received from the Pedro Arrupe World Association 14.648 dollars and with this money, we are paying the studies for 118 pupils. On behalf of these young refugees, we thank a lot to the alumni.
     2. The school year 2002-2003
        For the next school year, we appeal again to the generosity of the the Pedro Arrupe World Association. If the sum put in reserve for the following-up of this programme (that is 5.037 $) was not already used for the other activities of charity, we make the demand of it... If the prices for this school year are maintained next year, it will allow us to give a scholarship to 41 of our pupils who make their secondary education in schools of State of Rwanda. Naturally, we would be even more satisfied if the Pedro Arrupe World Association opted to maintain its help at the level of that of this year (that is for 118 pupils) : It would amount then to 14.750 dollars (125 $ x 118) instead of the 5.037 $ which we seek at present.
  Anyhow, we thank the Association for the help of 2000, for that of 2001 and, in advance , for the one that we expect of 2002.
  Bujumbura, le 17 février 2002
  Joaquin Ciervide sj
  Regional Director - JRS Great Lakes

• A provisional budget of 18,737 euros has been adopted for 2002. This budget is based on donations already received (4.473 euros) or anticipated on the occasion of the Arrupe dollar campaign, launched for the first time on 5 February 2002. In this first part of the year, we note the participation of two new associations - Vereniging Oud-Leerlingen (Notre Dame d'Anvers ‘s alumni association (Belgium) and Asia Ignaciana (Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola’s alumni association (Medellin / Colombia). Other associations that already participated in previous years have announced that they are renewing their contribution. In 2002, we need to mobilise yet other associations, since the Pedro Arrupe Association is keen to participate in new programmes on top of the Great Lakes programme which will continue during the 2002/2003 school year (RTF: 163Kb - PDF: 90Kb) and also to respond to requests from former alumni/ae or associations or regional directors of the JRS. These new programmes are primarily this year in Europe and Asia (Cambodia and India on the occasion of the Calcutta Congress). In Paris, the decision has been made to repeat the "Arrupe Dollar Day" in 2003 to allow the largest possible number of associations to become even more closely involved in the Arrupe Dollar Campaign. The Board of Directors, under the Chairmanship of Fabio Tobon, is keen to express its gratitude to Mario Soavi (the page which he reserved for the Pedro Arrupe Association on the World Union site enabled us to publicise the "Arrupe Day" initiative) and also to former alumni/ae and their associations who have participated in the Arrupe Dollar campaign : Their participation in it allowed the Pedro Arrupe World Association to further reinforce its status as the "charitable arm" of the World Union in 2001/2002. Of course, we will take another look at the situation during the Calcutta World Congress.