What has marked our region the most this past year has been the passing of the baton from the generation of the founders to a new generation of religious in Togo. As a matter of fact, the departure of Fr. René Mihigo, who bravely accepted an assignment in another new foundation in Goma (Congo Kinshasa), means that none of those religious who came here seven years ago still remains in Togo. Fortunately, one of them, Fr. Jean-Paul Sagadou, has provided some continuity in the area, having moved next door to Burkina Faso to open our new community there. There can be no doubt that the seeds that they planted have borne fruit. Here in West Africa there are now 20 religious (9 formators and 11 young religious in formation) as well as 6 novices, 7 postulants, and 10 pre-postulants.

What else has happened? Well, first of all, many new brothers arrived: Frs. Bien-Aimé Razafimahavelo (Madagascar) and Vincent Kambere (Congo Kinshasa) and Br. Serge-Patrick Mabou Simo( Cameroon). Second, we had a session for all those in formation on self-financing and on a special fund-raising project.
Continuing with internal matters, we celebrated the first vows of our novices last August and the diaconal ordination of our first Cameroonian Assumptionist, in June Serge Patrick. On the apostolic front, the inter-religious march gathered 2,000 young Muslims and Christians, of all stripes and proved to be a beautiful affair, as was the competition we sponsored for the various school chorales in the city of Sokodé.

In Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) the community has been developing rapidly in this their second year: links with the diocese; involvement in the teaching of the faith (classes, conferences, articles…) and in the world of the media (Bayard-Afrique, diocesan radio, diocesan press…). We have also bought a piece of property closer to the seminary for our future scholasticate.

I see five challenges on the horizon for our small delegation here in West Africa. First, we must allow the new religious to settle in to their new responsibilities. Secondly, we have some building matters to pursue, such as the scholasticate in Ouagadougou and a new house for our Komah community in Sokode, who up till now have been renting from the Religious of the Assumption. Thirdly, we need to formalize our relationships with Church authorities in the dioceses where we live and work. Also, fourthly, we must begin to establish our own works: a school? residences for young people? a social center that would respond to the great challenges facing the local population (those suffering from AIDS, eco-development projects, youth unemployment, etc.)? A center where people in difficulty could come and talk and find help? A cultural center in Ouaga ? And, finally, the last challenge, how to foresee self-financing of the region --- free some of the religious to do full-time work? begin our own projects that would be self-financing?etc.

These are some of the matters that we will be discussing at our upcoming assembly. Stay tuned....

Fr. Benoît Bigard, A.A.
Provincial's delegate for West Africa