THE
EWULU COMMUNITY
![](3D"ewulu_files/image002.jpg")
Where
is Ewulu? Some Nigerians asked, Ewulu is in Delta State.
A rural place of the diocese of Issele-Uku. This=
is
the first project of the Sisters of St. Louis towards the East.<=
/span>
The
Louis Bautain, Centre began with a farm owned by the Sisters of St. Louis. =
The
aim of the farm is for self-reliance, a way of generating funds within the
Province.
The
idea of farming apostolate arose in 1992, during one of the assemblies, when
the Sisters of St. Louis, thought of how low and non-income yielding aposto=
late
could be funded and maintained and also how to raise funds for the training=
of
student sisters. Since the take-over of mission schools and hospitals, many=
of
the sisters are out of government jobs, and some are into social work, pari=
sh apostolate,
vocational training and Primary Health Care (PHC) projects. These apostolates cannot fully
maintain themselves.
Following
so many consultations with exports and having our criteria for going into n=
ew
apostolates, it was discovered that, the farm alone was not enough for St. Louis. There =
had to
be a service given to the community where the farm is located, hence the
integration of a Primary Health Care programme – the health unit of t=
he
centre. This programme has been trying to focus on nutrition as well as
developing and promoting preventive health care measures and health educati=
on
programmes.
With
the little fund St. Louis
could muster, the farm started in 1994, with the planting of plantain and
pineapple crops. From the same fund, a farm house was built, which became t=
he
Sisters temporary abode until the convent was built. An application was mad=
e to
MISEREOR to find the project. MISEREOR chose to fund the PHC programme –
construction of the health clinic and the staff house (convent) and turned =
down
the request to fund the farm.
The
International Society of the Holy Childhood in another funding request, agr=
eed
to fund the equipping of the nutrition section of the health unit. Since the
health clinic was not yet built, the fund was put into building a piggery a=
nd
small poultry in anticipation of the health clinic; while also hoping that =
the
beginnings of the animal farm had started.
In
another funding request, the Irish government through their embassy in Nigeria, agreed to fund a 4WD Toyota Pick-Up for the PHC programme and ot=
her
developmental programmes. These funds have helped us to add the growing of
cassava in our crop farm. The oil palm which was to be our key farm crop has
not really taken off due to lack of funds, though we have a few palms getti=
ng
established.
Before
the initiation of the Ewulu project, we could see three aspects emerging:
1. The f=
arm
for St. Louis
2. The h=
ealth
care aspect for service to the people; and
3. The
pastoral/spiritual care in which the spiritual life of the people is touche=
d by
our involvement in their pastoral life.
In
effect, a wholelistic care of the whole person could be realized.
The
Present Reality of the Project
In
three years of its inception, the project has progresse=
d
a bit inspite of the financial constraint.
There
are some permanent structures on the land such as a staff quarters used as
convent, a would-be farm house, a would-be two room house for a permanent
worker and a small piggery with ten pens. This piggery should take a maximum
number of 20 pigs but now has about 40 pigs. This means that the pigs are t=
oo
many in each pen and does not help proper feeding and maintenance.
Also
there are some few crop seedlings recently established, on the farm such as=
oil
palm seedlings, pineapple suckers, sweet orange seedlings, duka nut seedlin=
gs,
plantain suckers, cassava and corn. These crops would have been doing well =
if
there is fund for proper fencing for animals and for labour. Ewulu area is =
very
humid and grassy and so much money is incurred in constant weeding so that =
the
crops will not be swallowed up by grasses and weeds.
However,
as at the time of writing, the project is still at its experimental stages.=
As
time goes on with proper funding, the project will take root to achieve its
desired goal.
The
health care activities have increased too, as well as the HIV/AIDS awareness
programme. We now develop herbs as tea to prevent and cure some ailments li=
ke
arthritis, rheumatism, constipation, etc. At the moment, the herbs are in h=
igh
demand.
On
the pastoral care scene, we are involved in the parish life
- with the Catholic Women Organization=
- the small Christian Community
- Justice
and Peace Commission of the diocese.
Considering
our location, and with the availability of funds, we hope to have a structu=
re
where people can come away to pray, and have quite in future, if it pleases
God.
In
December, 1996, the Sisters moved to the convent house which was almost
completed.
The
health clinic construction started in March, 1997, and is at the window lev=
el.
Work had to stop due to the exhaustion of the available fund.
On
the whole, the Louis Bautain Centre is becoming so well known in the Delta State
area, in the fields of agriculture and healthcare. There centre has so much
potentials. People who visit the centre are amazed about how and why women
religious like us, have chosen to live and work in such a remote place like
Ewulu. Our fact remains – that the people =
of God
live in Ewulu too.
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