|
Tanzanian
Archbishop to Visit Diocese of Toledo
Special to The Truth
Archbishop Paul R. Ruzoka of Tabora, Tanzania, is to visit
the Diocese of Toledo in May to bring awareness of
atrocities committed against albino children in his country.
Archbishop Ruzoka is to attend a fundraising event, “An East
African Tragedy: Saving Lives — Keeping them Safe” that the
Universal Initiative Foundation is sponsoring May 13 at The
Pinnacle in Maumee. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with a
reception followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. and comments by
prominent physicians and University of Toledo award-winning
missionary doctors Richard Paat and S. Amjad Hussain. The
evening also includes silent and live auctions and a door
prize of an iPad.
|
 |
|
Archbishop Ruzoka is working in conjunction with the Universal
Initiative Foundation, a local nonprofit founded by Don and
Gisela Stiles, members of Toledo St. Patrick of Heatherdowns.
The couple served as missionaries and consultants to the
archbishop in 2010 and has worked to shed light on the
violence in Tanzania since returning to the United States.
Since 2007, official reports indicate 290 people with albinism have
been brutally attacked and their body parts cut off and sold
to witch doctors in Tanzania and other parts of Africa.
Leaders in the albinism community believe the actual number
of attacks is even higher.
The violence is driven by local belief that the body parts of
albinos possess magical powers capable of bringing riches if
used in potions produced by witch doctors. Another
superstition believes that sex with albino women and girls
can cure HIV/AIDS, resulting in the rape of albino victims.
The Universal Initiative Foundation proposes to build a
self-sustaining, secure facility for 600 children and young
adults on five acres of land donated by the parish of Cheyo,
one of 22 parishes under the leadership of Archbishop Ruzoka.
The facility is to provide albino residents as well as
non-affected orphans a secure home with needed medical,
educational and vocational opportunities. Catholic sisters
and lay employees are to staff the facility on a full-time
basis.
Initial funding is needed for water and energy installations,
housing for staff, dormitories, kitchen and dining
facilities, classrooms and a small dispensary to house,
educate and care for 60 children. Additional funding will be
needed to expand to eventually accommodate 600 children and
young adults.
Tickets are $50 per person or $360 for a table of eight and may be
purchased by contacting Don Stiles at uif.stiles@gmail.com
or 419-491-1203. For more information about the Universal
Initiative Foundation, visit
www.universalif.org.
The Diocese of Toledo, established April 15, 1910
encompasses 8222 square miles in a mixture of urban and
rural areas that spans 19 counties across Northwest, serving
319,189 Catholics in 124 parishes. The diocese includes
Allen, Crawford, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hancock, Henry,
Huron, Lucas, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Richland, Sandusky,
Seneca, Van Wert, Williams, Wood and Wyandot counties.
|
