Maison de L'Esperance

The ship's Mercy Ministries Team is working with an Italian Catholic order, the Souers Salisiennes, who are running "La Maison de l'Esperance" in town - a ministry for market working girls (sometimes trafficked, exploited or abused) who either are part of an alternative schooling programme (3 years instead of 6) or a 4-fold skills training programme (baking, pastry making, soap making and cooking), which enables them to produce products to sell and survive on the market. These 14 to 18 year old girls get an hour of literacy training in the morning and then spend the rest of the morning in their classes, learning and making their products., and they spend the afternoons selling their products on the market. They have to come up with their own evening meal and pay 50 CFA (= 10 US cents) to stay overnight. Staff of the house follow-up with them through daily visits on the market. They've just introduced a delivery service in time for Saturday breakfast, so today we enjoyed warm croissants and pastries for breakfast delivered to our cabin door at a fraction of the price they normally cost in the shops. A worthy cause to support and a most enjoyable start the weekend! Olly