Month: February 2020

Environmental Day! Notre Dame Academy, Enugu in Action

Posted chinweodingas89388Posted in Care of the Earth, Services

By Josephine Tor, SNDdeN

 
Students and staff cleaning up the gutters at One Day, Awkunanaw and Ogbete Main Market in Enugu State.

In response to the universal call to take care of our mother Earth and as part of our contribution to caring for the Earth (our common home), Notre Dame Academy Enugu held her Annual Environmental Day at the popular Ogbete Main Market and One Day Awkunanaw in Enugu State.

The staff and students of the Academy went round One Day, Awkunanaw, where the school is located and Holy Ghost Market, Enugu to create awareness about the reality of climate change and the need to stop polluting our environment with plastic and other wastes.


Putting words into action as the clean up intensified.


Students and staff get ready for the Environmental Day action.

In making our little efforts to protect the earth, the staff and students carried out a clean-up exercise in those areas. Some of the students also planted trees and flowers in the school premises.

They call on residents of Enugu and beyond to stop polluting the environment and keep it clean, as clean environment keeps us healthy; while poor environmental sanitation on the other hand, causes sickness and even accident. They therefore, urge everyone to grow more trees and flowers and stop polluting our environment with plastic and other wastes.


Sisters Chidinma Nwasuja and Modesta Nnadi for the clean up exercise.

Together, we can take care of our Common Home, the Earth!

Clean energy Cookstove Initiative: Innovative Traditional Cookstove

Posted chinweodingas89388Posted in Awareness

By Sr. Rita Osigwe, SNDdeN


Sister Rita Osigwe speaks with some women about cookstove initiative

Pope Francis in the 2015 issued an encyclical on care of our common home “Laudato si”. In his encyclical the holy Father called on all to take necessary action against environmental degradation and pollution.

However, in line with pope Francis call for all people of the world to take “swift and unified global action, a Non-Governmental Organization “Sun 24” situated in Florida, USA has taken a step in the right direction. Sun 24 in collaboration with Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria (CCFN) enjoined Justice Development and Peace Commission Nationwide to sensitized and create awareness on Climate change.


Sister Rita Osigwe demonstrates how to use cookstove.

On this note,  Justice Development and Peace Mission (JDPM) of Catholic diocese of Ilorin recently embarked on climate change enlightenment workshop across some parishes in the diocese. JDPM Ilorin diocese’s team which was led by Rev.Fr. Emmanuel Ekundayo Director, JDPM and Rev.Sr. Rita Osigwe, SNDdeN coordinator Catholic Community Self-help Association/Women Empowerment Programme (CCSA/WEP) JDPM sensitized parishioners in the parishes visited on Climate change, Climate change crisis, Climate change Adaptation and Climate change Mitigation plan.There was also a practical session on how to effectively use the new innovative traditional Cookstove.

The traditional Cookstove innovation entails adding rock stones to your Cookstove, it is perfect for mitigation and adaptation of Climate change in rural area.


A cross section of participants with Fr. Emmanuel Ekundayo, director of JDPM, Ilorin diocese.

This innovation is viable for rural and small business owners who use charcoal and firewood as a source of energy.

The science of small rock stones is thus: To allow space for oxygen (air) to pass between and facilitate efficient burning. The stones serve also as a heat bank which continues the cooking by releasing the heat accumulated from the firewood.


The participants listened attentively to Sr. Rita Osigwe.

Advantages of the innovative traditional Cookstove are; less smoke, less firewood, efficient cooking, cost effective, benefit to health, time saving and less emissions of Carbon Dioxide (Co2) causing Global warning.


Sr. Rita Osigwe addresses the participants.

FOUNDATION DAY CELEBRATION

Posted chinweodingas89388Posted in Entertainment

216 Years and still counting: February 2 every year is the Foundation Day of Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. 


Sisters and associates danced to the altar for thanksgiving.

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur celebrates her Foundation Day in a grand style. The Congregation was founded on February 2, 1804 by Saint Marie Julie Billiart and Françoise Blin de Bourdon in France.


Cutting of Foundation Day cake by sisters

It was a joyful celebration. The sisters, Associates and co-workers came together to celebrate.


Dancing in thanksgiving to God for the gift of the Congregation

The students of Notre Dame secondary school, Oro entertained all present as the sisters danced with joy.

               
Sisters from Nigeria and associates, and sisters from Kenya and are not left out in the celebration.
    
Students sisters from Nigeria and Congo provinces in Kenya joined the Kenya province in the celebration.
           

       
Sister Cordis Onyenagubo renews her commitment in South Africa while (L-R) sisters Rose Ndianefo, Kelechi Nwamara and Ngozi Igwudu also renews their commitment in Ghana.

Ah! Qu’il est bon le bon Dieu. Ah! How good is the good God.