Mbeya (South Tanzania, near the Malawi and Zambia border), the Community of Sant'Egidio's house has become a welcome and support place for street children. They can meet friends, take a shower, change their clothes and enjoy a good lunch. The challenge for the future is to rebuild broken family ties, starting by contacting the relatives of the kids who would agree to be reunited with the family. It is a patient work to be done.
In Tanzania, as in many other parts of Africa, the phenomenon of street children is very common. The Community, wherever it is present, offers them support and a constant presence expressing solidarity and hope.This is also the story of Floribert Bwana Chui, who devoted himself until the end to protecting the most vulnerable, especially the street children of the School of Peace in Goma. The example of Floribert has been a great inspiration to the Community in Mbeya, the fourth largest city in the country by population, where many children and young people live on the streets.
On 23 August, the Community of Mbeya had a prayer for peace, joining the appeal launched by Pope Leo and that of the Tanzanian Episcopal Conference ahead of the presidential elections in October. Peace in the country and peace in the world, this is the hope for those who have also found for themselves a new joy and a new peace in their hearts.
