Between July 15 and 17, the seventh Meeting of Service of the Permanent Missions in the Province of Chaco, Argentina was held. The Indigenous communities of the Qom ethnic group of Costa Iné and of the Indigenous district of Puerto Tirol were visited.

The meeting had the participation of 61 people, including members of the Network-of-Light of Northern, Center and Southern Argentina, the Network-of-Light of Paraguay, monastics of the Monastery of the Brotherhood of the Grace Mercy Order, residents of the Community-of-Light of the Brotherhood and collaborators from Argentina and Brazil.

Permanent Missions

Work with the land

The first Mission held in the Province of the Argentinian Chaco took place in the  beginning of 2016, with the missionaries of the Fraternidade – International Humanitarian Federation – and several volunteers from the Network-of-Light. Since then, the work was assumed by the Network-of-Light of Northern Argentina, which began the Permanent Missions in May 2016, with several actions for the Indigenous communities of the Qom ethnic group.

“The organization of each meeting begins on the same day the previous mission ends, with the proposal of  the following date”, explained Mabel, the coordinator of the Network-of-Light of Northern Argentina.

After the definition of a date, the organizers try do define the place of lodging of the members of the mission, which they have been choosing in houses of retreat of the Catholic Church. Then the communities that will be attended are chosen, as in each meeting different communities are visited.

“The group gets informed about the needs of the communities they will visit and also during the missions we observe and feel how the task must be conducted”, said Mabel.

Trust

Campaign of the little coats

According to the members of the mission, as they take place the Indigenous people become more open and accessible. “In the first trips they would study and observe us. We have a very special care to respect their customs, beliefs and thoughts. We share the same and single language: the brotherhood of the heart”, said Mabel.

7th Mission

The preparation for this last mission began two months before, with the campaign of the little woolen coats for the Indigenous  babies and children, which raised 265 pieces from various parts of Argentina. Also raised for the mission were donations of: clothes, footwear, food, soap, 200 toothbrushes, First-Aid materials and medicines.

Activities and attendances

Dental assistance

In the three days of work in the communities, activities were conducted such as games, canticles and music for children, artisanship, drawing and painting, haircut and hair wash and removal of lice. Also dental services were rendered: 13 people in the community of Costa Iné and 20 people in Puerto Tirol. In some  poorer places, workshops of the use of toothbrushes, nail-trimming and hand washing.

Painting on faces

Another activity that took place during the mission was the painting of the children’s faces. The task was deepened and evolved, converting into the organization of a session of puppets based on a tale about animals, with a message of cooperation and fraternity.

The Animal Kingdom also received attention. Seventy-five dogs altogether were dewormed and vaccinated in the communities.

In the Community of Costa Iné, there was a work with the earth, in the preparation of sowing.

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Home visits

In this seventh mission, some collaborators were invited by the residents to enter their homes and to share stories.

This was the case of Marcos, a member of the Network-of-Light of Cordoba, who paid some home visits in Puerto Tirol: “We gave special assistance to some needier families who are in a situation of vulnerability. What drawed our attention was the invitation of the people to visit their homes. Thus we could see the situation in which they were and share facts of their lives”, stated Marcos.

Carolina came from the city of Cordoba and participated for the first time in the Chaco Mission. She also participated in home visits and other activities.

“The group has people from different cultures and places, but it is as if they all spoke the same language, we understand one another in behalf of the service that we share with our brothers and sisters”, said Carolina.