Sister Marie Solange Mayek was born in Cameroon thirty years ago, and from her land of origin she has inherited a radiant spirit and a ready laugh. After two years in Turin, she is about to return to Yaoundé, where she will work at the nursery school in the mission run by her companion sisters, the Daughters of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. She will probably conserve affectionate memories of the young Turin children at the Salesian Sisters’ nursery school where she worked for many months, and there is no doubt that she will never forget the moments spent in the Basilica of Valdocco, which has always been her spiritual goal. The thing that struck her most during the first months of her stay in Italy was the abundance of religious buildings, a complete contrast with the lack of Catholic churches in her country, something that forces people to travel for dozens of kilometres on foot in order to attend a Eucharistic celebration or a community event. “This is why,” she says, “the Catholics in my country live even moments of private prayer with such intensity and responsibility.”
When she speaks of Cameroon, Sister Marie Solange’s eyes are bright and her voice is full of enthusiasm. She describes the horticultural plantations that are common in many parts of the country, the children’s games, and the fact that they help the family by selling fruit and vegetables on the street between one game and another; she speaks of the vast expanse of the territory, but becomes suddenly saddened when describing the social and political situation. As in many African states, corruption is a plague that is often accepted with a sort of fatalistic patience. It spreads through the country’s entire economy.
The country is afflicted by a very high unemployment rate, a worrying increase in criminality, a huge number of street children, mostly originating from neighbouring countries, and, in some districts, frequent famines. These are just the most significant problems. The hope is that the enthusiastic work of young people like Marie Solange can initiate a radical change for the future, for Cameroon and for the whole African continent, where there is much pain but also great potential.