Catholic Medical Quarterly Vol 76 (2) May 2026
News from the Ethiopian Missions
Sister Nives of the Comboni Missionary sisters Metekel Ethiopia 14th March 2026
You caress life, and the scent of God remains on your hands. (Rumi)
Dear Friend, peace and joy to you. Peace and Joy to you.
The sun stands still over the dry thorny plains of Gumuz land, a remote area nestled in the heart of Beneshangul Gumuz. This is a land of contrasts, harsh, yet strikingly beautiful. Here goats and some cows roam freely on dusty paths, sharing the roads with a few scattered passers-by. Life moves slowly, rhythmically, under the blazing sun. Every now and then, two people meet under the thin shade of an acacia, exchanging a friendly “deka, dekaly” a greeting meaning “How are you?” It is a small sign of community and connection amid the challenges of this rugged terrain. Thank God that June brings with it, the region’s rainy season, a season of renewal, where the parched earth drinks deeply and the land momentarily blooms. People quickly seize the opportunity to farm, grow maize, beans, millet, some pumpkins, and gather a food supply that will hopefully sustain them through the long dry months ahead. But alas! It is never enough.
The challenges here are many and deeply rooted. Clean water is scarce, health services are insufficient, local toilets non-existent, hunger is a daily reality for many. Malnutrition among children is widespread, as well as skin problems due to lack of hygiene. Sadly, what is not lacking is the easy availability of cheap alcohol, which only worsens the cycle of poverty and despair. Education remains relatively new value among these people.
Many practise polygamy, and early marriages especially for girls are still common. These realities lead to school drop-out and a high rate of teenage pregnancy. In response to these complex realities, our work takes many forms, guided by a simple goal: to serve, to accompany, and to empower. Our compound is alive all week long with the laughter and energy of children playing games, and simply enjoying the joy of being together in a safe place.
We provide for them a meal every day: boiled maize, beans, pasta, and once a week tea and biscuits. As evening falls, the sound of life shifts. Goats and cows return home. Children’s voices echo from huts as they prepare for the night. A motorbike hums by and from distant homes laughter and singing rise, perhaps a celebration. Above it all, a sky full of stars, blankets this land, reminding us that even in the most forgotten place, God is here, tender and present. The “most abandoned” by society are, indeed, the most beloved by Him. We are a small Christian community, but small as it may be, when were we ever forced to be the majority? We believe in life before death. These words are a call to action. They remind us we must fight to ensure that life is as good as possible on this planet. Now, not later. And for everyone, not only for some. It's the meeting of eyes that allows us to see God. The luminous face and eyes are the first sacrament that tells us we've encountered God and not an idol.
The Gospel thus becomes concrete proof. It doesn't matter how you call God, or if you do not call him at all. The question is: wherever you pass, does anyone come back to life? wherever you act, does a glimmer of hope appear? wherever you speak, does anyone regain courage? or does everything remain as it was, more cynical, more bitter, more alone? If your presence does not dry eyes, does not lift up the fallen, does not restore dignity, then you are not changing anything; because GOD is not a doctrine, but a concrete, visible effect. No revolution is credible unless it is concrete, and right now, in the midst of this policy that fully reflects the most tragic historical moment since the end of the Second World War, the prognosis is pessimistic. We pray for Peace; which is courage, forgiveness, and the will to turn the page and start all over again.
I wish you a happy, serene Easter Sister Nives
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