Fr. Pedro Opeka personally welcomed the pope to Akamasoa, the City of Friendship he built out of a garbage dump to give dignity to those who survived by looking through the trash.
Then, Pope Francis was speechless at the reception they gave him when he entered this pavilion.
The children had prepared a song in Spanish and a choreographed dance with which they greeted the pope.
The scene emotionally affected the first lady of the country, who was sitting next to the president, behind the pope.
Then Fr. Pedro Opeka spoke. He is a missionary from the Congregation of the Mission, founded by St. Vincent de Paul. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for helping thousands of people out of extreme poverty in this city.
He explained to the pope that Akamasoa began thanks to faith, work, school, reciprocal respect and discipline. He was always convinced that these people were able to get out of misery.
PEDRO OPEKA
This was a place of exclusion, suffering, violence and death. After 30 years, Divine Providence created an “oasis of hope.” Children have regained their dignity, young people have returned to school, and parents have started working to prepare a future for their children.
A girl told him about the activities they do, and then handed him some gifts from their mothers.
The pope recognized that Akamasoa is a city of hope, proving poverty can be overcome.
POPE FRANCIS
Your plea for help – which arose from being homeless, from seeing your children grow up malnourished, from being without work and often regarded with indifference if not disdain – has turned into a song of hope for you and for all those who see you. Every corner of these neighborhoods, every school or dispensary, is a song of hope that refutes and silences any suggestion that some things are “inevitable.”
The pope also greeted the superior of the Congregation of the Mission, Tomaz Mavric, who accompanied him during his visit.
When he was ready to leave, a girl handed the pope a surprise.
Before leaving, Pope Francis turned to look at them for the last time.
Then Fr. Pedro Opeka accompanied the pope through the streets of Akamasoa in the popemobile to a huge quarry where many of its inhabitants work.
Here the pope greeted some of the workers. They told him they have been smashing granite for 30 years to make a living.
There Pope Francis prayed for the workers, for the children forced to work, for the entrepreneurs and for those without work.
Pope Francis left the enthusiastic people who couldn't control shoving at times. Then, he toured the entire area in the popemobile. He was very happy and it's a day he probably never forget.
