Welcome, and thank you for taking the time to read this page.

Eagle Aid are supporting Jesuit Missions in a new, exciting and unusual programme of summer camps for Catholic and Muslim young people in Kyrgyzstan. Land-locked by China, Uzbekistan, Kzakhstan and Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan has the breathtakingly beautiful Tien Shen mountain range running across the country.

A mainly Muslim nation, it contains many ethnic groups. Although mostly peaceful, tensions do break out between them. Religious laws are getting stricter, making life difficult for Catholics, who are often descendents of those deported there by Stalin. Under communism, Catholics were discouraged from practicing their faith and there were few Catholic priests to support them. Currently there are only 9 Catholic priests and brothers in the country.

Because of this shortage, many of the local people have forgotten aspects of Catholic teaching and need support in this area. Because of the lack of church buildings, they have to meet in each other’s homes. Dispersed across many small villages, the young Catholics often do not know any other young believers. So the Jesuits are organising summer faith camps for them to meet up with each other. They are also running a pioneering interfaith camp for Muslim students.

Young Catholics with overseas volunteering experience are needed to help at the camps, where they will share their faith, teach English and organise sporting, musical and other activities. These camps take place in the mountains and are proving incredibly popular; each year the numbers are increasing – 60 in 2008 and more than 200 in 2009. The youth enjoyed the camps so much last year that people were rushing home to enrol for the 2010 camps.

Eagle Aid is offering up to 4 bursaries of £500 each to cover half the cost of volunteering and those who enrol, and are accepted, can use this page to raise funds to cover the rest of their costs.

•       To be considered as a volunteer, contact us by email at mcg-eagleaid@yahoo.co.uk, outlining your relevant experience as soon as possible, or

•       Send us a donation towards the cost of this programme, by pressing the DONATE button on this page.

If you are too late in registering for this year, you may apply now for 2011.

 

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