Theology and Education UC advances in project with Chad

Dr. Ibrahim S. Makkai, a physician at Mongo Provincial Hospital; and Indri Olivo, director of the Francisco Xavier de Abéché nursery school and Coordinator of preschool institutions of the apostolic vicariate of Mongo, Chad, met, during May, with UC Theology and Education academics to discuss the project “Cohabiting death” and “ Morituri”.

 

 

A meeting of work and fellowship held Maili Ow, academic of UC Education y Mario Inzulza, academic of UC Theology, with the Dr. Ibrahim S. Makkai, doctor of mongo provincial hospital; is Indri Olivo, director of the nursery Francisco Xavier de Abéché, at the San Joaquín Campus, last Wednesday, May 10.

The meeting sought to advance joint projects supported by the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile with Caritas-AURA, thanks to the agreement signed by both institutions in 2021 and which aims to promote the intervention carried out by the UC in the fields of education, medicine, sustainable agriculture and interreligious dialogue; and that are coincident with the themes that promotes Caritas-AURA.

From the educational point of view, various collaborative initiatives have been developed. During 2023, two UC Education students will travel to Chad to carry out curricular activities, and initiatives have been taken on topics such as reading promotion, the implementation of a library in the kindergarten run by the Misioneras de Cristo Jesús Catholic congregation in the city of Abéché and some research, such as "Cohabiting death" and "Morituri”; Projects led by professors Ow and Inzulza.

The first seeks to analyze how adults talk and explain to children the process of the death of a loved one. The second; bring the subject of death closer to students, through the implementation of a board game in which there are no winners or losers; it is rather an instance or excuse to start a dialogue about death and thus reflect on experiences that generally accompany it, such as fear, mourning, and the afterlife.

Professor Maili has been developing some of these projects in the Central African country. Precisely, she who has served as a facilitator, coordinator and link with the schools in Chad it's Indri Olivo. “We are interested in seeing how death It is incorporated into the education of the people. These projects have an intercultural component, we have worked in the field, with interviews with the Christian and Muslim population in Chad. there is one very powerful cohabitation of beliefs. We can learn a lot from How do they interact within a school? Muslim children with Christian children and the application of our game was in that context. We acquired deep knowledge of this place where such diverse beliefs coexist, but that have a point in common, because in the end we believe in the same God”, says Maili Ow.

Due to the strong bond that has been created through this collaboration alliance, Indri will study the Master of Education UC as of 2023; which for her represents a great opportunity to continue advancing in strengthen education in Abéché schools. “I felt that I needed to deliver a better quality in education; that's why I had to train a little more and better prepare myself to offer this quality education that we want in the diocese, in Chad. It is necessary to invest in human resources and trained people, that is why I am here, for all these dreams in education in Chad”, he pointed.

For his part, Dr. Ibrahim, who spent a month in Chile, valued the work instance of the "Cohabiting death" project, since he assures it is an opportunity to deepen reflection and interreligious dialogue. “I have been learning from other cultures and from other religions about death. In the end we all believe in some divinity, in a God; despite of the different concepts that each one has"He added.

Mario Inzulza assures that the agreement between the UC and Chad is a great opportunity to exchange knowledge and experiencesfrom diversity and multiculturalism. “This has allowed us to get to know the reality of Chad and also for them to come to know about the very good initiatives that we have in Chile, in medical and educational matters, among others. So We are very happy that it is a place of mutual collaboration".

This alliance has added promoting research and the creation of new knowledge, and the exchange of academics and students. In the following video, Dr. Ibrahim and Indri recount their experience during their time at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile: