A Voice from the Central African Republic
The story of young Guy-Cyrille Ngaba
Many people, mistakenly, when they think of Africa, believe that the commitment of so many missionaries is almost exclusively to “Feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty.” It is true that in some parts of Africa these remain primary urgencies to which so many religious devote themselves, aided by so many willing benefactors and volunteers from around the world. However, there are also many other works of mercy to be implemented, and the field is vast for spiritual works of mercy as well.
Who is Guy-Cyrille Ngaba
This is the case, for example, of a young man from the Central African Republic, Guy-Cyrille Ngaba. He was born in a town called Bozoum, not far from the parish dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel, entrusted to the pastoral care of the Carmelite Friars since 1973. It is the oldest parish in the Diocese of Bouar, previously held by the Capuchin Friars. Bozoum is the capital of the Ouham-Pende Prefecture, about 400 kilometers from the country’s capital, Bangui.
The young man attends the parish and its lively liturgical life, made up of catechetical groups, altar boys, cantors, liturgical dancers, musicians, etc. He joins a group called “Friends of the Child Jesus,” going so far as to ask to be allowed to enter the seminary that the friars opened in a place called Yolé, about ten kilometers from the center of the diocese, Bouar. He attended elementary, middle and high school there, with religious and lay professors. Fourteen years of human, Christian and religious formation.
But the Lord has other plans for Guy-Cyrille. He leaves the Carmelite Friars and goes to Togo, to study management science. After graduating, he returns home and becomes professor of Economics, Accounting and Management Informatics at St. Augustine’s College in Bozoum. Later, he is hired by the only local bank, becoming Management Controller. At the same time, he is asked to run the new local radio station “The Voice of Koyale,” which he undertakes successfully. In January 2022, he joins the UN, in the office of the Multidimensional Mission, in Ouham-Pende Prefecture.
Her job consists of being Communications Manager and Public Information Assistant. He collects information for a local Radio station, prepares and implements some activities for campaigns organized by the United Nations, and also interfaces with the local population to make these projects known. Guy-Cyrille uses this position of his to allow a lot of people to make their voices heard, soliciting interventions for the population or simply expressing their opinion about the country’s political-social life trend.
When he himself speaks about this, he does not mince words: “The foundations of the state have collapsed. The state does not have the capacity to meet the basic needs of the people, such as health, education, road infrastructure, etc. The conflict has greatly affected people’s lives, and living conditions are not easy: there is a lack of electricity, drinking water supply points are inadequate, and the farther you get from the big cities, the more insecurity and basic needs increase.”
The work of the Missionaries
The training the Missionaries received, however, did not go to waste. Guy-Cyrille has retained a great sense of humanity, continues to be committed to the good of the people, in an attitude of generosity animated by prayer and the example of Jesus. Around him, it is evident that the pursuit of easy money and economic securities has increased enormously and, often, makes one forget the essential things, the values worth living for, even those characteristic of the typical African culture.
He does not boast, but with his degrees he could have earned much more than he was content to earn in the professions he accepted, mentioned above. The job of director in the local radio station, with all the expenditure of energy involved, was in fact “volunteer work,” unpaid. In his parish, he is involved in the education of boys, in the Student Youth Movement and has not stopped relying on Divine Providence to operate, as far as he can, all possible works of mercy.
His fear is that the new wars that have broken out in Europe and the Middle East will further make the world forget the problems of his beloved country, one of the poorest, in the heart of Africa, now also troubled by local violence. The peace process may certainly be slow, but that should not interrupt the path the country is trying to take toward better living conditions. “On our part,” he says, ”being a young population, we must continue in the task of human and Christian formation, cultivating love for our country, dedication to work well done and a great spirit of sacrifice, without rushing the stages. May the Lord help us!”
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