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Gypsy Project (Messina)
Messina is a large city in Sicily with many people who are poor and outcast. On the outskirts of Messina, the Sisters, with the help of volunteers, visit the many Gypsy camp sites. The Gypsy people live in poverty, face hostility and prejudice by surrounding communities, and are subject to discrimination in the areas of employment, education and housing. In the Messina camp, up to 300 men, women, and children live in an area no more than ½ acre with rats and infection throughout the village. The Sisters serve as advocates for the Gypsies. They work with families to encourage them to send their children to school, and they train other volunteers to assist with the work.
The Sisters provide a pre-school experience for
the children, with the hope that they will someday enroll in a public
school. They provide vocational training to the adults so they can
manufacture and sell their own goods The Sisters have also instituted
the first vaccination program for Gypsy children.
Needs: Funds to purchase food and clothing; medical supplies;
stipends for daily living and travel requirements of the Sisters
