Father Jacob Szałek from Chad, in a special letter to Dehonian donors, writes about the Talitha Kum Center and the impact of our assistance under the project "Children's Nutrition and Education in Chad."
Chad, June 6, 2025
Dear Donors!
From distant Chad, in the very heart of Africa, I send you warm greetings!
On behalf of all the children at the Talitha Kum Center in Lai, I would like to sincerely thank you for the support we receive from you.
Our center for physically disabled and mentally handicapped children is one of the few facilities of its kind in Chad (and the only one in our province!). It cares for 30 children daily, with more coming from outside for rehabilitation and therapy.
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The Talitha Kum Center is fully funded by our Lai Diocese. We do not receive any subsidies from the state. Therefore, every proverbial penny we receive is worth its weight in gold. Every day, we need to feed 30 children and provide them with professional medical care, therapy, and rehabilitation. Most of them attend school. Those who are unable to assimilate knowledge in a school environment (unable to learn to read or write) are taught practical skills instead. Girls learn the trade of seamstress, while boys can choose between tailoring or carpentry.
Most of the residents at Talitha Kum are children with various disabilities and birth defects. Others acquired their disabilities due to extensive burns or infected wounds, which sometimes required amputation of an upper or lower limb. We also have children suffering from complications of wound healing caused by snakebites. In some cases, unfortunately, amputation of a limb was necessary...
Whenever I visit the Talitha Kum Center and spend time with these children, I always come home edified by their attitude and approach to life. None of them feel sorry for themselves, and none complain! They are all very cheerful and optimistic. Just turn on the music, and everyone starts dancing. Bring a ball, and everyone begins playing. I look at them with a smile and think that some fully able-bodied children might not be able to dance or play ball as well as they do!
The biggest problem for our children is material poverty. They come from very poor families and cannot afford many things. Being aware of this, they often experience psychological distress...
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The Talitha Kum Center offers every child there a great opportunity for a better life. We ask parents to contribute something symbolic to help feed their child, for example, a bag of rice for the whole year. Some parents are able to provide this bag of rice, while others say they cannot afford it. All other expenses - including medical treatment, orthopedic surgery, rehabilitation, and the ability to attend school or learn a trade - are covered by the Talitha Kum Center. This is only possible thanks to the generosity of the kind people who support us!
Everything we receive from Poland, from you, is allocated entirely to feeding the children at Talitha Kum. Therefore, I sincerely thank you for every bit of support! Thank you for making sure our kids have something to eat and don’t have to worry about going hungry...
May the Lord God bless you. We repay you with prayers for your intentions!
Greetings from Chad!
Father Jacob with the kids from Talitha Kum
