Letter of thanks from Padre Pedro Opeka for Contributions by Cleveland Slovenians

Letter of thanks from Padre Pedro Opeka for contributions by Cleveland Slovenians with which he built a new school in Madagascar. Pedro, founder of Akamasoa, “the miracle of Madagascar,” is a Nobel Peace Prize nominee.

All [my] dear Slovenians in Cleveland!

With great joy I am sending you photos of the new school, built with the money which you donated with great love for our Malagasy children when I was with you toward the end of 2015.

Photo by: vocesporlajusticia.gob.ar

This unforgettable visit bore a beautiful school for poor children in the countryside, 60 km. from the capital city of Antananarivo. Of this we can say, that it was a miracle. When I went to New York for the recognition given me by Saint John’s University and later on a visit to Slovenians in Cleveland, I did not imagine that I would return to Madagascar with this magnificent school, a gift from Slovenians in Cleveland. On the same occasion in New York, a certain good family also gave me money to build a new maternity hospital with apartments for a midwife and nurse on the sea in Morondava, a very poor region. This structure is already completed and has affected the common good, especially for young mothers, who give new life to their children in clean and hygienic spaces. The school in Antolojanahary has a ground floor and four levels with ten classrooms. This year in September we will open the new school, where grade school students will occupy the ground, 2nd and 3rd floors. The young students of the middle school will be on the 4th and 5th floors. By the main door of the school we will place a plaque, which will read: “[This] School, a gift from the Slovenians in Cleveland”! With great respect and joy, I express from my heart gratitude in the name of all the children and youth who will study in this beautiful school. Dear Slovenians in Cleveland, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. God bless you and give you an abundance of grace and much good health. United in prayer!

Warm greetings!
P[adre] Pedro Opeka

Slovenian: Dragi vsi Slovenci v Clevelandu!

Z velikim veseljem vam pošiljam slike nove šole, ki smo jo zgradili z vašim denarjem, ki ste ga darovali z veliko ljubeznijo za malgaške otroke, ko sem bil pri vas proti koncu leta 2015. Ta nepozabni obisk je obrodil lepo šolo za revne otroke na podeželju, 60 kilometrov odaljena iz glavnega mesta Antananarivo. Temu lahko rečemo, da je čudež. Ko sem šel v New York na priznanje, ki mi ga je dala Saint John’s University in potem na obisk Slovencev v Clevelandu, nisem si predstavljal, da se bom vrnil nazaj na Madagaskar z to prelepo šolo, dar Slovencev iz Clevelanda. Ob isti priliki v New Yorku, neka dobra družina, mi je tudi dala dar, da smo zgradili novo porodnišnico in stanovanje za babico in medicinsko sestro ob morju v Morondavi, zelo revna pokrajina. Ta stavba je tudi že končana in deluje za skupno dobro, posebno za mlade mame, ki dajejo novo življenje svojim otrokom v čistih in higijenskih prostorih . Šola v Antolojanahary ima pritljičje in 4 nadstropji in šteje 10 razredov. Letos septembra bomo odprli to novo šolo, ko bodo vstopili v pritljičje, 2 in 3 nadstropje otroci osnovne šole. Mladi študentje srednje gimnazije pa v 4 in 5 nadstropje. Pri glavnih vratih šole bomo dali ploščo, kjer bo pisalo: “Šola, dar Slovencev iz Clevelanda”! Z velikim spoštovanjem in veseljem Vam izražam iz srca zahvalo v imenu vseh otrok in mladih, ki bodo študirali v tej lepi šoli. Dragi Slovenci iz Clevelanda, NAJLEPŠA HVALA. Bog vas blagoslovi in daje obilno milosti in veliko zdravja. Povezani v molitvi!

Lep pozdrav!
P. Pedro Opeka