Relief Worker from Ghana Opens Jesuit's Social Justice Summit

Be thankful for what you have in life and give to those in need, a field expert with the Catholic Relief Services agency in Ghana told students this morning during a school-wide assembly to kick off its annual Social Justice Summit.

"I bring a message of gratitude, of 'thank you,'" said Thomas Awiapo, who grew up in poverty as an orphan before attending a school run by CRS in Ghana that he credits with saving his life.

"I would go to the school because they would give us each a snack," Awiapo said. "That little snack was the greatest gift in my life...the greatest justice."

One of four orphaned brothers, Awiapo said his two younger brothers eventually died from malnutrition and his older brother walked off one day never to be seen again. Today, he said he travels every year to tell his story to American Catholics, having recently been to Las Vegas and Hawaii.

The CRS agency is the largest Catholic-operated human relief agency and works in more than 100 countries serving millions of people, Awiapo said.

The summit is a reflection of the Carmichael school's emphasis on teaching its students to volunteer locally and abroad.

Other highlights include:

-Tuesday: The University of California, Davis branch of Engineers Without Borders discuss water and sanitation work in Uganda.

-Wednesday: Mark Dakkak, a 2006 Jesuit graduate, speaks about volunteering at the UC Davis Program for International and Community Nutrition.

-Thursday: Jesuit’s Soles4Souls chapter, moderated by Jenn Rasmussen, will be organizing a collection of shoes for charity.

-Friday: Caroline Brennan of Catholic Relief Services will talk about her time in Haiti and South Asia.