The executive director of the Catholic Charity organization, Fr. Pierrot Kasemuana, speaks to AsiaNews about the projects and interventions in the Asian country: "Our most important mission today is in agriculture. We push people to understand the importance of a nutrition not only based on protein and saturated fat. " Although the Church is young and still small in number, it is fostering great relations with society: "They have the positions that must be understood. And we have to see them as our brothers and sisters in the human family. "

Rome (AsiaNews) - Cultivating potatoes, cucumbers, cabbage and carrots in a society of nomadic tradition and where the climate does not help agriculture. This is one of the most important missions of Caritas Mongolia: "Fighting the 'culture of meat”, making the people understand the importance of healthy eating based not only on protein and saturated fat. It may seem a small thing, but in this way we help to reduce mortality from cardiovascular problems and to make the future greener ", says Fr. Pierrot Kasemuana, executive director of Caritas Mongolia, who is in Rome for the General Assembly of the Catholic organization, speaking to AsiaNews.

The priest is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. A CICM missionary, he has been in Mongolia for 20 years: "I welcomed the first Italian missionaries [the Consolata- ed] when they arrived in East Asia. And now I consider them as younger brothers, or perhaps my children."

Currently, says Fr. Kasemuana, "we have different programs. The most important and the most difficult is to promote a 'culture of vegetables'. Mongolia has a nomadic tradition, which includes a nutrition concept based on meat. Increasingly, over time, we have tried to teach people that only eating meat is not good for one’s health. Because this creates a number of problems, from cardiovascular issues to gout. The mortality rate increases because people do not eat vegetables. "

That is why, he adds, "we are trying to promote the agricultural sector as much as possible. It must be said that, given the climatic and soil conditions, Mongolia is not the best country in the world for farming the land. In fact, the soil is suitable for only two, maximum four months a year. With the greenhouses operated by Caritas, however, this period can cover nine months: we start in March and arrive to early November. " And so we can get good crops of carrots, potatoes, cucumbers and cabbage.

This project also has socio-economic implications: "In addition to supporting a new food culture, we employ those who live in poverty in our greenhouses. For a specified period these people work and are paid a wage to cultivate the vegetables in our greenhouses. We also  hand management over to them. This way they can sell what they cultivate in the markets, learning a trade and escaping poverty. "

But there are also other programs, including those aimed at women: "We have started crafts centers, aimed at those who migrate from the countryside into cities. These people, mostly women, find themselves in unfamiliar environments and work while their husbands do not know what to do. Through courses in sewing and crafts we help them to find new ways of working and earning a living. "

The Catholic Church in Mongolia, said Father. Kasemuana, "is a reality still small in terms of number and history. The same can be said of Caritas, even if through the great bridge of charity we can overcome the misunderstandings that sometimes arise with the government or Mongolian society, particularly regarding foreigners and Christians. The important thing to understand is that some of their positions are justified: we must listen to them without prejudice and without wanting to impose anything. We must always look at these people as our brothers and sisters in the great human family. "

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• MONGOLIA
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• aid
• agriculture
• socieity