Despite the challenges posed by coronavirus, efforts to maintain and enhance relationships shared between twinned ministries in the Lasallian Region of North America (RELAN) and the Lwanga District continue.
Two video calls on April 29 and 30 offered opportunities to bring together twinning coordinators from the Region, Districts and RELAN schools and Lwanga District Brothers who lead twinned ministries. The calls provided space for Lwanga Brothers and RELAN twinning coordinators to talk and share updates on the realities that they and their students face during coronavirus, along with the creative measures they are taking to support students academically and emotionally. In all, 41 people took part in the calls. Lwanga Brothers shared about the challenges of distance learning since not all students have access to technology. The group also discussed ideas to continue to build personal connections and how to reconnect when students return to the ministries. 
Twinning is an initiative that pairs middle and secondary schools in RELAN with 14 ministries in four countries in the Lwanga District of Africa: Kenya, Nigeria, Eritrea and Ethiopia. While the RELAN schools help support the Lwanga ministries financially, the students also build relationships as brothers and sisters in the Lasallian family to share challenges, accomplishments, stories and experiences. Learn more about twinning >
In others news from the Lwanga District, Brother Ghebreyesus Habte, FSC, Lwanga District Visitor, shared that Brothers at the Lwanga Provincialate started an effort to support widows and their families who live in the nearby slum. They gave 10 families, a total of 71 people, vouchers to purchase food at a supermarket. The vouchers are worth approximately $60USD and cover the cost of food for one month. The Brothers plan to offer the vouchers for two months. They hope to help more families. This is one of the programs eligible for financial support through the Solidarity and Development Secretariat’s COVID-19 fundraiser.