Middlesbrough teacher Francis Hannaway is returning for another stint in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he worked as a lay missionary in the early 1990s.
Francis was part of Britain’s own Catholic missionary society, Mill Hill Missionaries, which was founded by Herbert Vaughan, later to become Cardinal Vaughan, the builder of Westminster Cathedral.
Now Francis, from Normanby, Middlesbrough, is to leave his home and family to join the work of Mill Hill in the central African nation once more.
“I’ve visited several times over the years,” said Francis. “Something in the back of my mind seemed to be calling me back. My daily life stopped me for a long time, but now I’m in a position to be able to go again.”
Francis hit the news headlines in 1998, when war broke out while he was back visiting the Diocese of Basankusu, deep in the equatorial rainforest.
“I was trapped there for eight weeks during what was supposed to have been a three-week visit. When I was finally allowed to fly back down to the capital city, I was shocked at seeing child soldiers and having to negotiate road-blocks manned by nervous looking military personnel.”
The war lingered on for several years and Francis wasn’t able to visit again until 2007. In the past couple of years he has spent time supporting community projects through forest conservation in Kinshasa.
“My work now is primarily supporting the work of the mission,” Francis said. “I’ll be teaching candidates who want to become Mill Hill priests, as well as being involved in education and community development projects.
“I read that in one of the outlying villages, there were three children dying from malnutrition each day. I was amazed that such a situation could exist, and even more so when I was told that this was commonplace.
“Everyone’s lives have been touched by the war. Knowledge about weaning babies and feeding small children that would have been passed on in families has missed a generation. But if the right foods are planted, the deaths can be avoided.”
He will be involved in projects to educate about nutrition and planting the crops needed. He’ll also be working to restock animals such as sheep and pigs in villages where they were looted by retreating soldiers, and supporting a school for children who were made orphans by the war.
“My visit last year gave me a great opportunity to make videos of life in the rainforest mission of Basankusu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” Francis added.
“I put the videos on YouTube so that people could catch a glimpse of mission life. Perhaps they’ll talk about my work and want to support it. You never know, some people might contact me to offer financial assistance to my projects.”
Francis can be contacted at francish7@yahoo.com or can be supported through Mill Hill Missionaries’ financial secretary stating “Account – Francis Hannaway (Basankusu)” at finsec@millhillmissionaries.com or 3 Emilia Close, Cookham Road, Maidenhead, SL6 7HU.
For more information, please contact Michael McGeary on 07967 023083.