Sister Marguerite National Order of Meritt

Sister Marguerite, known as Sister Courage, is a member of the Council of Elders of the Wiki-Up Association. She received last September, the rosette of the National Order of Merit, awarded by the Minister of National Education, Xavier Darcos. This award is a token of appreciation of the French Republic for the action of his life as a teacher.

During remission, Sister Marguerite took the opportunity to remind everyone's commitment. We have included an excerpt of his speech highlighting the importance of action at the educational level to enable each one to achieve human dignity.

Extract from the speech delivered by Sister Marguerite

(...)

In 1993, the Association of Friends of the Special School began with 5 members … Now there are over 1000. Small beginnings are the best and " Together we can do anything ".

It's true the Special School is a miracle of friendship that allows, through smiles and concerns (1000 against 2000), access to primary education for excluded from normal schools and mental disabilities students.

Do not read at 6 years old, this is normal. The structures are provided for. Do not read at 80 years old isn't too bad: there is oral culture, rich in wisdom and poetry. Do not read at 15 years old, it's UNACCEPTABLE ! The teenager, especially from cities, has nothing else in mind that violence & porno images conveyed continuously by cinemas and video. He's a ORPHANAGE MENTAL. He's excluded from the world of text, which is essential in a communication world !

Brazzaville was deemed intellectual capital of Equatorial Africa. It hurts to hear a Politician admit: "In my region, that's 70-year-old men who write for 17 years old." So we need basic education ! We cann't build a house starting with the roof! Today is the World Literacy Day … Reading is good, but it is insufficient. This is called the CP - Preparatory Course : to prepare is before you start!

• PRIMARY SCOOL SHOULD BE FOR ALL EVERYWHERE! *

Mr. Minister, dear friends, you have understood : we know that French is declining … It's true! But Francophonie is also a reality. There are 18 African countries that have French as their official language … And if we really want to help those countries that too many young people want to leave, the Primary Education must be given priority among the development projects.

We, the French people, have towards Francophone Africa two debts of gratitude:

1. Twice, from 1914 to 1918 and from 1939 to 1945, African soldiers have coexisted with the French fighters. From August 26 1940, Brazzaville became the capital of Free France. They made the uniform of the 2nd Armored Division that General Leclerc led from Fort-Lamy to Strasbourg.
2. Our literary heritage was enriched by the French African works! But will we still have Senghor, the Ki-Zerbo, of utant-Si… If we continue to drop Primary classes with 100 students and even more ?

• It isn't forbidden to DREAM ! Only enthusiasm is creator! *

And if the "Hussars of the Republic" time of Jules Ferry had successors in Francophone Africa ?

We have, in June, presented 48 students in high school, adult section, 48 have been received.

In conclusion, here is an email sent by a youth of 23 years old, arrived at the school illiterate in 2000. He spent his CEP in 2004 and had also trained as a carpenter … After several months of training, he has been employed.

• "Thank you my sister, you have a MAN. It Ngoma Lezine telling you : Thank You !" *

There are still many Lezine Ngoma who dream of becoming a MAN.

Thank you. Sister Marguerite

Sister Marguerite Tiberghien - Sister Courage

To learn more about Sister Marguerite and her action, let me advise you his biography co-written by Jacques Séguéla … Yes, Yes, the Lord of the publicity …

Presentation of the editor

"By listening, I felt like a caress of happiness. From drama, she retains only the hope, from darkness, humanity. The brightness morning always comes. "Where, in 1972, Sister Marguerite Tiberghien arrived in Congo-Brazzaville, she discovered beyond the injustice of racism, injustice of the soul: ignorance.

At the heart of the civil wars that wracked the country, committed with weapons for their faith and passion in that war. The fight against illiteracy, the only antidote to the ethnic killing poison killing. First, "Sister Courage" build schools where more than 30 000 students find dignity. So many lives saved from the brutality and destruction. Her Special school "is free, open to all regardless of age, race, religion, disability. But why the intrusion of a hype man in this book ?

Jacques Seguela will simply serve sisters who have learned to grow. And he leaves, as the reader, trapped by the "daughter of God" in a dialogue that brings us imperceptibly in the world of charity and peace. "The goodness is there, I met her," he said.

Author biography

Sister Marguerite Tiberghien is Daughter of Charity. Born in 1926 in Roubaix, it is the habit at 24 years old and went to Congo, then under the communist regime, as a teacher. She founded the "special school" for children outside the school system. She recieved the Legion of Honor in 1998, the Order of Merit in Congo in 2004 and the National Order of Merit in France in 2008 when she returned permanently in France.

Jacques Séguéla, advertising, was born in Paris in 1934. Famous around the world for his campaigns for the general public as its presidential campaigns, he is the author among others, "Son Pub" (Flammarion, 1984). It was in Paris Match reporter and is now vice president and owner of the establishment of the group Havas.