Sierra Leone's first Catholic university scheduled to open next year

(Sept.02,2009): - The first Catholic University will be opened in the West African Nation of Sierra Leone hit hard by years of civil war. Government officials have approved plans to open the University of Makeni in January. Located in the northern city of Makeni, the university will replace the Fatima Institute, a 5-year-old school that focused mainly on sociology, law and religion.
"One good thing from the war is that everyone wants education," Bishop George Biguzzi of Makeni told staffers at the U.S. bishops' headquarters in Washington. The bishop visited the offices on August 31, to discuss the state of Sierra Leone during and after the country’s 1991-2002 civil war. He said the conflicts were not a result of religious persecution or tribal disagreements, but a complete collapse of the government. Bishop Biguzzi said that even now he is worried about the stability of the country because of the global recession. He acknowledged that living conditions in Sierra Leone can be harsh and said the country is having a problem keeping educated citizens from opting to live in Europe or North America. Fewer than 80 doctors remain to keep the country of 5.5 million people healthy, he said. “The new university will target some of these issues and work to provide more engineering courses,” Bishop Biguzzi said, “especially with help from a group of Indian nuns, who will teach in the new school. Some classes will be available through the university's radio station,” he added.