Župnija Mozirje

Splošne informacije

Pedro Opeka was born on 29 June 1948 in Buenos Aires to Slovenian parents. After his ordination in 1976, he moved to Madagascar, where he offered assistance to people whose lives consisted of humdrum rummaging through rubbish and a daily struggle for survival.

He has continued to dedicate his life to the poorest and most vulnerable to the present day, devoting particular attention to children. He has managed to bring together the people from the city landfill and helped them regain their self-confidence. He found them work and helped them become accustomed to it, and started building dwellings, villages, schools, sports centres, churches etc. with them. Today, some 20,000 people, more than half of whom are children under 15, live in five newly-built villages. About 9,500 children attend newly-built schools and are ensured a meal of rice every day. Pedro Opeka is the founder of the humanitarian association Akamasoa (‘good friends’ in Malagasy), which has offered various forms of assistance to 300,000 of the poorest people since its creation in 1990.

SLOVENSKO

Pedro Opeka se je rodil 29. junija 1948 v Buenos Airesu slovenskim staršem. Po mašniškem posvečenju leta 1976 je odšel na Madagaskar, kjer je začel pomagati ljudem, ki so v boju za vsakodnevno preživetje brskali po smetiščih za še uporabnimi odpadki.

Vse do danes posveča svoje življenje najbolj revnim in ranljivim, posebej otrokom. Uspel je povezati ljudi, ki so iskali hrano na mestnem smetišču in jim povrniti samozaupanje. Poiskal jim je delo in jim pomagal, da so se ga navadili, hkrati pa je začel skupaj z njimi postavljati stavbe, vasi, šole, športne centre, cerkve, ... Danes okoli 20.000 ljudi, več kot pol od tega je otrok pod 15 letom starosti, živi v novozgrajenih vaseh. Okoli 9500 otrok obiskuje nove šole in imajo zagotovljen en obrok riža vsak dan. Pedro Opeka je ustanovitelj človekoljubne organizacije Akamasoa (v malgaščini to pomeni »dobri ljudje«), ki je od ustanovitve leta 1990 na razne načine pomagala 300.000 najrevnejšim ljudem.