Representatives of the Foundation for the Support of Christian Culture and Heritage, headed by Executive Director Egor Skopenko, paid a working visit to the Central African Republic (CAR) on January 13 and 14, 2025.
As part of the business trip, the Foundation's delegation, together with the chairman of the Missionary Department of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa, Priest Georgy Maksimov, visited a plot of land in the Begua area on which an Orthodox church is planned to be built.
On the same day, representatives of the Foundation visited the St. Sergius of Radonezh Comprehensive School in Bangui, which became the first Russian school in Africa to be built with the assistance of the Patriarchal Exarchate. The Foundation's delegation was met by the rector of the Church of the Apostle Andrew in Bimbo, Priest Sergius Voemava, who also takes care of the school in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh.
Currently, 110 children between the ages of 4 and 10 study at Sergievskaya School, while most of the school's students are orphans living in foster homes. The school's courses are taught in English, French and Russian. In addition to school subjects, the school teaches Orthodoxy and the basics of the Russian language. Russian Russian House Cultural Center in the Central African Republic (editor's note – the representative office of Rossotrudnichestvo in the Central African Republic) sends teachers to the school three times a week to conduct Russian language lessons.
On the occasion of the delegation's arrival, the pupils of the secondary school prepared congratulations and demonstrated their ability to speak Russian.
The Foundation for the Support of Christian Culture and Heritage plans to assist in the construction of additional facilities with classrooms, as well as in the preparation of a place where meals will be provided for school students.
In addition, on the evening of January 13, a meeting of the Foundation's delegation took place with Dmitry Sytym, Director of the Russian House in the Central Asian Republic. During the meeting, the parties discussed various issues of cooperation.
At the end of their stay in the Central African Republic, on January 14, representatives of the Foundation met with the Charge d'affaires of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Central African Republic, Adviser Danelia Sundetbayeva.
During the meeting, they discussed projects, including educational ones, implemented in Africa with the financial support of the Foundation, as well as the issue of providing financial assistance to an Orthodox comprehensive school in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh.