?Coloured? and mixed-race community

All the members of the Lavalla200> Atlantis Community have reached Cape Town, South Africa, and will be spending the following months looking into various possible initiatives to help youth.

Atlantis is a small location located 70km north of Cape Town.

“We have already been informed about the incidence of various social-economic problems, such as domestic and sexual violence, drug and alcohol abuse, gang violence and high drop-out rates from among school teenagers,” wrote Brother Tony Clark, a member of the community, in a press release of the Australia province published March 23.

“Some of my early impressions of Atlantis are the life, energy and large numbers of young people that are present in this predominantly ‘coloured’ or mixed-race community that has a population of some 67,000 people,” he added.

Tony underscored that “the impact of poverty and unemployment can be clearly seen in the housing conditions and public spaces, where numbers of people congregate on street corners or in the local shopping centre.”

The community’s members are: Maria Bobillo Añel (Spain), Br Tony Clark (Australia), Br Nnodu Onwutalu (Nigeria – not in the photo) and Br Pietro Bettin (Italy).

They were hosted by another community of the Marist Brothers in Rondebosch before moving to their new house on April 2, which they are renting until they can buy one.

“Everyone we have met has been very welcoming, encouraging us to become collaborators in contributing to the positive development of the Atlantis community,” concluded Br Tony.

Cape Town was the first Marist mission established outside Europe in 1867.