On 11th September 2009, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, accompanied by His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Petros of Aksum, his representative in Athens and Mr. Thomas Karakostas, Director of Programmes and Programming of the MGO “Light of Africa”, attended a lunch hosted by the Honourable Mr. Takis Arapoglou, Chairman of the National Bank of Greece, who is a founding member of the NGO, at the Central Offices of the Bank, in honour of the Founding Members of this NGO. Present also were the Honourable Mrs. Marianna Vardinogiannis, Lady of the Patriarchal Throne and Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and Mr. Alexandros Sarakakis, Chairman of the Executive Council of the NGO.
His Beatitude thanked the members for their active contribution to the creation of an Organization such as this, which has as its aim the improvement of the living conditions of our fellow humans on the suffering continent of Africa . This will be done through developmental and humanistic programmes. Mr. Thomas Karakostas then informed the founding members regarding the plans and aims of the NGO referring specifically to the fact that together with the Educational Institution of the National Bank the NGO will begin the digitalization of manuscripts and old publications of the Patriarchal Library of Alexandria, a programme which will have universal reverberation, as it will preserve this valuable spiritual heritage. Also, the “Light of Africa” NGO is planning on sending doctors to Sierra Leone , in cooperation with the Children’s Hospital “St Sophia”, offering clinical care essentially to children.
His Beatitude also expressed the gratitude of the Alexandrian Church to the Chairman of the Executive Council of the NGO, the Honourable Mr. Alexandros Sarakakis for his undivided interest in and financial assistance to the Organization.
