About Us

A Brief History of ROTA

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ROTA: Reaching Out 2 Africa had its humble beginnings in 1995 in the spontaneous outreach ministry of Fr. Ron Sajdak and his involvement with African Refugees seeking shelter and safety in USA, moving into Buffalo, New York. “I didn’t even know where Sudan was on the African Continent,” Fr. Ron said. “The meeting of Owar Gally Ojwok, a young Sudanese gentleman waiting for his first job interview and later meeting his wife and his daughter changed my life forever.”
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In the summer of 1997 Fr. Ron was transferred to St. Bernadette Parish in Orchard Park, NY. There he organized a group of persons interested in social justice who took the opportunity to meet monthly for a whole year in order to pray, share, and “brainstorm” about how their particular suburban community may respond to the Gospel call of Justice & Peace. The results of this successful venture formed the basic beginnings of ROTA.
 
In July of 2002, Fr. Ron Sajdak was named Pastor of St. Martin de Porres Parish located in Buffalo's Central City. It was at this time that the name, ROTA: Reaching Out 2 Africa came to be used to describe this ministry that included active engagement with international projects in Africa, care and support of African Priests, Seminarians, and Men & Women Religious while continuing care and concern for local new African refugee families. The Parish Pastoral Council of St. Martin de Porres also recognized and accepted ROTA as one of the parish outreach ministries.

 

ROTA (Reaching Out 2 Africa) Development Group became an incorporated non-for-profit group in 2011 and received its tax exemption certificate in 2015. Currently the “hands on” work in Africa tends to take most of our time and attention and is the most challenging due to the costs, conditions and impact. Our rather limited resources seem to multiply and grow when used in the motherland. May God continue to bless our outreach and mission of ROTA (Reaching Out 2 Africa) Development Group Inc.