Along with my fellow sisters, I believe that the
best possible basic education gives young people their best chance to pursue
further studies. I am proud of our sisters who continue this work.
Only two or three sisters were assigned at first to Mjimwema to
help in the parish and the hostel of its secondary school. The four sisters who
work there now live in a small house built for a family. But
a gift of land from the archbishop of Songea has allowed the
Peramiho priory to build a beautiful two-story house, five minutes from the new
orphanage, as the sisters' future home: the Good Shepherd Convent.
The new convent includes a spacious chapel with
access from the outside so neighbors and children may join the sisters in their
prayers. The new convent will have rooms for 10 sisters. Again I experienced
how a small seed sown in faith can become a strong tree. Mjimwema will become
an important ministry of the Peramiho priory, serving the people in this
fast-growing city by taking care of the orphans and providing good education
for their future.
I learned that the Tanzanian government has been
imposing more and more regulations affecting students' advanced studies. Some
sisters are studying to meet these demands, but they pose big challenges for
our congregation's young Tanzanian-born community. I had begun training many
sisters to teach professionally during my time as prioress, and this work
continues. The sisters must have confidence in themselves in order to teach
others.
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