(While on home leave Sr. Rosann Ocken, Prioress of Peramiho Priory, sat down with Sr. Inviolata and talked about the work of the sisters in Tanzania-Peramiho Priory.)
The sisters in Peramiho work in many different ministries
around the area. Sr. Rosann explained some of these ministries and they include:
In the early years, care for leprosy patients was a major
concern. Because of fear of contamination, lepers were ostracized from their
villages. By 1911 the sisters had
established the leprosy village in Morogoro.
Today, treatment of leprosy has changed dramatically and patients remain
with their families while treated as outpatients. However, 40-some elderly residents remain in
Morogoro, as it is the only home they have had for decades. The Sisters also assist another 40 elderly
lepers in the neighboring village of Letisha with monthly food rations.
Care for orphaned and vulnerable children began immediately
with the arrival of the early missionaries as they ransomed slave
children. Currently we have three
centers for orphaned and vulnerable children:
1. St. Anna’s Orphanage in Uwemba cares for twenty
infants. Poverty, the high prevalence of
HIV-AIDS and complications of sickness or childbirth leave the children
motherless or totally orphaned. The
sisters and staff see the children through the critical years of infancy and,
when possible, return them to their extended families.
2. Good Shepherd Orphanage in Mjimwema is newly built to
care for 48 children beginning with preschoolers. We focus on the total care and development of
each child, physical, spiritual and emotional.
3. Morogoro Orphanage currently holds approximately 20
children who are continuing their high school or vocational training
education.
Education has consistently remained a top priority of the
sisters throughout the decades. Today the community continues to value this
ministry.
1. Peramiho Girls Secondary School was founded in the 1960s
as one of the first secondary schools to educate girls. Today, the boarding school serves over 300
girls in six levels and remains one of the highest-ranking schools for girls in
the nation.
2. St. Joseph Nursing School in Peramiho was founded by Sr.
Tetwigis following her arrival to Tanzania in 1949. Today our sisters continue to offer superior
education to students in two nursing programs (Level A and Level B Nursing).
3. Dressmaking Vocational Training School in Peramiho offers
young women expert training in women and children’s clothing. This three-year program lays a foundation for
these women who want to establish their careers as seamstresses.
4. St. Gabriel’s Vocational Training School in Uwemba offers
sewing, cooking and overall domestic training to young women. The three-year program focuses on area rural
women who have few options for success.
5. Electrical Vocational Training We are grateful to have a
sister involved in the electrical training school in Peramiho.
6. Good Shepherd Kindergarten in Mjimwema (Songea) is our
newest development. With confidence that
early-childhood education establishes a foundation for learning, in 2014 the
community opened the new school offering English-medium Montessori
training. When the school is fully
established, it will hold 150 children, ages 3-5.
Health Care
Quality health care remains a major challenge in Tanzania.
HIV-AIDS and malaria remain special challenges throughout Tanzania. Our sisters serve the sick primarily in two
locations.
1. St. Joseph Hospital in Peramiho is a 400+-bed facility
owned by the Missionary Benedictine Monks.
Our sisters work closely with the administration to provide the best
possible care in the conditions in rural southwest Tanzania.
2. St. Anna’s Health Center in the mountainous area of
Uwemba serves the local people. The
government has recently allowed health centers to have a minor surgery in order
to save the lives of mothers and children. Our current project is to establish
a new surgery suite at St. Anna’s.
In all of our ministries, sharing the love and light of
Christ is our primary purpose. The
sisters are also involved in Basic Christian Communities, catechesis, youth
ministry, etc.
Protection of life at all levels is a high priority, be that
through our existing ministries or through other avenues.
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