Threshold Winter 2009

Sharing Our Resources: An African Connection
by Thomasita Homan, OSB



In Tanzania, where women carry thatched bundles on their heads as they walk from village to village in straight lines, where they pan for water in drying riverbeds, where they make bricks to build a water tower, where children carry children, where “flying ants (kumbikumb) are out by the millions,” and where medical needs are many… in this country, Sister Mary Rae Schrick (pictured above) was grandly welcomed.

Benedictine sisters met her in Ndanda with song, dance, drums, and leis. The day after her glorious welcome, she wrote, “Last night was the first night I slept under a mosquito net.”

That morning her work began. During her first week at the medical clinic, she writes, “Four babies were born … no anesthetic. Also we saw patients with malaria, pneumonia, HIV, STD, schistosomiosis, low blood pressure, a stab wound, infected lacerations, conjunctivitis, and anemia. Villagers walk miles and come to the clinic day and night. Emergencies arrive via ambulance-bicycle.”

Then the water crisis set in.

“This has been a week without water … The weather: “hot, hot, and hot. … The whole village is without water. That includes Father Paul, the dispensary, and us. Sister has gone to Ngaga to get water the last two days … They told the village people they would have water a month ago but still we are waiting.

On our way from Mtwara on Monday, a woman and little girl were in the road, dipping water out of a pot hole … We don’t get rain here until November and December. That’s a long time to be without water. The village people go to low creek beds and dig for water.

I think this is the most heart-breaking sight to see and be unable to do anything about it. These women walk miles, with buckets on their heads, babies on their backs, in relentless heat to get enough water for the day. The water is unfit to drink … but it is water … water which I’m sure they do not boil for safety.”

Unexpected help arrived to assist the Benedictine sisters with their water pump. Greg Towsley, nephew of Sister Mary Rae, was keeping informed of her travels. He also happens to be vice-president of Grundfos Pumps Corporation in Olathe, Kansas. He connected with their Grundfos office in South Africa and offered to ship the equipment needed. After many emails exchanging technical information, the sisters are certain to receive the pumps needed. As Greg wrote, “I want to make sure that you get the right pump with no problems.”


His daughter, Alissa, was struck by another image from Sister Mary Rae’s travels: a picture of children playing soccer with a ball made from wadded plastic bags. Greg’s family, coach Mark Von Elling, Tim Hare of National Tire and Battery, and their soccer friends responded by organizing a collection of used and new soccer balls and equipment for the children.

Thanks to the Towsleys, soccer teams, coaches, and area stores, the final count was 109 soccer balls, plus air pumps, practice cones, and ball bags.

Waiting outside to get into the clinic


Outside the clinic


The “bicycle ambulance”


When I said “Jambo,” they all clapped!


Digging for water


The KC Comets 97G team and part of their collection


The Towsley family: Alissa, Daniel, Lauren, Julie and Greg

This rooster was given to Mary Rae as a going-away gift … and later served at her party. “I had become attached to the rooster strutting around, showing off his colors. I would tell him how pretty he was. It was kind of hard chewing him …”

Below: Sister Violet, co-workers Evodia, Bonita amd Elizabeth, and Dr. Ngamaley (and the rooster, center of table)

Scenes from the village

She stays in contact with her Tanzanian co-workers who wrote: “We danced from the bottom of our heart when we saw your letter … we miss you, your company, your advice, and help …”

In addition to bringing the Mount to Tanzania, Sister Mary Rae also brought Tanzania to the Mount. Besides coming to offer her services at the Benedictine dispensary, she was bringing more good news: “Sister Anne is inviting two young sisters to study and attend Benedictine College.”

The two selected were Sisters Judith Kapinga and Gemina Munyuku . They are members of community of the Benedictine Sisters of Our Lady Help of Christians in Mtwara. Two sisters from the Benedictines of St. Agnes in Chipole, Tanzania, had successfully completed their college educations in December, so the sisters at the Mount were eager to start the process once again. The new students came to America in January and were able to begin their education immediately with the start of the spring semester. Pictured above: Sister Judith (l.) and Sister Gemina (r.) get excellent help from Sister Mary Lucy Kramer, who works as a tutor for English students at Donnelly.

They are enrolled in the English program at Donnelly College, where they study with others from around the globe. When they are proficient enough in English, they will begin regular studies at Donnelly and will eventually transfer to Benedictine College to complete their degrees. Sister Judith is hoping to major in computer science. She wants to learn not only to use the technology, but to be able to assist in the care of the hardware. “I want to teach sisters how to fix computers,” she says, “because the repair people charge a lot and sometimes they don’t even fix it right!”

Sister Gemina’s goal is to study canon law. Her ambitions also reflect a major need of the sisters. “There is only one canon lawyer for the sisters in our country so it is easy for a bishop or the government to treat sisters as inferior,” she laments.

Both are well on their way to a successful education. They both say that it is hard, but they are making progress. They point out that this is their third language, after their native tongue and Swahili, and that speaking and writing are challenging, but they seem happy with the challenge and their opportunities.

They are not the only ones happy with their progress. The community recently had the privilege of hosting the former prioress general of their community, Mother Inviolata Kambanga, who has been enjoying a sabbatical in the United States. She gave a moving speech to the assembly of sisters expressing her gratitude for the partnership between the monasteries.

Sister Esther Fangman, president of the Federation of St. Scholastica, (on left) the group of American monasteries to which the Mount belongs, is thrilled that her own community has had these opportunities to assist African sisters. When she visited Africa in 2001, she became acutely aware of the strengths and the needs of Benedictine Sisters in Tanzania. As she explained to Benedictine communities in the United States, “Our Tanzanian sisters are strong in faith, community and leadership. They are generous in responding to ministry. Many young women are coming to their monasteries. But they desparately need higher education to develop their communities. They need us to partner with them and offer them education and community here in the United States.”

About 20 Benedictine sisters from Tanzania have come to study in the U.S. at different monasteries. Sister Esther emphasized, “An outstanding quality they have is gratefulness. I have never expereinced a people who have so little being able to be so thankful to others and to God. They are inspiring.”