Meeting new children in need - World Villages for Children

Nun speaking to girl in classroom at desk

Sister Maureen meeting a young girl at a community meeting in Tanzania July 2022

Reaching out to new children in need

Over the summer, the Sisters in Tanzania and Guatemala have been able to resume their community outreach in some of the poorest and most deprived communities in their respective countries.

This is an important part of the work of the Sisters and the first opportunity they have had to go in person to meet children and their families since the COVID-19 pandemic halted all face-to-face community work.

Nun stands between two children in Tanzania

Sr Winnie working in the remote communities of Tanzania, June 2022

Meeting those hardest to reach

The Sisters travel, sometimes for days, to the most remote regions to reach the most vulnerable children.

With the help of local organisations such as the local parish or school, children and their families gather into schools, churches or community halls to meet the Sisters and learn about the Sister of Mary schools.

In most places, the reputation of the Sisters’ work precedes them and the Sisters meet many thousands of deprived children desperate for a place at school and the chance of an education. This is particularly the case since the pandemic and demand for places is now at an unprecedented level.

Meeting Children in Tanzania

The Sisters travelled to the Sengida region in central Tanzania to meet children in of education. At the community meetings each child had an assessment of their reading and writing ability to ensure they can keep up in secondary school and are motivated to try hard.

The Sisters will spend time with each child to learn about them, their circumstances and get to know their family situation. They will also then visit them at home to meet all the family members.

The Sisters try hard to ensure that the limited school places are only offered to those children most clearly and urgently in need and where the absence of the child at school will not cause the family economic difficulties.

Sister wearing mask surrounded by children

Meeting children in Guatemala

Last month the Sisters met thousands of children from throughout Guatemala. They visited Santo Domingo de Cobán, in the department of Alta Verapaz in central Guatemala. 300 children arrived to meet the Sisters in this region alone.

These children are living in desperate poverty, they have no hope of a secondary education and, as a result of the pandemic, have been deprived of all primary state schooling now for over two years.

They are desperate for a place at school with the Sisters and the safety, care and education that the Sisters will provide.

With your support we will redouble our efforts to accept as many of these children as we can and they will join the Sisters at their schools next January.