In February and March we were pleased to catch up with some of the Sisters of Mary programmes. In February Sr Merry Jane reported from the girls school in Tanzania and then in March we had updates from Sr Magdalana and Sr Celia at the girls and boys schools in Guatemala.
Welcoming new girls in Tanzania
The Sisters in Kisarawe were pleased to welcome 170 new girls in January 2025. This brings the total at the school to 1009.
The new girls who arrived were very under nourished and have struggled with stomach issues as they adjust to a normal diet of three meals a day. In school they are trying to do their best but many also struggle with their eyesight. They live with little light at home and so it takes time to adjust to the normal light levels at school. Some will need glasses which will be provided as they get older.
Sister Assela reported on the situation of many of these girls as they had met them in their communities, like in Mara. Poverty was extreme. One or two of the families met by the Sisters were as large as 13 where the girls only have one set of clothes each. The families try to farm for a living but climate change has affected crop production. Being able to welcome these girls into school is a lifeline for the families.
Leading the way on vocational training
In class at the school the curriculum has been revised this year. The Ministry of Education are rolling out subject changes which are more in line with the way that the Sisters are teaching. They have been in close contact with the Sisters’ school to observe the vocational education offered and the school is becoming a model for the delivery of vocational teaching for the country.
Form 6 girls at the school are preparing for national exams and these advanced level students will finish school in May ready for work. 22nd May will mark the graduation of these girls, the first to qualify from the school, ready for work. The Sisters have spent many months liaising with local employers to find vacancies for these first graduates. Many of the graduates will also have enough skills to run their own small businesses. All of these endeavours are focused on them raising enough money to go on to support themselves and their families.
The funding priority for the school in the coming months will be the materials needed for the children to study, food (particularly vegetables) – much needed because of the long dry season, and repairs and replacements of equipment like the sewing machines.
A new start for children in Guatemala
In March, the Sisters in Guatemala gave us a comprehensive update on the progress at the girls school in Zona 13 and the boys school in Zona 6. Across both these schools more than 515 new boys and girls were welcomed in January.
There has been some malnutrition amongst the new girls and boys in Guatemala but most serious is still the condition of the girls’ and boys’ teeth. Poor water quality at home leads to dental decay and requires urgent treatment when the children arrive at our school.
The girls and boys who arrived this January have immediately received three good balanced meals a day and all the medical attention they need. Under the nurturing care of the Sisters and the doctors, they are beginning to fill out and thrive in the care of the Sisters and to enjoy their time at school.
Community Outreach update
The Sisters reported from their community outreach work. This last year they have travelled to more remote places. They noted from the national survey of living conditions that 68% of the uneducated population are still living in poverty without adequate shelter, daily food, or access to education and they see this in their on the ground meetings with the families they encounter.
Many of these families rely on agriculture for survival but climate change is leading to deteriorating crop conditions and periods of intense drought.
In their extreme hardship, these families are desperate for help for their children. The Sisters at the boystown cited the example of one father, from the remote region of Petén, whose son was already at their school and who had approached the Sisters directly for help for some of the other children in his community because of their dire situation.
Progress of the children at school
Now at the school, thanks to the generosity of our supporters, the Sisters are caring for a total of 2043 boys and girls in their facilities, including the day care; 1096 at the boystown and 855 in girlstown.
The new children are learning fast. The sisters provide a bridging programme to help the youngest to catch up and language lessons are the most important. Many young children in Guatemala speak only their local dialect when they arrive and so they need to learn Spanish quickly as all the lessons are taught in this, the national language. Diagnostic tests help the Sisters to identify which children need the most help and to ensure they receive it.
The children learn the full national curriculum of academic and vocational skills, accredited by the Ministry of Education. The technical training offered by both schools is highly effective in finding the children work as it is targeted, and often delivered by local employers, like LG or Toyota.
Preparing for the future and sustaining the programmes
Across both the boys and girls schools the vocational training provision is increasing to ensure the children can graduate with the skills that are in demand by local employers. On the job training (OJT) continues to be a big part of this preparation and this starts in September. The Ministry of Education require 200 hours of OJT for each final year child and the Sisters have a number of partners to help them with this delivery.
The Sisters do a lot to sustain the programmes themselves. To reduce the cost of the food at the school the children and sisters plant every area of land with vegetable crops to supply the kitchen and in the vocational training workshops, like carpentry and welding or sewing, the children make projects that are for their own training and their own use, some of which are sold to help with the schools finances. Nevertheless, with no local government support these programmes rely on the kindness of our supporters.
A particular need are the raw materials for their technical workshops and help needed to develop new vocational training courses. These training facilities are essential to ensure the children graduate with the skills they need for employment. This will be a focus for our fundraising this year.