A Day to Remember!

February 24, 2021

The day of blessing of the new water tank for Loiborsiret village was surely a day to remember. On January 9, 2021, those present for the celebration included all the members of the village government, leaders from nearby villages, and those who were there when the Sisters of Notre Dame first arrived in the Simanjiro district in northern Tanzania.

The celebration included Holy Mass by Fr. Karduni, a Maasai priest; then the whole crowd moved to the pump house and the tank, singing and rejoicing for the gift of water that the congregation is offering them.

On the previous day, the almost eighty men worked together from 8-11 AM to dig a trench for the water pipes from the well to the water tank. The sisters were delighted to witness this collaboration.

People took care of every expense for the celebration and had many comments worth noting:

-“Loiborsiret can’t be compared to any other village in the Simanjiro district.”
-“We are proud of the Sisters of Notre Dame and want to give 100% cooperation.”
-“We have a beautiful school building and lovely surroundings with trees, greens, and we are fortunate. When we get out of the house, we are stepping into the international school.”

The water tank is a gift of water from our SND Congregation. Prior to its construction, people from the village drew water from stagnant water holes after the rainy season. The new well will serve 4,500 people, including the children at our Notre Dame Osotwa School and some families in Loiborsiret village. The village is large; consequently, those who live farther away from the well may have to walk about 10 kilometers (over six miles) to fetch water.

Having Sisters Mary Sreeja and Mary Roshini present for the blessing ceremony added to the occasion, and they were given the Maasai cloth to wear. The sisters are filled with gratitude to the good God who has been so active in the mission and in the Maasai community. As part of the JPIC program, every significant person plants a tree, so it was particularly appropriate for Sister Mary Sreeja to plant one, especially on the birthday of Sister Maria Aloysia.

The sisters have every reason to rejoice and remember!