Great Joy in Simanjiro, Tanzania

October 28, 2020

This is a historic time for the Sisters of Notre Dame in Simanjiro, Tanzania and for our Maasai people. “The dear God knows best; what he does is well done.” Sister Mary Rashmi had applied to the Congregational Fund for a Water Project in order to provide clean and safe drinking water for the Maasai people. September 8^th, the Feast of the Birth of Mary, was the day intended to begin the work.

Our Maasai people in Simanjiro, Tanzania have been longing to have clean water. Our people have been struggling for water from any stagnant water hole. They crowd together once a week to collect water from the place where cattle, goats and sheep are provided with their water, and they use donkeys to carry water or carry it themselves on their backs. With this new project, Sister Mary Rashmi had asked the people to start collecting materials and to start praying. They collected 12 leads of stones, 10 loads of sand, 5000 burnt bricks and used trees as poles.

When we heard the news that we would have official visitors, our children gathered and lined the drive into the compound as a sign of welcome and respect. Our former Prime Minister, Honorable Peter Pinda, Member of Parliament, Honorable Christopher Ole Sandeka and other dignitaries visited the site and expressed gratitude and appreciation for our involvement in the developmental program of the area. Along with them came the District Commissioner and other leaders from the District, Region, different Wards, etc. The minute the former Member of Parliament stepped out of the car, he asked Sister Mary Rashmi the same question our Archbishop uttered when he came here, “Sister, how did you manage to reach here so far away?” We all know that the ministry in Simanjiro is a special ministry of the Sisters of Notre Dame as we have gone to the margins to be with God’s people in need.

The Maasai community gathered along with all the local government leaders, had speeches and prayers over all the materials and started cleaning the place where the tank would be. Because there is a well, the pump house will be built near the well. The progress on the water tank is moving along and is beginning to take shape; the people are filled with hope and gratitude.

There were many comments from different persons about our school and the work of the Sisters of Notre Dame, etc. especially as we shared tea together at the site. One person said, “Surely, there is a place reserved for you in heaven for the work you are doing. We can’t thank you enough.” We thank you, dear Sisters around our Notre Dame world, for your prayerful support and for the work and contributions of the Dialog Projekt in Germany.

We can surely shout for joy as we say a huge Thank You to God and to our Notre Dame family!