|
Delegation Journeys to Tanzania
In January, 2006, a delegation from Christ Church Newman Center in St. Cloud left the cold of Minnesota for a two week mission trip to the heat of the Diocese of Same in Tanzania. Newman Center parish first became acquainted with the Same Diocese in 1994 when Fr. Mansuetus Setonga from that diocese came to St. Cloud to study at St. Cloud State University. Several years later (2002) Newman members Chuck and Pat Ernst along with their son Paul visited Fr. Setonga in Same. He was at that time the Secretary General (chief administrator) and also the Director of Development for the Diocese of Same. After viewing a number of his development projects in the diocese and seeing how these projects affected the lives of the people, the Ernsts returned to their parish with some enthusiasm for helping to find funding for some of those projects. At their urging Newman Center began annual collections for various projects in the Same Diocese. Although the Newman Center had raised funds for some of Fr. Setonga’s projects before when he lived in St. Cloud, it has only become a regular annual affair since 2003.
Still, the relationship between the Same Diocese of Tanzania and Christ Church Newman Center had been one-dimensional and an informal one over the past several years. This year, however, a delegation from Newman Center decided to visit Tanzania to see some of the funded projects, meet the people of the Same Diocese and to experience first hand the culture and lifestyle of the people there. The delegation consisted of Chuck and Pat Ernst, Andy Faith, Jim and Carol Jacobs and John Massmann who are all members of the Newman Parish; Vern and Mary Ann Leitch of University Lutheran Church; and Kathy Noecker and her two high-school age children, Ross and Cecilia, who are members of the Basilica parish in Minneapolis. Kathy grew up as a member of Newman and now lives in St. Paul. This trip is possibly the first step in setting up a sister-parish relationship with one of the parishes in the Same Diocese, probably in the village of Makanya since at least two of the projects funded by Newman Center have been in this community. Tanzania is an agricultural country of just over 37 million people with an annual per capita income of just over $200 per year. It is one of the poorest countries in the world where more than 80% of the population depend on sustainable farming, that is, on what they grow, for their survival. At the same time only about 4.5% of the land is arable (used for growing crops such as rice, maize, vegetables, etc.) and another 1% may grow permanent crops such as coffee, bananas, mangoes, etc.
The Diocese of Same is in the northeastern part of the country and about 65 miles from Mount Kilimanjaro. About ¾ of the diocese is mountainous (Pare Mountains). The population of the diocese is over 700,000 persons of which about 45% are Christians, 35% Muslim with others practicing indigenous religions. Further, the residents of the diocese are among the poorest in Tanzania with a per capita income of about half of the average for the country. To make matters even worse, much of sub-Saharan Africa, including Tanzania, has been suffering from severe drought for the last several years. The obvious consequences of the drought are an increase of disease caused from the less safe water sources, plus there is reduced agricultural production and hence an increase in hunger related diseases. In addition, to make ends meet, the men cut the trees in the area to make charcoal which they can sell in town to help buy household necessities. However, the loss of trees causes soil degradation and erosion which only makes the soil less productive when there are rains. In the last 5 or 6 years the life expectancy at birth has declined from 52 years to 45 years due to starvation related diseases and HIV/AIDS.
On their very first day in Same, host Fr. Setonga took the delegation to visit a remote Maasai village about an hour’s drive (some of it on roads!) from Same. The Maasai people have been colorful nomadic pastoralists (cattle herders) who take their cattle wherever there is water and green grass, although there are more and more restrictions as to where they are allowed to graze their cattle. Many of them are now settling in villages and turning to farming for survival. The drought they are currently enduring makes it difficult for them under either means of livelihood. There are very few green places where the cattle can graze and so the cattle are beginning to die from starvation. The Same Diocese has been working with these people to teach them other life skills and also to help get their young people an education by building schools in their villages. Fr. Setonga had informed the tribe that he was bringing a group to visit their village. The men of the village then prepared a lunch for the delegation back in the bush. It consisted of goat roasted around an open fire (see photograph) which the chief sliced with his machete and handed to his guests. In addition, they served a medicinal tea that had been brewing for four hours. The group does not fully know all the ingredients of this tea, but it did include pieces of various local healing roots, leaves, twigs, etc. It was a little bitter, but it must have worked since everyone came back healthy. In addition, the Newman group was treated to traditional Maasai music and dancing. Delegation members were encouraged to join in some of the dances.
On Sunday the group attended Mass at Christ the King Catholic Church in the Village of Makanya. This is a village in which Newman Center had funded the construction of a shop and grinding mill in the marketplace in addition to a girl’s hostel (dormitory) at the local secondary school. Secondary schools are scarce in Tanzania so most students must travel long distances to attend. Boys can stay in the homes of people in the village, but for girls this is not culturally acceptable nor is it safe. Hence, girls do not generally go. The delegation visited both of these projects after Mass. The shop and mill had been operating for more than a year, making money for the Samaritan Women’s Group of the parish that operated it. They were using the profits for other development projects in their community as well as to care for the needy among them. It was a highly successful project that is beginning to be modeled by other communities. The hostel was still under construction and is expected to be ready for the beginning of the next school term in July.
Fr. Setonga is the parish priest at this church and he presided at what was a truly joyful celebration with enthusiastic singing, dancing and clapping throughout the service. At the end of the service a member of the congregation came to the front and read a message to the group, thanking them for all the help the Newman Center had given this community and presenting them with a large decorative fabric to bring back to the Newman Center. The Newmanites were also made honorary members of the Makanya parish. In addition, a goat was presented to them for Fr. Setonga to use for the farewell party he had planned for the group.
The delegation visited several development projects that were sponsored by the diocese. One of the most successful of these was a project partially funded by Newman members in which water from the Pangani River was diverted to irrigate several hundred acres of land with more being added each year. Chuck and Pat Ernst had been here only four years earlier and saw parched desolate red soil covered mostly with brown brush. Now it is a beautiful green oasis growing a wide variety of fruits and vegetables including corn, watermelon, mangoes, bananas, papaya, black beans, tomatoes, peppers, rice, lots of onions and more. There are even two fish ponds containing lots of fish. Since they have no winter, for many of these crops they get three harvests each year. They are learning about preserving the soil through crop rotation, natural fertilizers, etc. This farm supports many families. The majority of the people in the Same Diocese are members of the Pare tribe. The Pare are primarily subsistence farmers growing maize, vegetables, etc., but may also raise goats and chickens. In most of their villages there is no water source except the rain. The women often walk long distances to get water for family and animal use. They cannot carry water for their crops. Since they have been in a drought for several years now they are turning to the church and other agencies for food to feed their families.
One afternoon the delegation stopped at a typical Pare village named Kirinjiko just before dinner time. The group talked with the villagers about the needs of the village and was told that their greatest need was a source for water. Currently the women walk to Same town (about 8-10 miles) for their water. The closest clinic for health care is also in Same. The children have to walk about 5 miles to primary school. In this village of 900 souls with a median age of about 17, there is only one person attending secondary school because the families can not afford to pay the school fees.
Mr. Mchome, the village chief, scolded the group for not telling him in advance that the delegation was going to visit his village. He apologized for not having food ready for the group because he didn’t know they were coming. “If I had known,” he said, “I would have killed a goat.” He then proceeded to offer the goat to the delegation to take with them. This generosity seemed to be typical of most of the people the group encountered. Each evening after dinner the delegation gathered for a discussion of the day’s events. After the day in Kirinjiko Village (a Muslim community, by the way), the debriefing was very somber and emotional. Jim Jacobs suggested that “I feel guilty that in the U. S. we have so much compared to them and are often so reluctant to share. They, on the other hand, have so little but are willing to share the best of what they have even with strangers.” Each person talked about the value of this experience for them personally. Mary Ann Leitch said “Even if this had been the only experience we had on this trip, it would have been worth our time and cost.” This experience reinforced the notion that all persons have gifts to offer. “We are all missionaries to one another,” one said. Upon reflection after returning home, each person in the group, without exception, thought the trip had been very worthwhile for them personally. Carol Jacobs said “The trip exceeded all of our expectations. It was valuable to us as a cultural, personal and spiritual experience.” Cecilia Noecker thought that “I learned a lot about myself on this trip. It redefined me as a citizen of a global community.” Her brother Ross added “…you realize that it is not us who have so much, but them, whose family bonds and sense of community obviously were unbreakable. That is something they have that most of us often don’t.” “It was when I got home,” Mary Ann said, “that it really hit me. After seeing so many bare feet or home made flip-flops made from old tires, I had a difficult time going with my grandson to buy tennis shoes. Imagine what that $125 could do there.” All those things that are usually just taken for granted now get attention, just turning on a faucet to get water, for example. John Massmann suggested that “I was impressed with their resilience. The people of Same broadened our horizons and improved and enriched our lives. They taught us what faith and hope are really about.”
To learn more about ways
|
Missionaries . . .
