Home » Projects » EXISTENCE AID » Tanzania: a project to provide the Bene-Maria Sisters’ Novitiate in Kasulu with clean drinking water

Tanzania: a project to provide the Bene-Maria Sisters’ Novitiate in Kasulu with clean drinking water

The Bene-Maria Sisters in the diocese of Kigoma, in Tanzania, write to ACN to express their gratitude for our support to supply and install a solar-powered water pump for the borehole that provides their Novitiate in Kasulu with safe drinking water. The Bene-Maria Sisters are a native African congregation founded in 1958 in Burundi. Since 1968 the sisters have also been active in Tanzania. The sisters can support themselves to a small extent by their own agricultural work, but this is not enough to live on.

Sister Henriette Mavakure explains that before building up this borehole, “novices were always complaining about abdominal pain associated with diarrhoea and vomiting, the main diagnosis was worms and typhoid fever.”

On behalf of the Mother Superior of Bene-Maria in Burundi, the Representative of the Mother Superior in Tanzania, the Mistress of Novices and all residents of the Novitiate, Sister Henriette conveys “our heartfelt thanks for the wonderful gift of safe/clean water to all residents of the Formation House and people living around. There are no proper words to use, only a THANK YOU from the deepest secret of my heart.” Before this project was completed, either the novices used to boil very dirty water for drinking or the Mistress of Novices would walk 6 km every day to collect clean water.

“Dear donors and friends of Aid to the Church in Need”, concludes Sister Henriette her letter, “once again we say ‘THANK YOU VERY MUCH’. We have nothing to give you, be sure that we pray daily for you, May God grant you all kinds of blessing.”

Don't miss the latest updates!

Venezuelan bishop: “Even those who have nothing are giving everything”

In one of the poorest and most densely populated communities…

“The priority now is to rebuild lives,” says Archbishop of Caracas

Archbishop Raúl Biord of Caracas, Venezuela, says that the Church…

Venezuela: ACN allocates 100,000 euros to support Church response to earthquakes

Priests celebrate Mass in the street as churches become shelters…

ACN funded 5,368 projects in 141 countries during 2025

The Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN)…

Crisis deepens in DR Congo as new terrorist front opens in the north

Despite the danger, and the looming threat of famine, missionaries…

Major Archbishop Shevchuk: “The war in Ukraine has caused many conversions”

During a visit to the headquarters of the Spanish national…

Venezuelan bishop: “Even those who have nothing are giving everything”

In one of the poorest and most densely populated communities in Caracas, the Church has mobilised to care for the wounded who arrive from La Guaira. ACN has approved an...

“The priority now is to rebuild lives,” says Archbishop of Caracas

Archbishop Raúl Biord of Caracas, Venezuela, says that the Church is accompanying the victims of the earthquakes while rescue efforts continue. As search and rescue efforts continue, following the devastating...

Venezuela: ACN allocates 100,000 euros to support Church response to earthquakes

Priests celebrate Mass in the street as churches become shelters following deadly earthquakes As rescue teams continue to search for survivors under the rubble following the devastating earthquakes that struck...