This Vision I was given o Lent Sunday morning in 1991, on my way to Kiabakari, just a few kilometers from the place itself, I have been fulfilling ever since with the help of so many who believe in this vision like myself. Though those, who have been on my side, are not that many to be able to complete the task in shorter time. But I guess it is a part of the plan of God to teach us reaching the stars while being trained in patience, perseverance and faith stronger than numerous obstacles...
The first two pillars of this vision are ready in their basic forms. The third pillar is a tough cookie to achieve. John Paul II Center for Education and Formation. I started its construction in July 2007 and it is till a long journey to accomplish it. Since the closing of Polish Embassy in Dar es Salaam in 2008, the source of funding necessary for the projects of this magnitude has been closed to us, missionaries, and obtaining help from Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs - with scarce resources for Africa and huge demand from many organizations seeking funding, is a huge lottery. So, since that time, I've been struggling alone in the construction of the facility, by fund raising money in parishes and among private benefactors. Yet this way of securing funding is like a drop of water in an ocean of needs. So far, after two years of Don Kichote like fighting, I was able only to put a roof on the center (see the picture below, this is how the center looks like now).
It is an uphill struggle which needs generous resources of faith and hope. Love for the place, its people and the living vision which urges me to push ahead and never lose hope, though everything sometimes speaks to the contrary, is what sustains me in this fight. I do hope that eventually my Foundation 'Kiabakari' after recovering from initial organizational problems, will be able to help and support me in this lonely, so far, fight.
In a dire situation like this every penny counts. That is why I am deeply grateful to Polish Episcopal Conference ' Ad Gentes' department for granting me 2 thousand Euros for the continuation of the project. At last, after sitting on my hands for almost a year, being unable to get any substantial help for the construction of the center (last year all funds I got from friends in Ireland and Poland, I used to finish the roof on the center in July-August 2009, and help I got in the beginning of this year had to go entirely to prepare a pre-school, building an outside toilets and playgrounds from children), I will move ahead, even if it is just a small step. This will help me to plaster walls and lay cement floor in two classrooms, so in January our kids from reception class in Blessed Maria Teresa Ledóchowska Pre-School (which uses parochial pastoral center 'The House of Eight Beatitudes' for the moment, since the Center is not ready yet) can move to these two classrooms to start their Standard One education, and thus opening practically a Primary School in our mission, which will be named after the Founder of the Congregation of Little Servant Sisters of Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculate Conceived, Blessed Edmund Bojanowski. As you know already, the sisters from this Congregation came to Kiabakari on January 3 this year and are responsible for the administration and running of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati Health Center and John Paul II Center for Education and Formation, as well as helping in pastoral activities in the parish and in the shrine.
Once the Center is completed, Pre-School will move in from the pastoral center. Homecraft School will be in there also. At the same time, Primary School will move to its new premises we will build later on (this will require obtaining land adjacent to the Center). So, a lot of work to do. But, I am a believer. Swahili proverb - 'Haba na haba hujaza kibaba' (little by little fills the vessel) gives me wings (not Red Bull, sorry).
Below, I want to share with you the history and the basic info on John Paul II Center for Education and Formation, as it was in the beginning, is now and will be, God willing! Please, pray for it, and if you can, help us with whatever you can, be it in the construction field, by donations, purchasing necessary school equipment, helping us with your know-how, or by educational adoption of our students to help us make ends meet as we struggle to provide a high quality education and formation for as little as possible.
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HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL BACKGROUND
In 1991, at the very beginning of my work in this region, the idea of placing a nursery and a homecraft school for underprivileged youth and adults in Kiabakari came to me as the result of the simple observation – there were many primary schools (more than twenty in fact in the area I serve at) and one secondary school (at the moment there are already four), but there was no single educational institution for the smallest children (and still there is none till now!) nor vocational training facility in the area of approx 600 sq km. The village kids go to schools straight from the fields and pastures and being not able to get used to the school regime they spent the first years merely sitting in classes without any impact to the level of their education. The classes are overcrowded in most schools in the area, having up to 160 students in a single classroom (this figure has been provided to me by a head teacher of one of the local primary schools, it is NOT an exaggeration), so the lack of any initiative or progress can be easily missed by a teacher.
Mara Region is one of the poorest parts of East Africa. Approx. 50-70% of the children in the area go to primary schools, but only 4% of them continue their education. Secondary education is becoming more and more expensive and only few can afford to put their offspring through the secondary education scheme. Vocational training facilities are scarce in the Region and those existing demand serious money input from the parents. Simply, village children have no chance to win the heavy competition with a well prepared, rich kid from a town or city.
SPECIFIC NATURE OF THE CENTER
The aim of our nursery is to prepare them for future school duties and to provide them with the first portion of knowledge so the differences between education of children with wealthy backgrounds and those from the poor environment can be less significant.
School for youth and adults, localized in the same edifice, is addressed mostly to women (preferential option), who are the most vulnerable and disregarded social group in Tanzania, devoid still of equal access to education in our area. We want to put pressure on teaching them skills which they could not only use in everyday life but which could help them find jobs and make them financially independent as well. So beside the regular homecraft lessons we want to organize English courses, computer classes, courses on modern cookery, farming and breeding, honey production, cottage industry aiming to meet demands of growing tourist market in Mara Region and elsewhere.
We are also planning to cooperate with the staff of the neighbor health center in organizing regular meetings about healthcare and prevention of the diseases most common in our Region.
THE TIMETABLE OF THE PROJECT
The construction of the center started in July 2007 thanks to the initial financial aid of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Dar es Salaam, which granted 59,221 USD as the initial capital for the project. We’ve managed to finish the spade work, to build partially a superstructure, install metal windows and fire escape gates, plus to secure some construction materials, but unfortunately the works had to be put on hold after the unexpected closure of Polish Embassy in Tanzania in 2008. Since then the construction phase of the project is being helped by private donors only, so we were able to finish walling and to put the roof on the entire center. We have been moving ahead with very small steps while the construction works need to be completed as soon as possible in order to prevent the school building (with complete roof, but without plaster, floor, ceiling, doors, plumbing and electrical installations) from being vandalized or damaged and to enable educational programs to commence in nearest possible future. People are waiting impatiently, they need this project to be completed and operational as they see it as a ray of hope in the darkness of their educational environment.
THE SHORT AND LONG TERM IMPACT OF THE PROJECT ON THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
After finishing the project estimated 100 children aged 3-5 from the local community will annually receive pre-school education on the highest possible level (utilizing services of our Sisters, local staff and foreign volunteers) which will provide them with better chances in life later on in primary and secondary school which will be constructed as a natural development and expansion of the educational center - to allow children to complete their primary and secondary education ‘on the spot’ for as little school fees as possible.
The school of adult and continuing education in turn aims to support with its short and long-term courses about 900 people every year, with preferential option for women, in their way to financially independent life. The benefit of the existence of this educational facility for broader audience and customers (workshops, seminars, courses, on-going professional upgrades etc.) must not be neglected in the measurement of the impact of this facility on the whole local community of Mara Region.
ADMINISTRATION OF THE FACILITY
The administration of this educational facility, consisting of several interlinked departments – pre-school, primary school, secondary school (with possible expansion till high school level) along with homecraft school and capacity to host seminars, workshops, courses, professional training programs in the conference hall – has been entrusted to the African Province of The Congregation of Little Servant Sisters of Blessed Virgin Mary Conceived Immaculate with its headquarters in Lusaka, Zambia. Volunteers from various organizations (first and foremost from my Foundation 'Kiabakari') and groups will be cooperating with Sisters in providing relevant services for the benefit of all concerned. Needless to say, the Center will be open to all, regardless of their creed, gender, age, ethnic and social background.
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This is what is cooking in my mind and heart. What will become of it in reality, the Merciful God only knows. But we can make it happen, supported by strong faith, unshakable hope and ardent love for God and people who will benefit from this vision of Divine Mercy, these three pillars, three avenues in which they will meet living God who is rich in Mercy.
'Nothing is impossible to God!"
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