Words from Tanzania

I met Sister Veronica last year in the town of Same where I live and it was at our new internet café where I first talked to her. She commented about their organization’s need for communication means to the outside world, and would I provide a quotation for the cheapest internet service available. Sister Veronica is a Catholic Nun from Kenya, serving in a remote, flat, dry, poor Masai area in the Same District, not more than 20 miles south of Same town.
Today Sister Veronica came to me again today, finding me in my office at the Pare Diocese headquarters. She was in need of help. She had some documents which needed to be sent to Uganda, and the two fax machines in town would not dial out of country. Our internet café, which can normally help in these digital communication issues was closed today as the daytime attendant had family matters to attend to. I could see the despondency in her face, and promptly packed up my laptop and we headed for my house which has a copier/scanner/printer, and also internet.
The scans made, the internet messages sent with attachments done, and then we started talking about programs which we were involved. She works at a new Catholic Secondary (middle and high) school. I told her of our work in that area with vulnerable children, and that caught her attention. She mentioned a case where they recently took in a young Masai girl whose family had just agreed to let her get an education, but there are no tuition monies available. She asked me if our vulnerable children program could help support this young woman.
I have some very long, hard days. But, I come home to a house with electricity, a refrigerator, internet, running water, and access to any number of comfort items. I gave Sister Veronica my business card and asked her to write to me about her new school and the name of the Masai girl who desperately wants to have an education. I think Sister Veronica will not be shy in asking for support for those young people. Like many here in Africa, they have few choices but to ask for help.