Beginnings in Bostwana

Botswana is a landlocked country in southern Africa. It is a country of contrasts. Rich and poor. Deltas and deserts. Of the 246 territories in the world, Botswana is the 47th largest by area. When measured in terms of population density it comes in at 234th with three people per square kilometre as the Kalahari Desert accounts for 70% of the entire country's landmass. The OLA Sisters have been present in Botswana since 2008 with communities in Maun and Francistown. Our newest mission area was recently visited by Sr Mary T. Barron, OLA. She sends this report.

Srs Elizabeth and Doris with children of St Agnes preschool in Maun, Botswana. Image courtesy of Sr Mary T. Barron.

OLA have been in Botswana since the first community opened there in Maun in 2008. Three of the pioneer Sisters in that community are still working there nine years on: Srs Bernadette McCarthy Ghana, Sr. Cynthia Nwadike Nigeria and Sr. Doris Gyan Ghana. They were joined in October last year by Sr. Elizabeth Marwa from Tanzania on her first mission  appointment after  her profession in August last year.

In Maun much of the focus of the work is on children  – whether it is running St. Agnes Preschool  where there are over 90 children attending (Srs. Doris and Elizabeth) ; or the children’s club run three mornings per week as a social support for parents who have economic and other challenges to cope with (Sr. Bernadette); there is also an emphasis on reaching out to those in most need in the surrounding areas, organizing help through government services or through charity;  Involvement in pastoral activities  in the parish with the various Church activities and organisations is another focus for the Maun community (Sr. Cynthia). Botswana as a country has very few Religious  - so most people are not sure what Sisters do or why they do it; After nine years in Maun, the local people  have gradually grown to know the Sisters and are very appreciative of their contribution to the community there.

Bishop Frank Atese Nubuasah, SVD, Bishop of Francistown with (from left) Srs Pascaline, Comfort, Benedicta and Agnes. Image courtesy of Sr Mary T. Barron.

Francistown is the newest community in Botswana – it opened in January 2015 with the first  two members Benedicta Asomontsi and Comfort Amevor, both from Ghana; there were soon joined by Agnes Umudo in March 2015 and all three are full time teachers in the new Diocesan Secondary School St. Kizito’s in Francistown. The school has just opened for its third year and has 39 students. Catholic Education is relatively new in the area, at least in modern times. There is a legacy of schools that had been run by the Catholic Church but were nationalized some years ago.  St. Kizito’s  is in the initial stages but is growing each year.

OLA Sisters with students of St Kizito's - the new Diocescan secondary school in Francistown. Image courtesy of Sr Mary T. Barron.

At the end of August 2016 there was great joy and jubilations when Sr. Pascaline Balima arrived as the fourth member  of the community in Francistown. Sr. Pascaline is from Burkina Faso and so spent time in Ireland learning English before taking up her mission appointment in Botswana. She is continuing to improve her English  and will be involved in prison ministry there. There is an illegal refugee detention centre not far from the community in Francistown, with over 500 refugees, including men, women and children. Here there are many refugees especially from Zimbabwe and DRC, thus their languages are French, Kiswahili and English. Sr Comfort worked in Tanzania before and so speaks Kiswahili and Sr. Pascaline is French speaking. The visits the Sisters make to the detention centre  give great joy to the women and children there, a little solace in their difficult lives.

Sr Pascaline (centre) being welcomed by Srs Agnes and Benedicta. Image courtesy of Sr Mary T. Barron.

As a new community, Francistown are making connections with their neighbours and have built up a lot of relationships with the children and through the children with their parents. The Sisters are also  involved with basic Christian communities, with the Charismatic movement, and of course with the spiritual life in the school.

Another important aspect of life in the two communities is becoming as self-sufficient as possible by growing various types of vegetables. It is a difficult task as the climate is harsh and not always favourable for growth; and the land where the Sisters are is not the most suitable. But both communities are doing remarkably well with their gardens and are encouraging others to farm also. The mission there is very holistic. Please keep the OLAs in Botswana and the people they are working with in your prayers. It is an isolated mission for OLA, far from other communities and so need our prayer support more than ever. 

The OLA community in Maun (from left): Srs Bernadette, Doris, Elizabeth and Cynthia. Image courtesy of Mary T. Barron.

Sr Bernadette with children of her pre-school play group in Maun. Image courtesy of Mary T. Barron.