Hello! A lot of you will already know us, but for those who don’t—our names are Harry and Amélie, and we’re 5th year medical students from the UK currently on our medical elective in Muheza, Tanzania. At the beginning of our placement, the hospital accommodation was full, so for the first few nights we stayed at the Rosminian Sisters Convent. To be honest, we arrived with a few preconceptions—imagining strict nuns like in The Sound of Music—but we couldn’t have been more wrong. We were welcomed with warmth, generosity, and even the offer of beer!

During our stay, we became close to Sister Emmanuel (Sister Emma), who would often sit and chat with us. One day, she gave us a tour of the convent grounds, which were absolutely beautiful—not because of excess money, but because of the hard work the sisters put into maintaining them. Within the grounds is Holy Family School, which is run by the nuns and accommodates over 500 children aged 3–12 years old. Sister Emma told us how much the children love school—so much so that some of them hide at the end of the day because they don’t want to go home.

Unfortunately, many pupils face serious challenges getting to and from school. Some children travel 10–20 km every day from remote villages, often through unsafe conditions—especially during the rainy season. Others come from outside the region and are forced to rent rooms or stay with relatives, leaving them vulnerable to theft, insecurity, and unstable living conditions. Sadly, these difficulties sometimes force children to leave the school altogether, despite its high standard of education.

For the past two years, the sisters have been working towards building a boarding house on the convent grounds that would accommodate 80–100 pupils. This would provide safe, secure housing for children who live far away, allowing many who currently cannot attend—or struggle to attend regularly—to enrol and stay in school. It would also support those already enrolled by removing the daily risks and long journeys they currently face.

The convent receives no government funding and relies entirely on what they can provide themselves—such as income from their farm—along with donations. Because of this, progress has been slow, and so far only the foundations have been built. If you’re able to donate anything at all, big or small, it would be hugely appreciated and would go directly towards helping complete the boarding house.

Thank you!