Peramiho Newsletter January – April 2020 Our Pandemic Situation While hospitals in other parts of the world were overflowing with patients infected with the coro- na virus in the early part of year 2020, life in Tanzania was basically as it was—peaceful and laid back. Many citizens were aware of the pan- demic but did not have clear picture of its effect on the patients, the frontliners, and the society as a whole. Priory Election Chapter Postponed In the priory house, the initial virus scare came when the government reported the first infected case last March 15th. Around that time Sr. Grace Mujuni, subprioress and priory treasurer, was in Dar Es Salaam which is 1,085 kilometers from Peramiho. She was there to purchase com- munity and school needs, and to welcome Sr. Lumen Gloria Dunca and Sr. Katharina Mtitu at the airport. They were scheduled to facilitate the election chapter on March 20-21. Due to the travel ban, the Generalate decided to postpone the election. Schools Closed Sisters Working in Hospital Quarantined After the first reported case of COVID-19 pa- The real scare came when Fr. Alcuin Nyerenda, tient, the government ordered all schools closed OSB, former abbot of Hanga Abbey, died at St. last March 17. At Peramiho Girls’ Secondary Joseph Hospital where two of our sisters who School, the students were just given enough are nurses, attended to him before and after his time to prepare their things and were sent home death. Fr. Alcuin arrived from South Korea on on the following day. The headmistress, Sr. Ju- the first week of March. After a month he was dith Kombe, and all the sisters assigned in the admitted at the hospital and succumbed to a school helped together in maintaining the clean- chronic illness on April 6th. Since he was in the liness and order while waiting for announcement government watch list, authorities immediately of the resumption of classes. quarantined around 20 hospital personnel, in- cluding our two sisters, at the abbey’s hostel Death of Sr. Fromunda Knoll while waiting for the result of the COVID-19 test. On 21 March, our dear Sr. Fromunda Knoll Another sister who comforted one of the hospital breathed her last. We received suggestions to sisters went into voluntary quarantine when she do away with the traditional burial to avoid con- learned what had happened. She stayed in her tact with more people. However, most of the sis- cell and prayed privately. ters knew it might not be possible because of the many lives touched by Sr. Fromunda. On the Everyone heaved a sigh of relief when the re- 24th of March the priory community, monks, sults came after two days. The deceased former priests, and friends brought our dear sister to abbot and the hospital personnel tested nega- her final resting place. There was no social dis- tive of the virus. The sisters went back to the tancing nor face masks. What was more im- clausura grateful for the result. portant was to be with our sister for the last time. Continued on page 2 1 Our Pandemic Situation (Continued from page 1) Uwemba Community Around the last week The administrators of the Health Center have of April when a man designated some rooms for patients who might from a nearby town be admitted due to the virus. They acquired was reported to have PPEs and had some personnel trained to re- died in the mission spond in case a patient is admitted. The sisters hospital, the priory diligently follow precautionary measures such community did serious as wearing face masks especially when they measures to avoid the are in the center and wash their hands as often spread of the virus: as necessary especially when going back to the hand washing devices convent. All people entering the center premis- were set up at entrances to the priory house es are required to do the same. They also try to compound; only two sisters were allowed to do raise the awareness of the people regarding the purchasing for community needs and do other effects of the pandemic. The sisters are grateful business outside; common hand towels were that until the end of April no one has been re- replaced with paper napkins; some employees ported to carry the virus around their area. were told to go on vacation; seats in the chapel Mjimwema Community and the refectory were re-arranged for social distancing; and other preventive ways. “Idleness is the enemy of the soul.” RB 48:1 With not much school work to attend to, the sis- Sr. Evodia Ngonyani gave a short COVID-19 ters made themselves productive by spending awareness session to all our employees so that more time for gardening around the convent Sr. Evodia and some of the and the piece of land they “borrowed” nearby. They planted corn, vegetables, avocado trees, priory house employees peanuts, papayas, and flowering plants. It gave them joy to be able to eat the fruits of their la- bor. Other sisters keep the 28 orphans (aged 3 years old to 19) under their care occupied by giving them lessons through classroom activi- ties or educational shows from the television . Prayers and Adoration they get to know what is happening in the world and so that they, too, will observe the neces- Mother Prioress Ruth encouraged the commu- sary precautions. nities to spend more time for prayers as many countries have reported increasing numbers of In response to the request of people infected with the virus. The “Prayer the priory house community, Amid an Epidemic” by Kerry Weber became our our infirmarian, Sr. Pendo common daily prayer. Exposition of the Blessed Nchimbi, invited Dr. Adeodatus Sacrament is done daily except on free eve- Haule from the St. Joseph Mis- nings (Monday and Saturday) when the sisters sion Hospital-Peramiho to give spend 10 minutes of silence after praying the a conference regarding the vi- prayer amid an epidemic . Once a week we rus: its nature and prevention pray the Litany of Supplication Amid a Pandem- since the cure has not been discovered yet. He ic prepared by Sr. Gracia Mligo. mentioned that wearing face mask is not neces- sary (but two days after this talk the WHO ad- COVID-19 Update vised people to wear mask). Sr. Elisabeth Kerp volunteered to print and post regularly the world statistics on COVID-19 so that the sisters are aware of the extent of its effect especially in countries where the MBST priories are located. Sr. Gabrielle searches and prints relevant articles from the internet and share to the community during table reading at Priory house community noontime. listening to Dr. Haule 2 Participative Apostolate: St. Benedict Abbey Electrical Workshop Many parts of Tanzania are blessed with so much rain during these first four months of year 2020. The water volume was just too much that the Likingo Hydroelectric power plant, estab- lished by the St. Benedict Abbey in 1986 and which supplies electricity to the mission area got destroyed on the last week of January. The two turbines got submerged in flood water and were unable to generate power. Sr. Deogratia Mkulu, an electrical engineer who works and teaches at the Peramiho Vocational Hydroelectric facility and and Trade School’s electrical workshop, ex- the submerged turbines plained to the community that due to the serious damages, the priory will have to connect to the government-run electric company. This would mean higher cost and therefore, would need more mindfulness among the sisters in the use of electrical gadgets and appliances. This year, Sr. Faustina Chiwalala, a final pro- fessed sister, is enrolled in the abbey-run school with concentration on Domestic Electri- cal Installation. She is being trained by Sr. De- ogratia so that they could help together in im- proving the services to those who come to gain Sr. Deogratia, electrical engineer, examining one of similar skills and help in the electrical mainte- the turbines at the St. Benedict electrical workshop nance and repair needs of thepriory. where she works as supervisor and instructor. On March 14, Sr. Neema, a junior professed sister from Ndanda priory, came for a two-month field practice in Domestic Elec- trical Installation under the guidance of Sr. Deogratia. She had her initial training at the Ndanda abbey’s electrical workshop. This is her second time to Sr. Faustina, learning the skills at the St. Benedict electrical workshop from Sr. Deogratia. come and avail of such training. Postulants’ Cook-out Day On 28 March 2020, the postulants spent their time outdoors wearing their comfortable attire and prepared traditional food/dishes from their respective tribes or regions. This is an annual activity of the postulants who are ending their first year. Sr. Christiana Lwiva, the postulant directress, consider this activity as a way of getting to know one another better. She contributed her region’s way of baking bread without using an oven. Some dishes include chicken, beans, fish, leafy vegetables, rice, peas, and of course, ugali (maize flour). Mother Prioress Ruth and some sisters joined the postulants in their evening meal and partook of the special dishes. 3 Pan-African Junior Intensification Program Extension The Pan-African Junior Intensification Program Due to the corona virus outbreak, however, the was scheduled from December 16, 2019 until departure of our sisters for Namibia and Uganda March 7, 2020. The input on the different aspects was postponed. In early March African countries of Benedictine missionary life were facilitated by have started closing their borders and restricting our own sisters and monks from Peramiho, travels.