“Tanga,” which means “sail” in Swahili, is the name of a home run by Polish missionaries to provide a safe home for albino children in Tanzania, where they will find love and a place to escape from life’s difficulties.
Dorota Abdelmoula-Vietnam
Tanzania, Tuesday, November 12, 2024 (Vatican News): Tanzania is associated with the grandeur of the African landscape, but it is also one of the poorest countries in Africa. Here, poverty goes hand in hand with violent pagan beliefs, such as that talismans made from the body parts of people with albinism can bring prosperity.
Although they may seem like isolated cases, especially since the law prohibits such practices, Sister Amelia Jakubic, CSL, one of two Loreto nuns serving in Mwanza, Tanzania, explains that brutality remains an everyday occurrence.
Sister Amelia explained: “Here, in our areas, a two-year-old girl was murdered a month ago; “We are helping a second grader who was attacked in his home a few days ago and another child who was skinned.”
Sister Loreto runs, together with her other sisters and father Janusz Machota, a home for albino children. The highest number of albino children in the world are born in Tanzania: 1 in every 1,500 births, according to the latest figures.
A home, not an institution
“Tanga” is the name of Kendra’s house. Those responsible emphasize that it is a home designed to imitate a large Tanzanian family, so that the young members can fully experience the warmth of a family.
“It was a crazy and innovative idea from Father Janus. Their desire was to build a home, not another institution,” explains Sister Amelia, a mathematician who abandoned mental arithmetic to use “heart arithmetic” in Africa.
“At first we received 14 young people, including girls and boys, who came to live with us, but this was not enough because the local families are very large. Currently we have children between 7 and 20 years old.” In recent years, the four we care for have been on the journey of their lives. Some study, others try to find their way.” They received support in Tonga. And without love they can’t believe in themselves.”
“Our service is very simple: live with them, create a family environment, a place where they can feel wanted, accepted and loved and then send them to school,” the sister explained.
As Sister Amelia explained, education is not only a means to fulfill dreams, but also the answer to the limitations associated with albinism. “They cannot do any work or outdoor activities because they run the risk of skin cancer and many other diseases.”
They are known by the name
“Tanga”, which has been “protecting” children in Tanzania for four years, is changing not only their lives, but also that of the local community, which is beginning to see albinos, often rejected by society and their families. , from a new perspective.
“We have children who were abandoned when they were four years old,” Sister Amelia said. His parents left him at a center and then changed his phone number and place of residence so that he could not contact them.”
Unfortunately, there are many such stories. The antidote to rejection is acceptance, which begins at home and extends to the community. The sister said: “When we started, we could hear people shouting behind us: ‘Oh! Here come the albinos! Today we heard: ‘Oh, Lillian! Ah, Teresina is coming!’”
Local children frequently visit the tanga house; Sister Amelia, along with other “Tanga” leaders, conducted over 200 workshops on albinism in Tanzania in 2021 and 2022 alone.
Fear and shame are gradually decreasing. “I will never forget the gratitude of a 14-year-old mother when she found out that we were taking care of her daughter, whom she had abandoned at birth. She, who was previously ashamed of her daughter, now boasts.
rational power of belief
When asked how the nuns view the nuns’ activities in the area, Sister Amelia responded: “They realize that we come here not to make profit, but to love them. And they welcome us very warmly.” A warm welcome is followed by the grace of faith, which is discreetly poured into the hearts of the children in our care. “Tanga” does not require young people to be Christians.
“We do not ask about their religion or beliefs, we only accept those who need it most,” he explained. He also said that among the children there are Muslims, Adventists and people searching for faith. “We already have three children who have been baptized by Father Janusz. We do not pressure them, but we show them with gestures what our faith is. They see how we pray, how we sacrifice the Mass daily. Let’s see where we get our strength.”
