“Those who respect the elderly pave their own road toward success.”
–African Proverb
A Forgotten People
Our Elders are the ones that have paved the way forward for us all, yet in their twilight years they are often left alone and unsupported – especially within Dar es Salaam.
Tanzanian culture is rich and has a great respect and sense of care for the elderly. However, the African family system doesn’t extend into bigger cities. So when a city like Dar es Salaam draws the elderly from their ancestral villages for consistent work, they end up being left alone without support after becoming too old for manual labor.
Sister Columba is here to change that.
Tanzanian culture runs deep within Sr. Columba’s bones. In Tanzania, there is a deep reverence the community has for their elders and she began to notice that local charities cared for children and adults, but there was a lack of charities focused on supporting the elderly. From that moment forward, God’s call to her was answered and the elderly in Dar es Salaam would no longer be forgotten.
Since receiving the call, Sister Columba has been working diligently to fulfill her mission. She began with creating a feeding program where she and members of her local church community take turns bringing food to the sick and elderly. Together, they feed 20 people and have a growing waitlist of others needing support and care.
Planning for the Future
Providing food and company to the, sometimes lonely, sick and elderly members of the Dar es Salaam community is only solving part of the problem. These same people need homes, community and daily activities that allow them to enjoy themselves even in elderhood.
Thinking forward, Sister Columba is building the foundation to have an environmentally friendly facility that is self-sustaining within 15 years. Currently, there are only 2 homes for the elderly in Dar es Salaam, a city of 6.4 million people. Jointly, these centers only house about 50 people, barely scratching the surface of the need. Sr Columba saw that it was time to step up and meet the need. She knew this was her call to action.
As The Divine Mercy Centre grows, its mission remains the same: to provide intentional care for the elderly in Dar es Salaam. You can help to support this mission. It costs only $40 a month to feed an elderly Tanzanian and we welcome any additional donations that help us to build our center that will provide a safe space for them to continue to thrive.
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