“A dream is not what you see in sleep, a dream is something which doesn’t let you sleep.” –Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam
Sister Columba, the founder and CEO of Divine Mercy Centre, is a woman on a mission. She knows that there is a great need for elder care within Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and so she doesn’t go a day without praying for them or visiting them.
By serving the elderly, she is completing her life’s work and fulfilling her purpose. In 2020, she heard the call of God to serve the elderly in Tanzania. She noticed that most charities in her area supported children or adults and left the elderly behind. Her eyes were opened to the severe need for people to be loved, cared for, and taken care of in their twilight years.
Traditional Tanzanian culture places a high value on the wisdom of the elderly. Children are taught to greet elders by saying, “Shikamoo,” which means, “I am under your feet.” This is a sign of deep respect and reverence. In most rural Tanzanian villages, the elderly are cared for with love and intention. Sadly, this system often breaks down in the big cities. People leave their ancestral villages to find work to support themselves and their families, but when they can no longer labor, they suffer alone.
This is where Sister Columba comes in. Her deep love for the elderly has created a pathway to meet the needs of the elderly that are sometimes lacking income, food, and community.
Answering the Call
The Divine Mercy Centre was born from Sr. Columba’s calling. She built this organization from a dream that she could no longer ignore. That’s something most people can relate to. There’s a threshold we all have that moves us from seeing a need to doing something to meet it. We all know the feeling of having a dream that won’t let up – a dream that won’t allow you to sleep or maintain your focus throughout the day. It’s a divine indicator from God that you are being called to do something that only you can do. Sr. Columba has answered the call to do the work she needs to do, but she cannot do it alone.
Serving the Dar es Salaam community requires a communal effort, and Sr. Columba has collaborated with her church to employ small groups to visit the sick and the elderly. Just 3 years after the call was made, Sister Columba is making a powerful impact in her community. Her commitment to faith and service led her to found the Divine Mercy Centre, and it will carry her forward as she feeds the elderly and works to build the foundation to have an environmentally friendly facility that is self-sustaining within 15 years to provide housing for those in need.
If you too feel the call, you can support the work of the Divine Mercy Centre to feed an elderly Tanzanian for just $40 a month or you can donate to help us gain the resources needed to build the elderly home that will house the elderly and provide a safe community for them to continue to thrive.
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