Respecting the Culture

by | Apr 5, 2023 | Uncategorized

“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. 

A Woman on a Mission

by | Mar 8, 2023 | Uncategorized

“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.

This Is Where Faith Comes In

by | Jan 25, 2022 | Uncategorized

Sister Columba thought being a nun excluded her from motherhood, but God had other plans. First, she became a mother to her niece and nephews, making great sacrifices to provide for them. Then, she cared for the students who lined up outside her counseling office. And I’ll be forever grateful for the ways she mothered me.

Asking for Help

In 2014, after a year in Tanzania, I was deeply lonely. The thrill of crossing cultures was gone and the challenges of international living were overwhelming. And my upcoming 30th birthday wasn’t helping matters. For months, I wrestled with the question: Would I be alone forever?

My loneliness drove me to Sister’s door. I nervously leaned my head in, “Do you have a moment?” Immediately, she put down her work and gave me her full attention. She listened closely as I shared my worries and fears. 

Sister responded by suggesting we meet every Tuesday. These spiritual direction sessions quickly became the highlight of my week. She spoke into my life in such a straightforward, easily applicable manner. I soaked up her wisdom and insight.

Alyson and friends visit Sr. Columba and her family in 2014

Life-Changing Questions

Then came the moment that forever rendered my life into “before” and “after.” 

One Tuesday, I confessed that I felt ignored by God because my fervent prayers for a husband had gone unanswered. A deep, black sorrow spewed out of my mouth, filling the room. I could no longer be the faithful follower trusting in the unseen. Sister sat in silence, assessing the damage.

She responded slowly, as if in deep thought: “Sometimes when we think God is not answering us, the problem is that we have not recognized the answer that’s already been given.” 

Silence. 

Then the questions started:

“Is there a man in your life who is a strong Christian?  A man you admire? A man who you consider a good friend? A man whose calls or emails make you smile? A man you look forward to seeing when you return home?”

My eyes widened and my mouth hung open in shock. The answer to every question came to me immediately, without hesitation or competition: Brian Rockhold. It was as though I’d been looking through a kaleidoscope and Sister had handed me binoculars. 

Alyson and Brian visit Sister Columba in 2017

Sister’s Challenge

At our next meeting, Sister asked how it went talking with Brian. I nearly laughed in her face! She thought I was going to contact my longtime friend and say a nun thinks I should marry him? That is ridiculous. 

There was no silence or hesitation before her response this time. Sister looked straight into my eyes, leaned forward for emphasis, and said, “Alyson, this is where faith comes in. Be strong and courageous. Tell him what the Lord has revealed to you.”

Three years later, Brian and I were married. Three years after that, we returned to Tanzania. We stayed at Sister Columba’s house, celebrating the huge role she’d played in our lives. But, she had yet another life-altering, truth-bestowing gift to share with us. 

Alyson and Brian stay with Sister Columba in 2020

A God-Given Dream

Late one night, after eating a delicious meal together, Sister started talking about her passion to serve the elderly. She’d seen too many people drawn to the big city for work and then suffer alone when they could no longer provide for themselves. Her heart was burdened by their plight. 

There were many charities serving children or training adults, but the elderly were overlooked. Sister knew that God commanded us to “look after widows in their distress” (James 1:27) and help “the afflicted and the destitute” (Psalm 82:3). And she felt called to do just that! She dreamed of building a free home for elderly Tanzanians. 

Once again, Sister was handing me a pair of binoculars with a clear vision of the future: Brian and I would join her in this ministry.

Once again, I needed strength and courage to follow God’s prompting.

Once again, my spiritual mother exhorted me: “This is where faith comes in. Be strong and courageous. Tell people what the Lord has revealed to you.”