Sister Vaileth

Sister Vaileth, from Tanzania, describes the harsh realities many children face before arriving at the Sisters of Mary: some come with empty stomachs, no school supplies, and no electricity at home to study at night. Many are from broken families, abandoned by parents.

At the Sisters of Mary school, they finally find structure, daily meals, and an education in a safe, caring environment. To support them better, Sister Vaileth is learning English herself, both to translate for other Sisters and to guide students who only speak Swahili when they first arrive. For her, this mission is about restoring dignity to children who have suffered too much, too early. She expresses deep gratitude to the donors, whose generosity gives these children not just food and education, but hope and a future.

Sister Suzanne

"They tell me, 'Sister, you are the first person I have the courage to confide in.'"

Brazilian religious sister, Irma Suzanne travels across remote areas like São Félix do Xingu (Pará) to recruit girls. There, she met a heart-breaking case: a 12-year-old girl already suffering from alcoholism — a tragic cycle inherited from her pregnant mother, who was addicted, prostituted, and ran a bar visited by men each night. These traumas are common in the region, and many girls open up for the first time at Girlstown, revealing stories of abuse by fathers, stepfathers, or grandfathers.

At the school in Brazil, the girls practice capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art. It develops respect, self-discipline, breath control, and body mastery, while helping them reconnect with their cultural roots and reclaim pride in their heritage.

Sister Ana-Lucia

Sister Ana-Lucia is from the North of Brazil, where poverty runs deep — economically and morally. She speaks with sorrow about the states of Maranhão and Pará, where young girls face great hardships from an early age, often raised in disengaged families left to themselves. She feels a deep pain for her people, wounded by the lack of education, the absence of civic engagement, and a culture of dependency that, in her view, paralyzes society instead of empowering it.

In these poor regions, children attend school only half a day or in the evening at best. The rest of the time, girls are exposed to danger, early pregnancies, and social abandonment. The prevailing individualism makes it difficult to mobilize local support, even for just causes. Yet, Sister Ana-Lucia remains grounded in joy. She loves playing and talking with the girls, surrounding them with care and attention. She lives her mission fully, alongside 12 Brazilian sisters and others from the Philippines, Korea, Mexico. Together, they are part of an educational and spiritual mission that she calls nothing less than “grandiose.”

Sister Margie

Sister Margie works in Dodoma Boystown and goes out to meet boys in very precarious situations and offer them a place in school. She often travels long distances, such as during her recent mission to the island of Ukara in Lake Victoria. “Ukara is very isolated, most residents make a living from fishing. When we arrived, 463 of them were already waiting for us. It was almost 1 p.m. when I asked: “Who had breakfast?” Not a single hand was raised. We then bought 200 packets of biscuits to share; each child was able to receive a few. Only then did they start to smile and talk: before, they remained silent, too tired and hungry."

For Sister Margie, this experience reinforced her conviction: the mission of the Sisters of Mary is to respond to the call of the poor by becoming mothers for these children without family support. They offer them much more than education: a home, emotional support, as well as training to build them a solid future.

Sister Abigail

Sister Abigail studied at the Sisters' school in the Philippines from 2003 to 2006. After a few years of work, she joined the congregation in Minglanilla in 2013. She is now responsible for the Kisarawe Girlstown school, Tanzania. In this role, she ensures the proper functioning of the school and ensures that each girl has the opportunity to flourish academically and personally.

What inspires her the most is the transformation of the young girls she welcomes. When they arrive, they often lack self-confidence. With the Sisters, she offers them support and affection so that they feel valued. Thanks to the academic and professional skills they acquire, they gain confidence and become able to make their voices heard, help other young girls and contribute to change.

Sister Theresa

Sr Theresa works in Tanzania, first at Kisarawe Girlstown and now at the new school, Dodoma Boystown. Poverty in Tanzania is extreme and children live without their most basic needs.

Sr Theresa recalls the first group of girls she met in Tanzania in 2018 saying, "They moved me a lot. It was I who welcomed them and showed them their belongings: their clothes, their soap, their comb... Some of them didn't even know how to use soap to wash themselves, and that made me sad.  When they discovered their bed and mattress, they were so happy that they even cuddled them!  At that time our main building was not ready, there was mud and the road was difficult, but I told them: Welcome home! This is our home, our school. We were all very happy, and it was very moving for me."