1.1 Background of the Tandale Christian community: processes, start, stages

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1 EXPERIENCE OF THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY OF TANDALE. DAR ES-SALAAM, TANZANIA 1. Location and setting of the Tandale Christian community: 1.1 Background of the Tandale Christian community: processes, start, stages Tandale is the most socially excluded neighbourhood in Dar es-salaam 1 (financial capital of Tanzania). Dar es-salaam ( haven of peace in Arabic) was founded in about Tandale came about as a slum area around the financial centre of Dares-Salaam in the 40s. The first inhabitants were from the typical ethnic groups from the coastal area around Dar-es-Salaam (Pwani): wa-zaramo, wa-n gdengereko, wazigua, etc. They all belong to the Swahili 2 culture, most of whom are Muslim. This religion continues being predominant (70% of the Tandale is Muslim. There are 20 mosques within the parish area). In the 60s and 70s thousands of Tanzanians from the continent emigrated to the capital attracted by the economic progress. They settled in marginalised satellite neighbourhoods like Tandale. The predominant continental Tanzanian ethnic groups in Tandale are: wa-luguru (Mororogo), wa-kuere (Chalinze), Wa-chaga (Kilimanjaro), wa-hehe (Iringa), wa-n goni (Lindi), wa-haya (Bukova), etc. Most of them are Catholic Christians. At present they make up 10% of the population. The remainder (20%) are Christians from other denominations. In Tandale there are 6 Pentecostal Churches and one Anglican, Lutheran and Monrovia Church. The total population within the parish limits of Tandale is about 70,000 inhabitants. Between 5,000 and 7,000 are Catholic Christians scattered amongst Muslim neighbours. In the 60s and 70s the Catholic Christians were spread out amongst the Muslims without coming together as a community. They all took part in different neighbouring parishes. The Christian community came about in It started out as an outstation ( kigango in Swahili) of the recently founded parish of Manzese. The of African Missionary Society (White Fathers) has been in charge of the Manzese parish since it was founded. From the beginning the Tandale section began to 1 Dar es-salaam, capital of Tanzania, is in the east of the country on the Indian Ocean. It is the biggest city in the country, its main sea port and its most important commercial, manufacturing and educational centre. Amongst the products that are manufactured are foods, clothing, shoes, cloth, refined petrol and metal ware. The railways go inland to Arusha in the north, to Lakes Victoria and Zambia. The articles exported from Dar es-salaam are coffee, henequen, cotton and copper. The most important educational institutions in the city are the University of Dar es-salaam (1961), the Kivukoni College (1961) and the College of Business Education (1965). This is also where the national archives are, the Central National Library and the National Museum of Tanzania, which has important collections about East African ethnography, archaeology and history. Dar es-salaam ( haven of peace in Arabic) was founded in about 1860 as a summer residence for the Sultan of Zanzibar. Due to German colonial interests it grew from 1885 and in 1891 became the capital of German East Africa. Dar es-salaam went into British hands in 1916; its most important phase of growth as a modern city started in the 1940s. In 1961 it became the capital of independent Tanganyika and remained as the administrative seat when Tanganyika and Zanzibar were united to create Tanzania in At the beginning of the 1980s some governmental offices were moved to Dodoma, which was designated as the new capital. Population (according to estimates for 1999) 2,545,000 inhabitants. ( Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.) 2 Swahili, people from eastern Africa who speak Swahili, is a language with a Bantu structure originating from Zanzibar and made up of the different languages of the people trading in the Indian Ocean (Arabic, Indian, African languages, English, French and others). The Swahili, people from the sehel ( shore, in Arabic), were originally traders mixed from Africans, Arabs and Indians established along the routes that lead to the region of the great lakes. The population mix from the thousand-year-old trade with the Persian and Indian Gulf gave rise to a civilisation based exclusively in the exchange of goods and founded many market cities like Mogadiscio, Mombassa, Zanzibar, Kilwa and Sofala, an Eastern Mediterranean which was controlled by Portugal in the 16 th century with Vasco da Gama. Now, Swahili, which is spoken from Yibuti to Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, is the official language of Tanzania. ( Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.) 1

2 organise itself in Christian communities. The aim of this organisation was to intensify the sacramental care of the Christians, with the objective of reaching out to all of them. In each base community they chose lay leaders who helped the priests, through application forms, to study the different cases of baptism, marriage, funerals. In 1998 after 20 years experience the small Christian communities were set up ( jumuiya in Swahili). Each small Christian community contains about 20 families from one part of the neighbourhood. The objective is to share our Christian roots, increase the Christian commitment through cooperation with the neighbours, comfort the poor and the sick. They meet once a week to share the Word of God and to see how to introduce it into their ordinary life as a Christian community. 1.2 Details about the recent history that have left an important mark on the current situation. After 27 years of existence, last year on 17 th April 2005, Tandale was declared a Parish with the blessing of the Cardinal Policarpo Pengo. St Charles Lwanga, martyr from Uganda, is the patron saint of the parish. The African Missionary Society took responsibility for this new mission, attracted by the Muslim presence and the severe poverty in the shanty town. A new Church was built (most of the money coming from Germany). Three offices were also built (paid from Solidarity funds of the African Missionaries). At present funds are being collected to build the presbytery (priests house). The missionary community live in the rented accommodation in the neighbourhood, the landlord being Muslim. The Christian community lives in a process of self-affirmation. The context of poverty and the large Muslim presence to a large extent shapes the psychology of our Christians. For them the Church is a place of hope, the place to dream, the house where they get what they physically and spiritually need. A clear example is the architectural design of the church, its height (partly due to the extremely hot climate in Dar es Salaam) impacts due to the poverty of the shanty town. The Christian community is also undergoing a process of maturity, discovering itself as a community accompanied by the missionaries. Until last year the presence of the missionaries was spontaneous and focused on the sacraments. There was the risk of guiding themselves in their Christian pilgrimage without sufficiently sharing with the missionaries. Since the founding of the parish the missionary presence is constant. We are in a process of adaptation and integration, a process of mutual learning and discovery in our journey and the call of God. 1.3 Geographic setting Tandale is a shanty town (marginalised neighbourhood) of Dar es-salaam. It is 5 kilometres to the northeast of the centre of the city and is shaped by small valleys. The shanty town is overcrowded, 70,000 people live in 3 square kilometres. There is no urban planning; the houses have been built without following any pre-established order. The structural quality of the houses is very poor due to the poverty. 2

3 1.4 Political setting Tanzania was a single party state from 1965 until The only legal party was the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM, Revolutionary Party of Tanzania). In 1992 the opposition parties were legalised. The most influential of these is CUF which has Islamic roots. At last year s elections the CCM got 90% of the vote while the CUF only managed 7%. In Tandale, due to the large Muslim presence, you could say that the CMM and the CUF have similar presence. During the elections there is an atmosphere of tension. The rest of the time the political life is quite peaceful. 1.5 Cultural setting The town of Tandale is made up of cultures from different ethnical groups from all over Tanzania. However the most predominant culture is Swahili, the culture of the sehel ( shore, in Arabic). This is particularly evident during the weekends at the taarab and ngomo (drums) music festivals in different areas of Tandale. There is a peaceful, respectful harmony between the cultures, with freedom to participate in the celebrations of different cultures. The youth also have their own culture, shaped by the marginalisation, poverty, lack of hope, influence of the neo-liberal world, It is a culture that is removed from that of their ancestors tradition, a culture that is based on insecurity, on the provisional nature of our modern world. Another very clear culture is the poverty culture. Poverty leads to a lifestyle, a way of daily survival. 1.6 Economic Setting The large majority of the people in Tandale life in extreme poverty. We could say that 90% of the families survive on less than 120 US dollars a month. This is an undeniable truth: the people survive. 95% of the population is self-employed. Very few have a stable job. And those who are lucky enough get a criminal wage ( dollars a month). The youth are desperate. People hate the poverty and at the same time see no way out of it. A large proportion of the Christians and Muslims abandon their faith, they feel abandoned by God in their crucified existence. One of the most important markets in Dar es- Salaam, created in 1985, is in Tandale. The population does not share in the wealth that is generated. The traders live in the luxury areas of the city. Dar es-salaam is divided into three large ghettos. There is the ghetto of the Indians which is middle class, traders who live in the centre of the city; the ghetto of the wazungu ( whites ), people from NGOs, politicians and the diplomatic corps, the upper class, who live in luxurious surroundings along the coast of Dar es-salaam; and finally the ghetto of the Africans who live in shanty towns around the city, these neighbourhoods are called u-shwahili-ni, and are extremely poor. The interaction 3

4 between the three ghettos is minimal, and when it does occur it is to exploit the people from the u-shwahili-ni. I am the only mzungu inhabitant in the Tandale shanty town (70,000 inhabitants), neither are there any Indians. The situation in Tanzania is one of great poverty. In 2001 the gross national product (GNP), according to the Work Bank was 9,341 million dollars, which is equivalent to 270 dollars per head, and places Tanzania amongst the poorest countries in the world. 1.7 Social setting Tandale is a marginalised area. In Dar es-salaam it has a reputation for criminality and prostitution. It is a ushwahilini, in other words a ghetto. Nothing good comes from Tandale. This makes the people from Tandale have a very generous personality. There is a mix of self pride and low self-esteem. Most of the population is under Christian-Muslim setting The poverty is a bond between the Christians and Muslims. There are many examples of mutual solidarity due to the poverty. Faith is respected. Coexistence is pacific. Inter-religious dialogue is through daily human sharing, the solidarity between the neighbours. The Christians and Muslims mutually invite each other to eat at the different religious feasts: Christmas, Easter, Ids (Ramadan) There is great solidarity at the funerals, at the wakes. At the same time, purely theological dialogue is almost non-existent. Whilst giving this example of a coming together of religions, we can say that they are clearly at the same time two parallel traditions rooted in a different faith. For example, the Catholic belief in a God which is a community (Father, Son and Holy Spitirt), close to us, and the Muslim belief in One-God, all powerful, who lives at a distance, is seen in specific cases of daily life. In the parish we have 31 small Christian communities, and there is a common bond, the Parish where we pray every day. At the same time in Tandale there are 20 mosques, between which there is no coordination, there is no common faith project. The Muslim leaders are not very interested in the inter-religious dialogue. Any attempt at dialogue by the Catholic Church is taken with suspicion. In many cases they mix the faith with the politics in the country, confrontation between CCM (party in power) and CUF (fundamentalist Islamic party). They think that the Catholic Church is allied with the Tanzanian Government in an attempt to oppress them. A clear example is their reaction to the possibility of receiving food aid for the poorest people from the mosques. The United Nations ( World Food Programme ), through the Catholic Church, wants to help the poorest people in Tandale. A group of Muslim leaders distrust this project. They think that behind the charitable project is an attempt to bring their faithful to the Catholic Church. 1.9 The living conditions of the people: their lifestyle, their setting, etc. 4

5 Tandale is known as one of the most violent areas in Dar es-salaam. There are various areas of prostitution which are famous throughout Dar es-salaam. One of them is called uwanja wa fisi ( the place of the hyena ). Youth crime and immorality are very high. Official statistics from the Catholic Church and from the Tanzanian Government show that 20% of the adult population of Tandale carries the AIDS virus. The life expectancy is between 40 and 45 years old. Death due to malaria or AIDS is an every day reality. Access to medicine is prohibitive due to their price. People die because they are unable to pay their hospital bill. This breeds a life based on pessimism and despair. Most girls manage to complete their primary education but few their secondary education. With the boys the dynamic is similar, except that more of them try to complete at least half of their secondary education. Many seek alternatives at carpentry, mechanical, tailoring schools, etc. Only 1% reaches university. Tandale is a marginalised shanty town of Dar es-salaam where there is no urban planning. The houses are on top of each other. It is normal for an entire family to rent one room. The normal houses in the ushwahilini have various rooms so in one house up to 10 families may live. There is therefore no privacy. They share the toilet and the corridor. In many cases the poverty and religion mark the social life. There are many cases of cooperation between people. The world of poverty is a world of survival; it is a world all to itself. The prices are adapted to the economic reality in Tandale. Food (a plate of rice or ugali (corn paste) with a bit of vegetables, meat and beans) at any bar in Tandale costs 500 Tsh (0.3 Euros). There is a large market of second hand clothes imported from the rich countries where one can buy clothes (good quality) from 200 Tsh (0.1 Euros) 1.10 What type of commitment do they have towards faith and justice? The Catholic Christians are committed to faith in the following areas: At the weekly faith meetings of the various small Christian communities. A group of families meet in the neighbourhood to pray, share their faith and perceive a joint mission in their context and in the parish. In the parishes as spirituality forums proposed in the parish: marriage, AIDS, abstinence, personal prayer, Christian leadership, etc. In the different apostolic groups in the parish: the Sacred Heart of Jesus (contemplation group), WAWATA (mothers group), Charismatic (the work of the Holy Spirit), the Good Samaritan (charity and helping the sick and those in need), SHIKWAKA (apostolicity through song, ARIMATHEYA (apostolicity though lament and compassion), etc. Through their not only spiritual but also economic contribution, in spite of their material poverty. In the interest in founding relationships of solidarity ( Ujirani Mwema ) with the Muslims. 5

6 The Catholic Christians are committed to justice in the following areas: In their work confronting the injustices that oppress them. In the parish there is a Justice and Peace Committee which is in charge of giving a presence to the justice of God in the unfair context of Tandale. In their work visiting those in need, those with malaria, AIDS, tuberculosis, etc. Confronting suffering is the first step towards alleviating it. In their work with the poorest through the parish Caritas group. Also through the new World Food Programme project which will provide food for the 100 poorest families in Tandale for the next two years. This project which appears to be only charitable also intends to promote justice in the various families by trying to make them self-sufficient through miniprojects. In the creation of a reading and writing workshop for adults. 2. Interviews 2.1 JOSEPHINA NYAMIHULA Sex: Female Age: 42 Family: Married with four children Ethnic group: M-haya (Northeast of Tanzania) Profession: Housewife Commitment in the Church: commitment in various parish groups: Vice-secretary of the parish board, chair of the parish religious education committee, chair of the San Zakaria Small Christian Community: Vice-chair of the group of small Christian communities Tandale-Este : vice-chair of the group of the Good Samaritan apostolic committee, secretary of the Liturgy parish committee, vice-chair of the Couples for Christ apostolic group, active member of the parish mothers committee. 1. What commitments to justice and a dignified life for all have you acquired as a Christian community, in other words, helped by your shared Christian faith? In our small Christian community San Zakaria we perform various initiatives in the area of justice and dignified life. All of the initiatives come from out community being based on the Love of God. To grow and become a community with more solidarity is our goal. Once a week 125 families meet as a community. We share the Word of God of the following Sunday. We try to assess its impact in our daily lives as a community in the context of our neighbourhood and parish. There is a commitment towards helping each other in times of pain. We help each other when someone is having financial difficulties with a joint fund. We visit each other frequently, which includes the Muslim community. We advise and encourage each other when we have marital or family problems and in looking after our children. 6

7 In our context there are many families suffering greatly due to the economic reality. The few families with more security try to help those in need. This is not always easy. In our community there is a person in charge of the sick. As a community we visit them, we pray together and console them. We also meet with and give financial assistance to the families of those you have died in our Christian community and neighbourhood (including Muslims). This is our challenge. At the same time I have to acknowledge that it is not easy. The women are much more committed than the men. They have more of a feeling of community. 2. Are these commitments a meeting point for you with God? How? Yes, I feel that God is present in our commitment. Without Him, without our Christian faith, our work would not last. Our sharing, our belief in community life is because we believe in a God who is community. The comfort, our compassion is based on our all-compassionate God. Personally I feel his presence when I see through my advice the life of my colleagues transform. Who am I in my weakness to obtain such transformation? Only God can. 3. What signs of the Spirit have appeared in this life of commitment that you consider particularly important? Attitudes, community dynamics, lifestyles, involvement of people, etc. The greatest sign of the Spirit is the growing unity amongst us. We are more and more sensitive towards our pilgrim brethren by walking together. Another sign of the Spirit is the compassion in suffering and the happiness that we share. There is also the sign of the visitation. God visits, he comes to us suddenly without warning. This is very much present in our community. The sign of limitless generosity. In our community there is generosity. We offer help, comfort, without taking the person s religion, tribal origin and social situation into consideration. We also know that people are not always willing to accept the challenge of generosity, which happens in the Christian community. 4. What aspects of your faith have become clear, emphasised, strengthened?: in the manner of seeing the life of Jesus, or interpreting the face of God, or in receiving people, or seeing the presence of God in non-christians Through our commitment we help through our inter-religious context, we feel that we are children of God. We have the same origin and Divine dependence. Our faith has been strengthened through the community, compassion and forgiveness. 5. What are the greatest difficulties that you have come across in your commitment? How have you dealt with them? 7

8 The greatest difficulty that we have experienced comes from living in the midst of such poverty. Many of our colleagues survive. They have no hope; they live in pessimism and in the darkness of life. We have no energy, weak faced with an unfair social system. There are also only few of us who offer. We lack resources to be able to offer effective help, particularly material resources. Prayer, the weekly meeting and the daily Eucharist are our sources of hope which allow us to continue in our pilgrimage. They help us to see the Crucified Lord in the hopelessness of poverty. 6. From this life of faith and commitment to justice in favour of the poorest, what do you ask of your Church? What do you think that it should change or strengthen? What would you like its commitment to justice and life to be? We are the Church. To ask of the Church for more commitment means to first of all ask it of ourselves. More commitment in prayer and in our spiritual life. Today s church needs to be closer to the Crucified, to discover and unveil the presence of God in those in our world with no hope. The universal Church must act with more solidarity. We need financial aid from the Church in the first world. We need to be visited, to be discovered. To create a more universal and compassionate church, closer to the suffering of the people, closer to the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7. From this same life, what do you ask of your society? What do you ask of those who live in the world s developed countries? I ask of our society that it opens its eyes in order to see the injustices that occur. I ask for the opportunity for more access to education, to make it possible for those without economic means. I ask for a compassionate Health Service which is close by and access to medical treatment and medicines. To those in the developed world I would ask them to visit us in order to see the truth about our suffering, to see how we survive. We want to be listened to, we want a lasting friendship, and we want advice and to mutual guide each other. 2.2 PELAGIA ONESIMO Sex: Female Age: 44 Family: Married with seven children Ethnic group: M-chaga (North of Tanzania, bordering Kenya) Profession: Housewife Commitment in the Church: committed in various parish groups: Vice-chair of the small Christian community San Alberto, Vice-secretary of the group of small Christian communities Mama menda, Director of the parish economic committee, secretary of the parish caritas committee, director of the parish Mother 8

9 Theresa of Calcutta committee, active member of the parish mothers committee, coordinator of the parish children s committee What commitments to justice and a dignified life for all have you acquired as a Christian community, in other words, helped by your shared Christian faith? My commitment is on different levels. Our small Christian community is in a very difficult area, particularly due to prostitution, in Tandale: Uwanja wa fisi. This is a challenge for all of us, for our children. The atmosphere of suffering and pain is obvious. Maisha ni rahisi hapa (life is cheap here), is a phrase that is often heard here, a prostitute sells herself for a couple of dollars. The percentage of those infected with the AIDS virus is over 50%. Faced with this situation our commitment is to justice and a dignified life in our crucified context, which we do on an individual level and a group level. We meet with the prostitutes to listen to them and advise them. It is a very complex task. They are not always willing. We try to protect our children from something which is very obvious on our streets. Through our parish meetings we aim that they have hope, we help them to grow in faith, giving them the possibility of dealing with this crucified life. On the parish level the prostitution is a priority in our Justice and Peace committee. We try to understand the reality from different social, psychological perspectives. Also through our Caritas group we try to reach those in need, trying to give them the free Love of God, Love which gives them dignity, Love that makes them defend their human rights. 2. Are these commitments a meeting point for you with God? How? They are definitely opportunities to find God. Our commitment makes us grow in faith. It is a journey with ups and downs. It is not easy. To confront and stay before the cross is a challenge accepted by very few people. In order to see God in the suffering and in the despair you need spirituality. Only through prayer and the daily Eucharist can one remain true to this mission. 3. What signs of the Spirit have appeared in this life of commitment that you consider particularly important? Attitudes, community dynamics, lifestyles, involvement of people, etc. One of the clearest signs is courage, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.. (2 Timoteo 1:7) Another is constancy, faithfulness. In our context in Tandale faithfulness is crucial. Constancy in faith is essential faced with a crucified reality ( mazingira magumu ) which is so clear and absorbent. Another sign is that of unity. The cruel reality unites us; we can not do it alone. 9

10 4. What aspects of your faith have become clear, emphasised, strengthened?: in the manner of seeing the life of Jesus, or interpreting the face of God, or in receiving people, or seeing the presence of God in non-christians The reality of life in Tandale helps us to strengthen our faith. Faith in a God who is full of compassion, a God who cries, who suffers, who complains, who shows weakness, who is crucified, who does not react. At the same time our faith is strengthened in the paschal reality of the situation in which we are immersed. Life, happiness, rejoicing together with pain and suffering. A clear example is our children. 5. What are the greatest difficulties that you have come across in your commitment? How have you dealt with them? One of the biggest difficulties is the lack of volunteers, people who are totally committed. Many of our Christians survive, they are also immersed in the economicsocial injustice. It is not easy to help the crucified when you are also crucified. Another difficulty is the lack of resources and education in our service. We try not to lose hope, basing our commitment on the life of Jesus, giving ourselves to the Eucharist. 6. From this life of faith and commitment to justice in favour of the poorest, what do you ask of your Church? What do you think that it should change or strengthen? What would you like its commitment to justice and life to be? The Church is called upon to be a sign of hope, forgiveness and love. I ask the Church for more commitment to the suffering. I ask it to reconsider its vision towards the prevention of AIDS. I ask it for a more unconditional and freer commitment. We are all the Church and we all have our take part to play in strengthening the body of Christ. 7. From this same life, what do you ask of your society? What do you ask of those who live in the world s developed countries? I ask our society to be united against the social problems that enslave us. I ask it to be more compassionate that it sees the suffering of all of the innocent people dying of AIDS or malaria. I ask that once and for all it makes available the resources necessary in order to obtain the vaccine against malaria. At the same time we need help in order to educate ourselves on our human rights. 2.3 GENES MARANDU Sex: Male Age: 38 10

11 Family: Married with two children Ethnic group: M-chaga (North of Tanzania, bordering Kenya) Profession: Self-employed Commitment to the Church: committed to various parish groups: Chair of the parish council, chair of the parish Family committee, secretary of the parish funerals committee What commitments to justice and a dignified life for all have you acquired as a Christian community, in other words, helped by your shared Christian faith? Our commitment to justice and the dignified life is based on our daily dedication. It is a humble commitment without great claims. It is a commitment which has as its source the various small Christian communities. We visit the families in the community, we listen to their problems, their complaints, their joys, we try to advise them about their matrimonial problems, problems with their children, about their financial efforts. We also have delegations in our small Christian communities to reach more marginalised people and the sick, to reach out to the children and young people. It is a daily journey. Sharing the word of God at our weekly meeting in the small community helps us. 2. Are these commitments a meeting point for you with God? How? As chair of the parish council I feel God in many of our activities. When we visit many couples who live outside of marriage we invite them to formalise their matrimonial life. In their search I see the presence of God. Visiting the marginalised and the sick in our community I find the crucified Lord, and at the same time the Resurrected Lord, there is often great peace amongst the suffering. I also find God at our parish meetings. When we listen and share his Word. 3. What signs of the Spirit have appeared in this life of commitment that you consider particularly important? Attitudes, community dynamics, lifestyles, involvement of people, etc. The first sign of all is the sign of commitment. Our Christian community is more and more committed in the struggle for a more dignified life. Another sign is sharing, the sign of community life. There is cooperation, love, devotion between the different families in the community. The sign of sharing is also present in our relations with the Muslim community. There is a spirit of solidarity in times of happiness and suffering. For example at the various religious feasts: Christmas, Easter, Iddi, etc. We invite each other from different faiths to the family meals. Also in times of pain we comfort each other and help each other. 4. What aspects of your faith have become clear, emphasised, strengthened?: in the manner of seeing the life of Jesus, or interpreting the face of God, or in receiving people, or seeing the presence of God in non-christians 11

12 The personality of Jesus, his compassion, his dedication to those most in need, his forgiveness these all shape our Christian community. Also a God who loves everyone, who takes care of all of his children. A God who washes our feet, who is infinitely humble, a suffering servant. 5. What are the greatest difficulties that you have come across in your commitment? How have you dealt with them? One of the biggest difficulties was and is the lack of volunteers. There are many people who offer themselves as volunteers, but it is not enough, particularly as our community is now a parish. Another difficulty is the economic poverty. Poverty governs us. Often our commitment is shaped by our economic suffering. And this can be seen in many aspects: the failure to attend Sunday mass (70% of our Catholics continue with their fight for daily survival), and at the many couples who live together outside of marriage with children, at the difficulty in believing in oneself, etc. Many steps have been taken: in the next few weeks we will have elections in all of the small Christian communities in the parish, we will try to highlight the leadership qualities required in the Catholic Church. Also about the importance of offering ourselves, fully devoting ourselves in our ecclesiastic commitment. We try to ensure that economic poverty is not an obstacle to our faith. 6. From this life of faith and commitment to justice in favour of the poorest, what do you ask of your Church? What do you think that it should change or strengthen? What would you like its commitment to justice and life to be? First of all we need to be more deeply-rooted in the Word of God. The Word of God is the Word of Life and Hope. We need more education about the official teaching of the Catholic Church. Especially in relation to the poorest people, the dispossessed. The Church must be committed to its social commitment. We need help with loan projects. We need to be educated about our civic rights. The Church s commitment to justice and life must be based on God s plan of liberation, a plan of equality where there are no rich and no poor. 7. From this same life, what do you ask of your society? What do you ask of those who live in the world s developed countries? I ask them for mercy, I ask them to come and see, to find out for themslevs. That they see our poverty and our Church in the midst of the daily struggle to survive. We ask them for money to build to schools, hospitals, roads, etc. 12

13 2.4 CELESTINO MIDAULI Sex: Male Age: 48 Family: Married with four children Ethnic group: M-morogoro (Central-Tanzania) Profession: Teacher Commitment in the Church: committed in various parish groups: Secretary of the parish council, chair of the parish Justice and Peace committee, vice-chair of the San Gervasio small Christian community, member of the parish Mother Theresa of Calcutta committee What commitments to justice and a dignified life for all have you acquired as a Christian community, in other words, helped by your shared Christian faith? Our commitment to justice and a dignified life is a daily pilgrimage. As chair of the parish Justice and Peace committee I try to be close to the unfair situations that surround us. Tandale is a place full of injustice, particularly economic injustice. 90% of our families live on under 120 US dollars a month. They survive. This reality leads to other injustices due to the struggle for daily survival. For example, my monthly salary as a Tanzanian State primary school teacher is less than 100 dollars a month. Another injustice is the environmental situation. In Tandale there is no space between the houses, there is no privacy. This shapes our psychology. It creates tension, confrontation. There is not even a minimal right to privacy. Another injustice concerns water in Tandale. The municipal service is extremely unreliable; water does not reach our houses. Only by waiting for hours in a queue can people get water. The price is unfair. In the rich areas of the city water is accessible. Another injustice concerns the law. We have our own law amongst the poor. We do not follow society s law. Our survival leads to a strange life style. For example if one of us is robbed by another there is a real possibility of them being publicly burned. This has occurred on various occasions this year. There is no mercy in survival. There is even injustice within our Church. Sometimes there is jealousy, doubts, distrust which is all unfair. Faced with the reality of this situation we try to present our Christian faith. A faith that invites us to respect the dignity of the human beings. It is a difficult task. Only with the grace of God can we continue. 2. Are these commitments a meeting point for you with God? How? The commitment to Justice and Peace is a special place where God can be found. In my commitment I feel alive, happy, fulfilled as a human being. For me this is a sign 13

14 of God. Giving a voice to those who have no voice, defending their rights is a way of giving a voice to Christ our Lord. Another way of feeling God is through solidarity with the people. God s compassion is present in times of pain, suffering and death. 3. What signs of the Spirit have appeared in this life of commitment that you consider particularly important? Attitudes, community dynamics, lifestyles, involvement of people, etc. The clearest sign is love. Through our commitment Love becomes present. It is an unconditional love faced with the hatred which is all too often present in our daily struggle to survive. Another sign is unity and respect. As a teacher I have Muslim pupils. There is religious respect amongst the students and also amongst the teachers. 4. What aspects of your faith have become clear, emphasised, strengthened?: in the manner of seeing the life of Jesus, or interpreting the face of God, or in receiving people, or seeing the presence of God in non-christians The mercy of God is clearer and clearer in my experience of faith. It is a mercy reflected in the life of Jesus, devoted to those who are religiously and culturally marginalised. Another aspect of my faith is that of a God who always welcomes us, a God who is always waiting for us, who wants to hold us, the God of the Prodigal Son. 5. What are the greatest difficulties that you have come across in your commitment? How have you dealt with them? For me one of the greatest difficulties is combining my Christian commitment and my daily struggle for survival. Often my only worry is to find extra income in order to be able to feed my family. This creates a risk of interfering with my commitment, making it less free and sometimes for personal interest. And I am not alone; my problem is that of most of our Christians. Faced with the reality of this situation we try to pull ourselves together. Asking for the grace of God to be truer in our commitment. 6. From this life of faith and commitment to justice in favour of the poorest, what do you ask of your Church? What do you think that it should change or strengthen? What would you like its commitment to justice and life to be? One thing that I would ask is for the Church to come closer to the Muslim world. I think that the situation in Tandale is an example of inter-religious dialogue based on an unselfish coming together in our ordinary lives, in simplicity, with respect. I 14

15 think that this must be the basis of every coming together. It is theology without big abstract notions, rather a homemade theology. The Church must grow in mercy, in sacrifice, limitless and unselfish devotion. 7. From this same life, what do you ask of your society? What do you ask of those who live in the world s developed countries? We ask for justice. We ask for equality. We ask for compassion. We ask for commitment, We ask that the society is able to see the reality of the situation as a whole. We are marked by poverty. We need free access to health and education. We need our shantytown to be re-designed; we need a healthy environment for our children. We need our children to receive professional training. 2.5 ALODIA ISHENGOMA Sex: Female Age: 52 Family: Married with four children Ethnic group: M-Haya (Northeast Tanzania) Profession: Trader Commitment in the Church: Vice-chair of the San Zakaria, small Christian community, member of the parish special Income committee. 1. What commitments to dignity and justice have you made as a Christian community, i.e. inspired by your Christian faith? Apart from trying my best to meet church obligations, I try to meet other commitments on voluntary basis at our Small Christian Community level and at Parish level. At community level there is social support to one another mostly in kind and small cash; that is when one is sick we visit and pray with him/her as well as cheer him/her up. We do the same when someone loses a relative We also help with some cash for buying basics. In some occasions I personally contribute to help the sick to meet hospital charges or meet other social problems. Just to mention a few 1. In one occasion a child could not undergo an operation due to lack of money, so I contributed 2/3 of the required amount and the family raised the rest and the boy was able to undergo an operation. He is okay and playing along with others. 2. In another case our Christian community helped one lady and her daughter to go back to Kigoma after being neglected by her husband and she had nowhere to go. The fare was not enough so I topped it up. She arrived safe and sound. 15

16 At Parish Level, I participate in various activities and meetings and contribute ideas, which help in the development of our Tandale church which is now a one year old Parish. We are still struggling to make it grow in the right direction. 2. Are these commitments occasions for an encounter with God? In which way? Yes. This is due to our faith. It is written in the Bible that whatever you do for/to others, you are actually doing it for/to God. The Tandale parishners have developed trust in me. So far I have been: - a matron of two (2) Church Choirs a matron of watumishi a guest of honour to the Tandale Young Christians Concert a member of two (2) Church Development Committees The latest committee of which I am a member to-date is a special committee for Financial Resource Mobilization (Fund raising) I am also the vice-chairperson of our Small Christian Community St Zakaria I feel happy and closer to God than just going to Church. I feel so blessed and strong especially when I attend meetings, share ideas, advice and learn a lot from my fellow parishners. But most of all when I am able to help and that help is recognized not only by the receivers but also by God who provides more and more opportunities. 3. What signs of the Spirit have appeared in that life of commitment, which you consider especially important?: attitudes, community dynamics, life styles, implication of persons The most important sign is being alive, going on well and getting more opportunities as stated earlier. I have been a widow since January By God s Grace I was able to go through difficult times, raised my children alone, most of the time praying to God to keep me alive until my children will be independent. 4. What aspects of your faith have become clearer, outstanding, strengthened? in the way to view Jesus life, or to interpret God s face, or to welcome people, or to see God s presence in non-christians Unfortunately I cannot consider myself having an outstanding aspect. I only try to be kind. I do not belong to any society example the Sacred Heart of Jesus or Legio Maria or any, thinking that I might not have enough physical time to participate in activities or even meeting basic obligations. With this I feel I am missing something. 5. When carrying out your commitment, what major difficulties have you experienced? Difficulties experienced so far include: -If you contribute some reasonable cash or something valuable and they see, they think that you are rich and forget that one contribute because of faith not wealth. 16

17 That is why some parishners prefer anonymity. Otherwise, some people wonder why you do so; some even approach you for personal help like paying school fees for their children or at least buying some food, cloth or any present. They do not understand you and do not see the reason why you give that away to church instead of helping them. Some think that money offered to church is misused and because of this mistrust some do not contribute genuinely. Of course some come for help without referring to your church contributions. Giving loans and help is the same because you seldom get it back and just let it go. For No. 6 & 7 there is a need to note the following before directly answering them that: a. In Tandale there are many tribes, many clans, many different ethnic groups; many different Christian denominations; All in all, the Moslem community is dominant. b. There are few church goers; few attendees to small Christian community services and gatherings; most men never attend and I know a few who also prevent their wives from attending c. Many are unstable as they join any Christian denomination after a small sensitization d. Despite many families being poor, with many children and indeed not sure of their next meal, they live in hopes and cheerful. They tried their best to contribute towards the building of the church and establishment of the Tandale parish. Things are moving though at a very slow pace. e. There are many different political parties, some based on Moslem faith or ideologies or biases f. Most Tandaleans believe in witchcraft, they are easily hypnotized or even cheated g. Most members of Tandale are petty business people operating in the informal sector, informal jobs (houseboys/girls, food vendors, water vending, etc.). Few are working in the formal sector but in low caliber jobs (drivers, guards, etc). h. Tandale is an unplanned settlement characterized by squatter areas and slums; most places are inaccessible even by a wheelbarrow; houses are are so crowded and so close to each other that in case of fire, the whole area might be affected. i. Some basic services like water have been missing for over a decade. Some households have no toilets j. There are no proper data and research is required to determine and quantify the size of Catholics their profile (who they are, what are they doing); living conditions, poverty situation and capabilities for proper planning. k. Few are committed Christians as seen from their extent of going to church, attending small community meetings; participating in church maintenance (cleansing, management of services, etc) and voluntary contributions. l. Some are members of a particular Christian society e.g. Couples for Christ, Lejio Maria; Arimathea, Wawata, etc. Choir, Youth s Groups, etc. 6. From the vantage point of your faith and commitment to justice in favour of the poorest, what do you ask today of the Church you are part of? What do you think should be changed or strengthened? How would you like your commitment to justice and life to be? 17

18 From these characteristics and particularly challenges (which can also enrich the first part of the questionnaire), the most important issue is to have proper data and in particular to identify able people and sensitize them to contribute in accordance to their wealth for the development of our parish and for proper planning; Some of these people have difficult hearts (mioyo migumu) and do not trust that money is used genuinely. We need to soften them once identified. We need also be more open and transparent on income and expenditure perhaps on monthly basis. In the meantime and as a short-term measure, the parish leaders should get response information from this questionnaire and discuss the way forward with immediate effect. Youths should be sensitized to volunteer in participating in parish activities and also to struggle to join priesthood and sisterhood. 7. and from the same standpoint, what do you ask of the society in which you live? What do you ask also of those who live in the rich countries of the world? The society should learn to say yes to Jesus, God, Catholicism, etc. those who are dormant once identified through data collection, should be sensitized to go back to church and meet their obligations. We need to clean and clear our house as a first step. From the rich countries; we may immediately introduce ourselves and let them know our existence. It is not good to extend any direct support request with the exception of praying for us. We need to have our church clean and clear to some extent and to have proper data and information, which can be disseminated with confidence to them. Then we can be in position to invite them to visit and see our situation, learn from the other side of the world, provide advice, share ideas, and then we can be in position to request for facilitation in resource mobilization and any other support for development of our parish. 18