Sr M Ranjitha BS
Superior
Members of the Community
Convent building
Medical Apostolate
Pastoral ministry
Teaching catechism
Love for the manual labour
Pastoral ministry
Come and see Candidates - Tanzania
Bethany Convent Bwambo, Tanzania ,Same District
The congregation of the sisters of the Little Flower of Bethany, Mangalore responded to the Invitation of BishopRt.RevRogathKimaryo to offer their services to theBwambo Health Centre of the Same Diocese.
Background information of Bwambo Health Centre:
Bwambo Health Centre belongs to the Immaculate conception Church of the Catholic Diocese of Same. It was categorized under Faith based organization (FBO). It was started in 1961 as a small Dispensary. It was elevated into a Health Centre by the ministry of health and social welfare in the year 1983.
The Bwambo Health Centre is situated on the Pare Mountains which is 150 kms south of Moshi town along Moshi-Dar es salaam highway. To the present, the Health Centre serves 50,000 population covering more than 15 villages. This turns up to 18% of the total population of the Same District. The Bwambo Health Centre has capacity of 40 beds of which 30 beds are used as Antenatal wards and the remaining for routine cases. Delivery rate is 35-40 per month. The centre also renders it services through mobile clinics for maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS patients, home based care for terminally ill patients on weekly basis. It also caters to daily outpatient services. About 220 varieties of cases are treated monthly. There are 9 primary schools and two secondary schools which depend on the Centre for health education and religion classes too.
Having studied the situation of the Health Centre and as per the invitation of the Bishop, the superior General Sr.Wilberta sent Srs.Ranjitha and Manu the qualified nurses to render their services to the Bwambo Health centre. The sisters joined the Health Centre on 9th August 2014. Along with the services to the health centre, the sisters also actively participate in the pastoral ministry by taking catechism and participate in the catholic women program. In the year 2015 March, Sr.Manu was ill and had to return to India. Sr.Veronica joinedSr.Ranjitha in the month of October 2015 to render her services to the centre.
Having learnt that there is scope to get vocations, the sisters expressed the desire of promoting vocations to the Congregation. The Bishop also expressed cooperation to have a formation house at Bwambo. On January 3rd 2016 the convent for sisters was inaugurated and five candidates were officially welcomed during the Eucharistic celebration officiated by Rt.Rev. Bishop RogathKimaryo. Sisters Ranjitha and Veronica was joyfully taking care of the candidates besides their duties in the hospital. Later Sr. Justine Gracy theformator was sent to be with the candidates. Sr.JustineGracy joined the sisters on August 2nd 2016. Since we were already three sisters, the congregation felt the need of canonically erecting the community. Thus on October 22nd 2016, the Bethany Convent Bwambo was officially erected and Sr.Ranjitha was installed as the first superior by the Superior GeneralSr.Rose Celine through the delegation given to Sr.Antonette, the Superior of the Bethany Convent, Mwanga.The erection of the community was done during the Eucharistic celebration officiated by Fr.Bedakiure, the Parish Priest and in the presence of council members of the parish.
ACTIVITIES OF THE BETHANY CONVENT, BWAMBO.
1.Medical services to the Bwambo Health Centre.
2.Formation program for Come and See group.
3.Pastoral activities in the Parish
4.Services to the Schools for religion classes
5.Participation in the catholic women empowerment of the Parish.
6.Family visits
7.Religion classes to the secondary school children
Activities of the Candidates:
1.Teaching catechism in the Parish.
2.Participation in the Choir.
3.Family visits.
4.Cultivation of the Land
5.Religion classes to the secondary school children
6.Visit to the sick in the hospital
Year of establishment: 22.10.2016