Volunteered September 2017

HUI TSE FROM MALAYSIA

I spent a very productive two weeks here at St Catharine Monastery in Karatu. My main volunteer tasks were to create this website for UDF so that the public can be aware of the amazing projects that UDF has completed to help the community in various rural areas in Tanzania. I also helped the sisters write up a few fundraising proposals ~ for a shelter in Arusha, to help rural youth in this region and to obtain a study grant for one of the sisters to further her studies in order for her to help many others in future.

Outside my volunterer hours, I managed to wander a bit in the surroundings of the Monastery, which is beautiful. I wish I had a bike to cover the vast plains! I also had the chance to visit the town of Karatu and had interesting interaction with the local children here.

The people in this area are very welcoming, always with a smile and "Mambo!" on their lips. Herman is an optimistic and hardworking man who is very organized and easy to work with. I really appreciate that he waited for me at the airport as he had promised, despite being down with malaria!

The Nuns at St Catharine's are the most lovely people. They welcome anyone with any faith to visit their beautiful premises here. For this, I  had the good fortune to interact with a couple of religious teachers from Belgium and a family from UK who stayed the night during their safari tour. I hope the Monastery gains more prominence among tourists, as it provides very clean, safe and comfortable accommodation for all.

I am especially grateful to Sr Noela for teaching me a thing or two about helping poor children/youth, and Sr Scola for making sure I got to and out of Karatu town safe and sound :) I know I will miss the cheerful greetings from the two hardworking young nuns I know best - Ordelia and Esther - and wish them well in all their endeavors.

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