In a country where financial limitations prevent thousands of children from accessing quality education, the Sisters of Mary are stepping in to rewrite the future for Tanzania’s most vulnerable. Their mission: to offer free, high-standard education and practical training that equips young people for a better life.
Although Tanzania boasts the second-largest economy in East Africa, it continues to grapple with widespread poverty. Many families simply cannot afford a well-rounded education for their children. That’s where the Sisters of Mary, an international religious congregation founded in 1964 by Msgr. Aloysius Schwartz, make a crucial difference. Known globally for their dedication to serving disadvantaged youth, they are now bringing hope and opportunity to Tanzania’s underserved communities.
In 2019, the Sisters of Mary established a girls' boarding school in Kisarawe, part of the Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam, to support young girls from low-income households. Starting with basic education, the school has since expanded adding Advanced Level classes (Forms 5 and 6) in 2024. As of now, it educates 1,029 students.
Beyond academics aligned with national curriculum standards, the girls enjoy a nurturing environment where they grow socially and emotionally forming friendships, playing sports, and discovering new interests. The focus is not just on passing exams but on preparing them for meaningful careers and life beyond school.
The Kiluvya Nursery and Training Centre, opened in 2022, reflects the Sisters’ commitment to early childhood education and women's empowerment. The center provides Montessori-based learning for 90 young children and vocational training for 110 young women who left school prematurely.
This initiative is especially vital in a society where young women often face early marriage or limited career paths. The training programs aim to give them new beginnings—boosting confidence, independence, and employability.
The Sisters of Mary extended their outreach further with Dodoma Boys Town, which welcomed a new dormitory and gymnasium in March 2025. This facility provides care and education to boys from underprivileged backgrounds, offering both academic instruction and practical training.
The site includes a computer lab and bakery, enabling boys to gain hands-on experience in IT and bread-making skills that can lead directly to employment. The inauguration drew attention from national figures, including Tanzania’s Minister of Education and senior church leaders like Cardinal Protase Rugambwa and Archbishop Beatus Kinyaiya.
Working closely with the Tanzanian Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, the Sisters receive full backing to widen access to education. Across their programs, they currently support 1,583 children and young women.
Sister Merry Jane Talines, an administrator at the Kisarawe girls’ school, stresses the transformative power of educating girls. She notes that in many traditional communities, girls are often steered toward domestic roles or early marriage. “Education empowers them to dream bigger, earn income, and uplift their families,” she says.
The Sisters’ approach goes beyond textbooks. They ensure students have essentials like meals, clothing, and learning materials, while also encouraging parental involvement through yearly visits strengthening family ties and community engagement.
At the heart of everything the Sisters of Mary do is a firm belief in dignity, opportunity, and transformation. By offering comprehensive support from nursery care to vocational skills they are planting the seeds of lasting change in Tanzania, one child at a time.
Their vision is clear: a future where no child is held back by poverty, and every young person has the chance to rise, thrive, and contribute meaningfully to society.