In Tanzania’s Arusha region, home to the Maasai and Meru communities, the Canossian Daughters of Charity are on a mission to protect young girls from harmful cultural practices and provide them with education, dignity, and the freedom to shape their own futures.
In Maasai society, traditional norms often rob girls of their childhood. Many girls between the ages of 11 and 13 undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) and are forced into early marriages, often with much older men, in exchange for cattle or money. Once married, these girls lose access to education, independence, and the right to divorce. They become the property of their husbands’ families, take on demanding household responsibilities, and bear multiple children, often without consent or consideration for their health. Poverty and deep-rooted cultural traditions persist, even as the surrounding world modernizes.
Founded in Italy in 1808 by St. Magdalene of Canossa, the Canossian Daughters of Charity dedicate their lives to supporting marginalized and vulnerable communities. In Arusha, the Sisters focus on empowering girls trapped in cycles of cultural oppression. Recognizing the urgent need for action, they established the St. Magdalene Training Centre in 1966.
Under the leadership of Sister Levina Mzebele, FDCC, the center provides girls aged 12 to 30 with vocational training in tailoring, cookery, soap-making, and other income-generating skills. Graduates receive free sewing machines to start small businesses, gain financial independence, and reclaim control over their lives. One former student, Theresia, shared how the training transformed her life: the work ethic she developed helped her start her own business, support her family, and teach three underprivileged children sewing for free. She even assisted her younger sibling in completing secondary school and attending university. Together, they built a sturdy brick and iron-sheet home, uplifting their family.
“I am grateful to the Sisters,” Theresia says. “I am no longer a burden to society. I can now manage my life responsibly and give back to others. This change has truly been a blessing.”
Despite these achievements, challenges remain. The absence of hostel facilities forces many girls to travel long distances to attend the St. Magdalene Training Centre, putting them at risk of abduction and forced marriage. “Sometimes we enroll 50 girls, but only 15 to 25 manage to graduate,” Sr. Levina explained. “Without a safe place to stay, they are pulled back into tradition.” To address this, the Canossian Sisters plan to build a hostel for at-risk girls, expand the training center, increase enrollment, and introduce more empowerment programs.
“When you educate a girl, you give her the power to change her life and the lives of those around her,” emphasized Sr. Levina. An educated woman can understand her rights, choose her partner, avoid harmful practices like FGM, educate her children, support her family, and contribute to community transformation. The Canossian Sisters’ work goes beyond charity; it is a movement for change. Girls once destined for hardship are now becoming agents of change, challenging harmful norms, reshaping their futures, and creating legacies of empowerment. Through education, love, and opportunity, the Canossian Sisters are not just saving lives—they are rewriting destinies.