Bishop Dr Aloysius D'Souza visits SVD Mission in Africa
Report: Fr Onil D’ Souza
Tanzania, Jul 27: The people of Simanjiro, Tanzania accorded a warm welcome to Mangalore bishop Dr Aloysius Paul D'Souza and his delegation during their visit here recently. They welcomed them with colourful Maasai dance and songs and presented him with a ‘shuka’ (Massai blanket ) and ‘Rungu’ (that is presented to the chief of the tribe recognizing him as the head of the tribe) along with a ‘Maasai’ Cross.
Simanjiro is a remote place in the region of Manyara of Tanzania, East Africa. From the city of Arusha the nearest main town one has to travel a long distance of hundred kilometers in the dessert on the bush roads to reach Simanjiro. The inhabitants of the place belong to Maasai tribe and the main occupation is grazing cattle and sheep. That’s their main source of income. In 1952 the Holy Ghost Fathers’ came as missionaries to work among Maasai tribe. Rome of the east Mangalore also has connection with Simanjiro mission. Fr Fredric Castillino of Belvai parish worked here from 2002 to 2007. Presently Fr Peter Pinto of Shirthady parish is the mission superior. The mission has 18 substations of Maasai Tribe and two substations of non-Maasai tribe having a Catholic population of four thousand.
The Mission runs 45 bed hospital to take care of the health needs of the people of Simanjiro. But for this hospital Simanjiro people would have had to travel, hundred kilometers to reach the nearest health center. One in fifteen days ‘flying medical services’ land at Simanjiro making Simanjiro as the base and visit near by villages to administer vaccine to pregnant women and children below 5 years each. They take the assistance of Simanjiro Hospital. In addition to this Simanjiro hospital on its own provides similar kind of service to another five villages along with a 24-hour ambulance service to the people in the bush which saves precious lives.
Aloysius Paul D’Souza, the Bishop of Mangalore, was very much pleased with the work done by SVD Fathers in this remote place. He appreciated their work and invoked God’s blessings on Simanjiro mission.