Buhemba — where a better tomorrow begins
Buhemba is a small village in the Butiama District of the Mara Region in north-western Tanzania. Life here moves at a gentle pace, shaped by nature, work and daily responsibilities. Despite the beauty of the surrounding landscape, life is far from easy for its residents.
On 22 November 2015, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, a new parish in Buhemba was officially inaugurated, with Saint John Paul II as its patron.
The parish was entrusted to the pastoral care of Fr Maciej Braun, a member of the Congregation of the Resurrection. The Buhemba area covers approximately 100 square kilometres. The new parish comprises six villages, with its pastoral centre in Biatika.
Across this vast area, the first things that strike a visitor are the residents’ poverty and lack of access to education. Around Biatika, people live off small harvests from poor, mountainous land and depend on rainfall. Few have paid employment, simply because there are no jobs available. The parish villages are far from towns and cities. Illiteracy is not uncommon. Local children whose parents cannot provide adequate care face the greatest difficulties.
At the site chosen for the new parish, poverty and a sense of helplessness are immediately apparent. The tiny church needs renovation, while the adjacent building, with its kitchen and storeroom, also serves as sleeping quarters for the future parish priest. Yet the parishioners, left to fend for themselves in this remote place, and especially their children, give Fr Maciej hope and the motivation to act. He begins to make plans for the mission’s future and its development, both spiritual and material.
Education is constantly on his mind. His dream is to give children in the village and the surrounding area a sound, high-quality education.
A Catholic upbringing naturally goes hand in hand with this. He purchases hectares of land on which to build a preschool and a seven-year primary school. A sports hall is also part of the plan.
He knows this is an enormous project that will require substantial funding. His faith that he can succeed with God’s help goes hand in hand with practical planning. He cannot do it alone. He works alongside local residents to build up the parish. When it is time for his leave, he flies back to Poland, where, instead of resting, he leads retreats and talks about his work, raising the funds the mission needs.
He writes books, records CDs and is constantly on the road, working to turn this forgotten place near the equator — a tiny village he jokingly calls ‘off the beaten track’ — into a place where education will begin to transform the lives of future generations of Tanzanians. And those dreams start to take shape.
First comes the preschool, where children gain a solid foundation for their later schooling, helping to tackle illiteracy. The children come from some of the poorest local families or single-parent households, and many are orphans. Crucially, in this part of the world, they receive a nutritious meal that may not be waiting for them at home. Here, they can eat their fill every day.
With support from people outside the community and his own determination, the missionary continues to buy building materials. Foundations are laid for more buildings, walls rise and roofs are covered with metal sheeting. Every day brings the challenges of transporting supplies and paying workers.
Once the buildings’ shells are complete, they need basic furnishings such as tables, chairs and cupboards. Classrooms need boards and teaching materials. All the children receive two warm, filling meals, so plates, cups and kitchen equipment are also essential.
Only when all these individual elements are brought together do they form a functioning whole — a haven for local children.
Those were the beginnings, but the mission’s story continues, with new ideas constantly emerging. A novitiate has been established, a water tank with a pump installed, and a borehole drilled to provide water for local residents. A seven-year primary school, a school assembly hall, administration buildings, a sports hall and a sports field have been built. Boarding accommodation and a secondary school are now under construction.
Looking back and thanking God for the great things He has accomplished here in Tanzania through the humble service of Fr Maciej Braun and the help of benefactors, we can see how much has been achieved together. Education offers Africa a chance to reduce social inequalities and catch up with the rest of the world.
The spiritual well-being of the parish is, and will always remain, the priority. Yet the mission needs donors if it is to continue and grow. When we seek help and ask, we find people who see possibilities that others do not. Become one of them. Help us help others.
