Compassion: Sister Monicah of Botswana, cont.

Sister Monicah of Botswana, page three

Child in Botswana As part of her training, Sister Monicah shares the work of the Passionist Sisters in Botswana. Many of the sisters are directly involved in ministry to AIDS patients and their families. AIDS is a huge problem in Botswana today; infant mortality and death rates have soared; the population is in decline. The average life expectancy is about 39 years.

Recently, Sister Monicah has been working with small children at the orphan school at Oldnaledi in Gaborone with Sister Carmel Gorman, C.P. "These children are living very bad lives," she says, "They are poor and they spend most of their time at the dump digging where the rich people throw things.

"I am trying to keep them away from the dump and teach them some things so that maybe at the beginning of the year they can be accepted back into school. I am also trying to help them get birth certificates by going to the different governmental departments with them. In Botswana you can't get an education or a job without a birth certificate and most orphans don't have one."

above, right: a child in Botswana

sharing scripture

Passionists in Africa • Congo • Botswana • Japan
Passionist Sisters Meet • What Can We Offer?
Jesus Carries His Cross • The Last Sermon
Editor's Note • Act with Compassion

Sign of the Passion