Interview with Sister Beatrice Miburo

Sister Beatrice Miburo

Sr. Béatrice is from Burundi and actually she is living in Nairobi where she is serving in the formation team of the English speaking international Postulate. She lives in South B community.

Fides Mbabarempore: Reflect on your entire experience with the MSOLA Congregation. Recall a time when you felt most alive, most involved, spiritually touched, or most excited about your involvement. Tell me about this memorable experience that you have had with in MSOLA.

Béatrice: After my first profession, I was sent to the community of Kinshasa, but I wasn’t told anything to do as apostolate, the community had no idea either of what this young sister could do. After some time of reflection, I thought that I could do something with the young ladies who were roaming around without job and this made it easier for them to enter into bad behaviours.

Since I knew how to sew and to do embroidery, I asked the sisters of the community if I could begin with those who would like to learn and give them also some human morals and alphabetization lessons. To those who were catholic I thought that I could give them also some instructions to strengthen their faith. The community supported the idea and even the parish helped me by giving a hall where we could meet.

I started with six young women and using funds from the Congregation and at the end of the year only three persevered since I had to put some discipline for them. Nevertheless, they did quite a lot and they even did an exposition at the end of the year. People bought the things they made and the group got some money.

After the exposition, other girls joined the group since they saw that it was becoming fruitful and the first three were now trained to help others. From time to time we hold meeting and the parents were invited, they were happy to see their daughters improving in their skills and their own lives.

Along the years, the group continued and those young women were happy to do something to earn their living. I was also happy because my dream was somehow fulfilled with the help of the sisters in my community and the parish. Finally the project was even handed over to the parish.

Fides:  What made it an exciting experience?  

Béatrice: First of all the fact that he community was interested and was supporting the project. On the part of those young ladies, they responded with an open heart and were helped to be successful in their work and in their turn became initiators as Lavigerie invited us to be.

Fides: Who was involved?

Béatrice: As I already mentioned, my community, the Congregation, the parish, these young ladies and later on even the Diocese became interested and supported  the project. The parents were also involved by allowing their daughters to attend the group and by attending the meetings. The help the girls in their human education.

Fides: How did you feel?

Béatrice: I really felt good, recognized, encouraged, satisfied, supported, and fulfilled in my dream, valid and with a deep sense of belonging to the Congregation.

Fides: What did you do as a result of the experience?

Béatrice: First of all, the project continued and I was happy to see the development of those young ladies. Secondly, the experience gave me confidence and trust to do something in other communities where I was appointed later on, though whatever I have done it has always been with the consent of the community. The challenged I met later on did not know if a project of this kind was really a project of the Congregation or not, because many other people were involved even if at times in their own little way, but the sister was always involved full time.

Fides: Now, what are the things you value deeply about MSOLA? When you feel best about being a MSOLA, what about yourself do you value? What is the single most important thing that MSOLA has contributed to your life?

Béatrice: The things I value deeply about MSOLA are: The common good; this is very important in our Congregation, because every member is concerned and involved for our goods. The aspect of sharing with others; the Congregation is always open to others' reality and needs. We share with our sister congregations, we also share with our families, we share with the needy (it can be for education, health, etc.). Trust from the people who formed me; this has been very important for me because my formators were people who let me be guided by God; they were not at the center of my formation. I am grateful for the faith the formators put in me, because without it I would had not be a MSOLA today. The centralization; the structures of our Congregation are very open and everyone is included and all can follow what is happening. It involves all and wants that no one could remain behind. Openness; the Congregation is open to the reality of the people, their distress and misery and it stands for the dignity and respect of human rights.

When I feel best about being MSOLA is when those values are fulfilled because I am aware that when they are well lived, my identity as a MSOLA is fulfilled in the mission we have been entrusted.

What I personally value most is unity among the members and the capacity of living internationality and interculturality.

The most important thing MSOLA has contributed to my life is the care of my spiritual life (vocation), the continuity of my vocational growth and the way the Congregation handles challenges at all levels.

Fides: What do you think is the core value of MSOLA? What values give life to the Congregation? What is it that, if it did not exist, would make MSOLA totally different than it currently is?

Béatrice: The great participation of all the members. The mission is carried out by all, each one at her own level. The caring for the common good.

The value which give life to the Congregation is the openness to the realities of the Church and of the whole world.

If MSOLA didn't exist, there couldn't be an indispensable and active participation in the life of the Church, like the role our Superior General, Sr. Carmen Sammut played in the Synod of the family and even her responsibility in the International Union of Superiors General (UISG). All these responsibilities show that our Congregation is giving an important contribution to the Church. I am aware of many other members present in different positions in the Church.

We could also take our participation in JPIC and our involvement in forming leaders at all levels and empowering people in every apostolate and in what we live with the people.