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| Sister Brigitte Mupenda Zawadi |
Sr. Brigitte is Congolese. She lives in
Mali in the community of Kalabankura and at present she is the coordinator of a
formation center for women.
Agnes Waweru: Recall a
time when you felt most alive, most involved, spiritually touched, or most
excited about your involvement. About memorable experience you have had with
MSOLA.
Brigitte: It concerns my
appointment to Chad, having done my apostolic experience in Mali and my first
appointment as MSOLA in Mali, although I had to work in two different places, I
felt at ease and the local language was the same everywhere. But once in Chad,
I discovered another reality totally different from what I had experienced
before.
The experience in Chad; through the
apostolate, life in the community and in their living environment, made
me live moments where I felt both alive and participating, very spiritually
touched and very enthusiastic by my engagement.
This was because, I tasted the reality of
what our first sisters lived, at least that's how I felt; because no specific
mission was entrusted to me and the majority of sisters from my community were
working in our health center. Not knowing the local language, my first apostolate
became that of going out to meet people, learn simple words in Ngambay (the
local language), then I found plenty of kids who wanted to teach me the local
language, so I invited them to come to the house; whenever they came, I helped
them with extra-lessons of school courses and they helped me with the local
language. We played different games among other things. Then the big girls
started coming, with them and did some work in crochet and embroidery, after,
the women themselves of the surrounding villages began to call on me for
embroidery, crochet, sewing and knitting. I took the opportunity to chat with
them on life education. The demand became greater and as I could not go
everywhere, they chose four villages where they could meet for work.
At the parish, I used to work with the
altar boys and I collaborated with another sister to conduct a short
training for men and women catechists of the compound, I also worked with the
youth of the parish for different activities.
In the community, I took care of the
maintenance and stewardship (as community bursar) the other sisters who were
working at the clinic used to leave early in the morning and came back a little
later. This is my great experience.
Agnes: What made it an
exciting experience is?
Brigitte: I was happy
and made people with whom I worked and lived with happy, through ordinary life
experiences. My initial anxiety was very fast turned into joy and full of
confidence in myself and in others.
Agnes: Who was
involved?
Brigitte: The
Congregation which sent me there, God who called me into the Congregation of
the MSOLA, myself, our sisters in community and the people to whom I was sent.
Agnes: Describe how
you felt?
Brigitte: I went through
several emotions, at the beginning when I received my appointment i.e. fear,
worry and anger. After, it turned to abandonment, confidence, hope and joy.
Agnes: Describe what
you did as a result of the experience?
Brigitte: Following this
experience, I felt strong and confident to do studies in a field that was
unknown to me. I made my final commitment in the Congregation of MSOLA, and I
lived with sisters of a different Congregation.
Agnes: The things you
value deeply about MSOLA? When you feel best about being a MSOLA, what about
yourself do you value? The single most important thing that MSOLA has
contributed to your life?
Brigitte: What I deeply
appreciates of the MSOLA is the desire to care for the well-being of each
sister. Our spirituality which makes us responsible in our spiritual and
apostolic life, dialogue and the developmental space given to each sister.
I feel best as MSOLA when I pray of
course, but mainly when I live as a woman apostle reaching out to others and
working for and with others without distinction.
About myself, I appreciate and value my
sense of responsibility and the capacity to easily adapt to different people
and environment.
The MSOLA have strengthened in me, the
trust in God, in myself and in others
Agnes: 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?
Brigitte: In my view, the fundamental value of MSOLA is the fact of
being a ‘woman - apostle’. Consecrated to be sent, the international and
intercultural community life, open to the needs of the people to whom we are
sent.
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