Interview with Sr. Chimwemwe Mgangira

Sister Chimwemwe Mgangira Theresa

Sr. Chimwemwe is Malawian. At present she lives in Nairobi. Because of ill health she helps in whatever way she can e.g. helping the sisters who are learning English or proof reading some of the class work of some students. In community she helps wherever she can according to her strength. She hopes to help later in Guadalupe Parish once in a while.

Georgette Ouedraogo: 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. Describe the event in detail.

Chimwemwe: When I was appointed to Mwanza Tanzania I happened to go to Mass with my community one morning at 6 am. I was shocked and sad to see children sleeping by the road side and outside the shops. I asked the sisters who those boys were. I was told that those were the street children and that they had no place to sleep. I could not understand that because I had thought that street children were the ones begging on the streets but never did I think that they were spending their nights on the street. I thought that they were going back to their families to sleep at night.

I was very happy when I was asked to study counselling for the young people from broken homes in London. I was then well prepared when the late Archbishop Mayala of Mwanza asked our Provincial for a Religious sister to work with the street children in Mwanza Tanzania and mainly with the street girls. When I came back to Mwanza, I did a research in order to find out where the street boys and girls were. I then, went around the market places the lake side and even in the bars at night to meet the young people who had left their families and formed a community of their own, on and off the streets. It was a bit risky but I was protected by the police and the street children themselves.

The word of God from John 1 v. 38-39 the call of the first Disciples where it says....” Master where do you live?”   And He said “Come and see” These words expressed my deepest desire at that moment. I felt Jesus telling me that if I wanted to know where He lived, I had to move and go out on the street to meet Him.. The streets of Mwanza became a Living Bible for me where I met the people Jesus met, the lepers, the blind, the sick, the beggars and of course the children. I walked along the streets, lake side, markets knowing that He was calling me to “come and see where he lived”:  he continued touching me with His Word  from Luke4 v14-21“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, He has sent me to bring Good New to the poor and liberation to the captives…” I felt He was inviting me to open the scroll myself and to make His words my own and live them. I remembered the song that touched me for so long “Jesus has no hands, no feet no voice on earth but yours”. I really felt living the Gospel in a concrete way, finding God in street young people, the lepers, the blind and the beggars.

I came into contact with many people who became friends and references for help in the mission I was living. One day I was talking with the boys who were taking drugs by the lake side and the police came and took me with some of the boys. Once they discovered through the Archbishop what my mission was, I was given a special ID by the big chief of the police. 

One of the boys who was very talented in drawing, assisted in giving classes to other boys. They made nice simple Christmas cards and calendars. Our General Team at that time ( Marie Mac and the rest) bought some of them and not forgetting our sisters in Mwanza, and the Missionaries of Africa  in Nyengezi at that time. The girls learnt some sewing and knitting. I taught the children some prayers also and some catechism as most of them did not know their religions.

Georgette: What made it an exciting experience?

Chimwemwe: The most exciting thing was the Word of God for me. The interest from the Congregation, my community and different people who joined and supported me. The grace for me to meet God in the street people. I could understand and change my attitude. I used to tell the street people to go back home, but later on I tried to be understanding when I discovered that most of them land on the street begging for love, care, concern and to be listened to.


Georgette: Who was involved?

Chimwemwe: The late Archbishop Mayala Bishop, the sisters of my community and the Congregation. The police, the Missionaries of Africa in Nyengezi, the Christians from different Parishes I made around.

Georgette: How did you feel?

Chimwemwe: At the beginning I felt sad but as I got more and more involved, I felt excited, happy and challenged at times. I also felt confident though at times disappointed when some of the boys who were integrated into the family decided to go back on the street.

Georgette: Describe what you did as a result of the experience?

Chimwemwe: I started to write articles. I changed my perception of street people, for sometimes the street was a better place for them to live in their own homes. Finally I was able to help one of our sisters, to initiate a similar project somewhere else. I have kept a painting of the prodigal son done by one of the street boys. It means a lot for me.

Georgette: 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?

Chimwemwe: The witnessing aspect, that possibility to live together from different nations. The closeness to the poor. Learning the language of the people we work with and of the country where we are. Praying and reflecting on my experiences.

What I value about myself is the way I can relate with people easily and being close to them.  My faith and to be able to journey with someone spiritually.

What  MSOLA has contributed to my life is mainly having helped me find God in my life and experiences and to believe that there is no place where God is not present.

Georgette: 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?

Chimwemwe: LOVE is the secret. That love of Christ expressed in what we do and are is the CORE value. That is what brought our sisters to Africa and the many miracles they performed in our continent that it is possible for people of different races, cultures and nationalities to live together and to witness to God’s love here on earth.