One more post before heading off tomorrow. I can imagine that next week will be a "dry" one as far as writing is concerned, but I'll remember lots of things to write about when I return to Arusha. This afternoon I want to tell you about this morning.
We left the house at 8.00 a.m. to go to Kingolwera prison, a few kilometres outside of Morogoro town. The Sisters who live here in Morogoro (Janet and Gladys) go each Sunday, for Mass and then they meet with the prisoners who attend the church service. When we arrived we met the priest and a seminarian who had just arrived as well. We left Janet at the church, and Gladys and I went along to a building further into the prison grounds, a building normally used as a nursery school for children of the staff. Some of the staff soon appeared, followed by two groups of prisoners: one a group of about twenty women and another group of about 10 men. They sat separately, each with one guard, and the rest of the about two dozen benches were occupied by staff members and families. Mass began, and the women had obviously prepared well: nice songs, well-done readings, prayers, etc. When Mass was finished, Father went off to the church to have Mass with another group of men prisoners and the staff that is concerned with them, and the others who had attended mass also left. We then had about a 45 minute session with those remaining, today being extraordinary that there were men who joined the group. Gladys asked that we sit around in a circle, and at first the men's guard said that we needed to have two circles. But then he came up with the solution that if I sat at one end of the group of men and Gladys at the other, then that would be separation enough. And so it was. It was a good time with them, Gladys talking about some ways to cope with the stress of being in prison. They were open and interested and seemed to be grateful for the chance to learn these techniques. We had previously asked to see some of the handwork that the women did, and so at the end of the session we were invited into where they really live. We actually didn't have a chance to see their living quarters, but could see through the fence that their "cell blocks" were quite open and airy. We were told that the usual number of women in each block is about 14. They seem to be treated well, and when we asked if they are given everything they need, the answer was yes, although it might be a little short. For example, two young men came while we were there bringing a few bars of laundry soap for their relative who was imprisoned. The guard said that she was one of the lucky ones because she has family close by and so they can bring her some extra things now and again. This women's prison is the main one for Tanzania, eg. it holds all the women who have been convicted and sentenced to long terms. They all learn a craft and do some beautiful handwork, mostly basket weaving, embroidering tablecloths and other decorative cloths, sewing.
We saw the blackboard in the main office that had the census, and there were 59 women there today. And three children. Two of them are still nursing but the third is a bit over two years old. The Matron told us that she needed to see if the Sisters who run an orphanage near here would take her because she was beginning to worry that the environment might be affecting her adversely. The mother is from the other end of the country and has no family who could take the child so they're looking at other alternatives for her. It would seem to be kind of a dilemma: the advantage of keeping a child with her mother and yet the concern that there might be other factors which wouldn't be good for her. She's a darling little girl, and greeted us so politely.
After Janet and Father returned from the church and their session, we were invited for lunch at the home of one of the guards. She is a member of the Small Christian Community (all parishes in Tanzania are divided into these Communities) and these Communities take turns cooking for their guests each Sunday. After the nice lunch we returned home for some rest in the heat of the day, grateful for the chance to spend time with people we don't normally meet.
Hope you all have a great week.
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