Sister Susan Wanzagi

 

Current Ministry Location-East Timor

Sister Susan was born in Musoma, Tanzania. She graduated from Bwiru Girls’ Secondary School in 1996, Kowak Girls secondary school and then earned a Bachelor of Art in Education from University of Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania in 2009.

She entered the Congregation on January 6, 2012 in Morogoro Tanzania and made her First Vows on August 10, 2014 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY. Her first mission assignment was to do Social Work at the Sisters Center from 2015-2016. She then spent some time in Haiti offering Social Work services. From Haiti Sister Susan went to East Timor where she continued to work as a Social Worker.

While in East Timor she also worked with a Dominican Youth Group who would meet on Sundays. She helped the members of this group grow spiritually, she taught them English, did community service with them and lead activities such as music and crocheting.

During this time she also led a woman’s group. This was for women who have been abused, are widows or have just lost hope. This woman’s group met every Sunday after Mass to do activities to help manage their feelings such as journaling, painting and sharing on the Bible. She also helped these woman start businesses by giving them micro loans with zero interest. This gave them the ability to start gardens to feed themselves and their families as well as the ability to generate income by selling the vegetables.

Sister Susan was also involved in teaching English to children ages 6-12 as well as painting and other artistic activities. She also worked in public health services where she taught students how to prevent HIV, STI’s, STD’s and pregnancies’.

Recently Sister Susan has returned to the Maryknoll Sister Center where she is reconnecting on her spirituality and commitment to God before returning to East Timor on August 16th