Saturday, May 18, 2013

Archbishop Norbert Mtega of Songea Archdioces Announces His Retiring While at Hanga Abbey

It was on May 15th after midday prayers at the presence of monks and priests of the archdiocese of Songea when the surprising news came. The archbishop was accompanied by the bishop of Iringa a neighboring diocese who now is the administrator of the archdiocese. the breaking of the news was announced at Hanga Abbey because the priests of archdiocese had gathered there for their special seminar in celebrating this year of faith. Thus it was an official and the right group for the news to be announced.  
 Abbot Thadei Mhagama, OSB, the abbot of Hanga Abbey giving an address at the refectory (with monks) on the day archbishop Mtega announced his resignation as an archbishio of Songea.


Below from right: the retired archbishop Norbert Mtega, Bishop Tarcisius Ngalalekumtwa of Iringa (the president of Tanzania bishops) and Fr. Gregory Mwageni, OSB






In the photo are some priests of the archdiocese of Songea who attended a seminar.

Making Water Hand Pumps at Hanga

During the last week of April and the first week of ,2013,US citizens came to the abbey to offer a training in making water hand pumps using plastic (pvc) pipes. Mr. Tom Fitzpatrick with his son Brendan and Mr. Steve Doverspike all from Burns in Oregon, USA, offered their expertize of making pvc pipes to monks, some villagers and students of plumbing from Hanga Trade School. The exercise was very successful. All who attended the training were overjoyed and so were the trainers. In the photo Mr. Tom with his son on his right and Sr. Remigia, OSB and Mr. Steve Dospike on the left.
Basically, the pump consists of a cylinder and a piston both made of plastic materials. In the pumping mechanism a valve that lets water out and keeps it from returning back is a marble (commonly called goroli in Swahili). A basic pump with a handle connected to a piston inserted in a cylinder;the water comes out though one side of the handle.

The trainers have the hope that this simple technology will spread to many Tanzanians so that they use the pumps to pump water for irrigation and most importantly that they can pump water from wells that have been dug by hands without the need of immersing a container and that the wells can be sealed to prevent them from contamination from debris and running rainwater. Mr. Tom with a student checking a pvc pump before immersing it into water for pumping.

The trainers also taught the learning group on how to drill wells by drill that can be constructed locally and connected to sections of pipes during drilling depending on the depth of the pit/well depth.
In the picture below Steve and Tom are connecting water pipe to a drill.

Mr. Tom and his men were also involved in repairing two pumps at neighboring village of Mputa about 20 km north of Hanga Abbey. In the photo Mr. Steve is repairing a pump while students watch. In the pictures below Mr. Steve is repairing a pump at Mputa village.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Italian Veternarians at Hanga Abbey

For more than 15 years veterinarians from Italy have been working at Hanga Abbey cattle farm. They have donated dairy cattle to help the pupils at St. Laurent school (run by the abbey) as well as villagers to have access to fresh milk. Now the children are sure of having a glass of milk every day. Some university students from Italy have taken the opportunity to come to Hanga Abbey to learn and increase their experience in the tropical deceases for cows. In the photos from left: Ambra, Marco and Chiara. Below: a nun from Chipole convent on the left.
This month of May (2013) Mr. Marco, Ms. Chiara and Ms. Ambra have been working at the abbey cattle farm. Mr. Marko also learned about tropical deceases of dogs doing his research at Hanga village. He left the abbey for Italy on May 2 after completing his observation. A little farewell party was held for him before he left.
In the photo above is a farewell party for Mr. Marco
Meanwhile Ms. Ambra and Ms. Chiara are training local people on treating cows with various deceases. One of the trainee in a Benedictine nun from Chipole convent in the diocese of Songea (in Southern Tanzania). Our gratitude to these volunteers as they help people to have access good nutrition.
In the photos below are sections of the people who participated in the seminar on animal deceases.
 From left: Ambra and Chiara who delivered a seminar on animal deceases