The Sisters of Mary, Ukara Island, and Breaking Children Out of Poverty

by | Aug 22, 2025

This island, and the world-forgotten places like it, have become second homes to the Sisters of Mary. They have taken vows to enter these places submerged in poverty and to love the poorest people on earth—where they work hard to save them.

On the remote Ukara Island in Tanzania, children face deep poverty, hunger, and little access to education. In this forgotten corner of the world, the Sisters of Mary brought hope—offering exams, outreach, and life-changing opportunities.

In one moving story, young Jackline, seriously ill and abandoned, was found by the Sisters and given a new chance at life. Now she dreams of becoming an accountant. Stories like hers—and Rigobert’s, a nearly blind orphan—remind us why this mission matters.

Read the full article on Catholic Exchange to see how the Sisters are breaking cycles of poverty, one child at a time.

Learn more about the children

The children at our schools come from the poorest of the poor. Each child has their own stories of what their life was before coming to our schools and how their lives are being transformed by the Sisters of Mary programs.  Read the moving stories of our children in their own words. 

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There are 160,000+  graduates from the Sisters of Mary Schools. Many of our graduates went on to live prosperous lives, helping their families and local communities. Read the inspiring stories of our graduates in their own words. 

Life At Our Villages

Learn more about how we help children break free from a life of poverty.