Who we are and what we provide

The Sisters Of Mary

The Sisters of Mary are devoted to helping the poorest of the poor in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. The religious order was founded by Aloysius Schwartz, the priest of the poor. The Sisters have been operating charitable programs for more than fifty years serving children with the greatest need who have the greatest potential. In 6 countries there are 400 Sisters of Mary caring for over 21,000 children with the mission of helping them break free from a life of poverty. This is one day in the life of a Sister.

Your Support Provides

  • Hope.
  • Clean water.
  • Medical care.
  • Dental care.
  • Three nutritious meals a day.
  • A safe place to live and study.
  • Clothing and school materials.
  • Help to break the cycle of poverty.
  • Spiritual, physical, and emotional care.
  • Vocational training tailored to local industries.
  • Protection from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
  • Opportunities to participate in sports, music, and art.
  • Spiritual, social, and academic formation and guidance.
  • Education for students that leads to careers or college.

Meet Marycelina

Tanzania

Kisarawe

My name is Marycelina. I am 16 years old. I came from Kilimanjaro Region. I suffered from poor upbringing of my father after he becomes a drunkard. He was just spending his money in drinking alcohol and not supporting the family. We are just depending on our mother who become sick later on because of too much hard work. I also get a lot of challenges during primary education because of school fees. I remember I was not able to enter in the class because I was not able to pay the school fees and also to take lunch at school.  We can only eat sometimes once or twice in a day.  

When I first came in the Sisters of Mary I was amazed by the environment which make me struggle to study hard because of the supportive environment. I cannot imagine what happen until I came to study in the biggest school in Tanzania for free. Also I was impressed for the meals which we are eating for they are different from what we are eating at home. We are able to eat chicken every Sunday while at home we are eating chicken only on holidays. What I like most about the Sisters of Mary is here we have a balance of time means that we have time to play, pray, work, and study. Through this I discover my talents and becoming a good student who excels most of the time academically. 

One day, I would like to become a doctor because I wanted to serve those people who are dying without treatments especially the poor.  I imagine that after I graduate here. I will have a nice job so that I can use my salary to continue with my university studies until I can fulfill my dream of becoming a doctor. 

I would like to say thank you very much for your kindness, generosity and your care for the poor people especially in Africa. Because the life here in Africa  is so difficult and maybe without your help through the Sisters I could not be here. So I am promising you that I will study hard and I will not be lazy because you are always working hard for my studies. I cannot pay you physically but only spiritually through my prayers. I will pray for you always. 

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. 

Meet Our Graduates

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.