TAASISI

 

1. PASTORAL INSTITUTIONS
Institutions with pastoral nature existing in the Archdiocese of Songea are:
 
a) Peramiho Interdiocesan Major Seminary with 130 alumni. A Seminary primarily for the Songea Ecclesiastical Province of eight Dioceses - Iringa, Mbeya, Njombe, Mbinga, Tunduru Masasi, Lindi , Mtwara and Songea. Nevertheless it has open doors for seminarians from any other Diocese of Tanzania. There are seminarians from Arusha, Dodoma, Mahenge, Mpanda, Morogoro, Geita, Kahama and Tabora. Having a good benedictine Tradition, the Seminary welcomes cadidates from Religious communities especially those who reside in the dioceses of our Ecclesiastical Province.
Peramiho Seminary new Chapel
Seminary Brassband The Vice President of the Republic in the Seminary. October 2003 Major seminarians pose for a common photograph at main gate
 
b) Two Minor Seminaries: The diocesan Lighano Minor Secondary School Seminary and Hanga Minor Seminary for the religious. A total of 337 students. Lighano Seminary is about 5km north of Mkongo Parish in the new District of Namtumbo, at the southern foot of the Lighano hills. It has starts with Preform One and ends with Form VI. The Seminary has no Library as yet, and no proper Chapel.
Lighano Seminarians in prayer Part of the Buildings of the Seminary
 
c) Two Benedictine Abbeys – Peramiho and Hanga. A total of 205 monks with novices.
 
d) Lighano Monastery for the Benedictine Brothers of St. Paul (Diocesan) -24 Brothers.
Lighano Diocesan Benedictine Brothers of St. Paul as they sing... ...and as they make their perpetual vows
 
e) Two Provincial and Formation houses for sisters - in Chipole and in Peramihowith a total of 390 sisters with novices
 
f) and one Monastery for contemplatives – the Poor Clares Collettines in Ruhuwiko with 12 nuns.
 
g) One FormationHouse for Aspirants for the Augustinians in Wino with 10 sisters
 
h) and St. Boniface Catechetical Center in Mgazini with 70 alumni.

 

2. INSTITUTIONS FOR SOCIAL SERVICES
     
a) For Health Services
- We have the big Hospital in Peramiho, owned and managed by Peramiho Abbey
- One Health Center in Namabengo
- 17 Dispensaries and One Health Centre belonging to the Archdiocese
- Two Health Posts for outreach services in Lugagara and Namatuhi
- A Nursing School belonging to Peramiho Abbey with 82 students
- A two year Laboratory attendants training course with 7 students
- A Leprosarium in Morogoro village in Peramiho Parish with 124 patients
Peramiho Hospital was de facto founded in 1928 by the Missionary Benedictine Sisters from Germany. However it was as late as1949, when Sr. Tetwigis Sailer OSB MD was in charge, that it was officially recognized as a hospital. For this fact in 1999 the Hospital celebrated its first golden Jubilee of rendering health services in south Tanzania. And the Nursing school in Peramiho was founded in 1952 by the same Doctor Sister Tetwigis. Brother Ansgar Stuefe OSB, the Director of the Hospital, planned and organized the construction of the new Ward for children and for TB patients. This has been inaugurated this year. The Hospital which up to now could admit 330 beds is now going to have at least 420 beds.
In the year 2001 the total number of admissions was 19,351 patients while higher admissions were in 1997 with 22,764 patients, in 1998 with 22,245 and in 1999 with 22,413 patients. The number of Out Patients who come and go was 119,836 in 2001, 127,839 patients in 2000 and 115,102 patients in 1999. The main cause of admissions is malaria, AIDS, deliveries, anaemia, Pneumonia and enteric infections.In the dispensaries, the number ofoutpatients who flock to them are very high in Mahanje Parishwith 24,768 patients in 2001, Namabengo Parish with 13,283 patients, and in St. Camillo Dispensary at the Archbishop’s House with 21,913 patients. In this quinquennium Dr. Br. Ansgar has also undertaken a very strong program of further training of the Staff of the Hospital as well as restructuring the administrative set up of the Hospital. We are also very grateful to Dr. Br. Ansgar Stuefe OSB for offering free treatment for priests and religious.
The pastoral and spiritual care for the sick and the personnel of the Hospital is officially under the Abbey of Peramiho. We have Rev. Fr. Basil Fetz OSB as the Chaplan of the hospital for the time being.In the Dispensaries with bed admissions the Parish Priest is the one responsible for the care for the sick people.
While the Hospital is directly under the ownership and management ofPeramiho Abbey, the 17 Dispensaries and the one health Center are owned by the Archdiocese. Of these, St. Camillus Dispensary, Namabengo Health Center and Mahanje Dispensary do have the largest number of outpatients in a year. In the year 2000 St. Camillo Dispensary served 22,724 patients, Namabengo Health Center served 14,553 patients and Mahanje Dispensary served 12,993 patients. Last year (2001), Mahanje received 24,768 patients, St. Camillus received 21,913 patients and Namabengo Health Center had 13,283 patients. With regard to maternity services to our mothers Namabengo Health center has always the highest number of deliveries - 1,198 deliveries in the year 2000 and1,034 deliveries in the year 2001. It is followed by Chipole Dispensary, Mbinga Mharule, Mpitimbi, Matimira and Kitanda Dispensaries.For Child Welfare services again Namabengo offers the highest number of services to children(10,097 attendances)to be followed by Chipole (10,079 attendances) , Mpitimbi (8,694 attendances) and Morogoro Dispensary(8,925 attendances).
 
Attendances of Outpatients , Deliveries and child clinics in our Dispensaries in 2001:
 
  Dispensary Oupatients Deliveries Clinics
01. CHENGENA 02,061 0,090 00,848
02. CHIPOLE 01,662 0,173 10,846
03. HANGA 02,396 0,060 01,144
04. IFINGA 02,362 0,038 01,802
05. KITANDA 01,208 0,146 07,124
06. LIGANGA 02,382 0,029 03,422
07. LIGUNGA 01,220 0,046 01,917
08. LITISHA 02,746 ---- ----
09. LUGAGARA HP 02,132 ---- ----
10. MAHANJE 24,768 0,033 02,180
11. MATIMIRA 02,285 0,150 06,902
12. MB.MHARULE 02,108 0,150 04,286
13. MOROGORO 02,955 0,122 09,626
14. MPANDANGINDO 01,635 0,067 03,981
15. MPITIMBI 01,849 0,125 08,142
16. MTYANGIMBOLE 01,873 0,098 03,890
17. NAMABENGO HC 13,283 1,034 12,909
18. NAMATUHI HP 00,387 ---- ----
19. NDONGOSI 01,158 0,047 02,822
20. ST.CAMILLO 21,913 ---- ----
  TOTAL 28,040 2,408 84,597
 
b) For Formal Education: Three Secondary Schools and Three Primary Schools

- Two Girls Secondary Schools: Peramiho Girls Secondary School belonging to the Tutzing Sisters, and St. Agnes Secondary School Chipole belonging to the local Congregation of St. Agnes Sisters.
- A Boys Day Secondary School: Centenary Secondary School Songea. A Diocesan School, launched in January 2004. The project to start this school was part of our pastoral resolutions during the first centenary of evangelization in Songea Archdiocese in July 1998.
New Buildings of St. Agnes Sec. School in Chipole. On St. Agnes Feast the 380 girls entered in these buildings. Centenary Secondary School in construction 2003. On 2nd February 2004 the first students were admitted. St. Agnes Secondary School Class rooms are completed. View from outside the compound
- A Day St. Benedict Secondary School owned by Hanga Abbey
- Two Primary School: St. Agnes Primary Schoolbelonging to the Benedictine Sisters of Chipole and St. Joseph Primary School belonging to the Archdiocese. With 382 pupils all together.
St. Joseph Primary School Pupils in a theatre St. Agnes Primary School Leavers in 2002 St. Joseph Primary Pupils Recorder-Band
- A Primary School for the Deaf and Dumb in Ruhuwiko owned by the Archdiocese but managed and run by Sisters of Mercy of St. Vincent. It has 286 pupils.

c) For Vocational Training
 

- Three Trade Schools: Peramiho belonging to the Abbey, Chipole belongingto Chipole Convent and Hanga Trade School. They train in carpentry, shoemaking, mechanics, electrical installation, tailoring, and masonry etc. A total of 254 students.
 
  On 28th October 2003 Peramiho Trade School celebrated 75 years Anniversary of its existence and operation
- One Workshop for mechanics for repair of cars in Songea with a vocational training in carpentry and mechanics
- Several Domestic Schools in parishes: Ligunga, Mkongo, Chengena, Namtumbo, Kitanda, Mtyangimbole, Matimira, Songea
- Training Centre for women to become teachers for Domestic Schools in Mtyangimbole Parish
 
d) For Nursery Education
- Kindergartens in the parishes: Ligunga, Namtumbo, Songea, Namabengo, Mahanje, Wino, Bombambili, Matimira, Kitanda. They belong to the Archdiocese, Mjimwema, Matogoro
- The very big and modern one in Hanga Abbey for about 300 children
- A school for training girls as Kindergarten teachers

- An Orphanage under the care of the Benedictine Sisters of St. Agnes Chipole

 
  In Matogoro Kindergarten
Orphans at Chipole Convent Orphans have come to the Bishop to get sweets Matogoro Kindergarten kids during their Holy Mass with the Bishop