From our Sister Eliane NZOYISABA, Bunamwaya, Uganda
“Be all things to all people.”
Inspired by this aspect of our spirituality, I want to share my experience of living the mission through studies and how it influenced the relationships with my classmates.
Since February 2024, I am working toward a Certificate in Fashion Design at the Uganda Catholic Management and Training Institute in Rubaga, Uganda. Our class initially comprised twelve students, but unfortunately, two had to leave due to financial constraints. My classmates are young, unmarried girls, while other classes include a mix of boys, men, young women, and married ladies. The institute also welcomes religious sisters, easily recognized by their distinctive uniforms.
As MSOLA, I live the “all to all” in my way of being and collaboration with the others in our studies. Our Constitutions (n.13) remind us that:
“Wherever we are, our mission is ONE. Because we belong to the same body, every assignment is a sending, and each service is a mission.”
At first, some of my classmates found it unusual that I, a sister, don’t wear a uniform. They often asked, “Are you really a sister? Why don’t you wear a uniform?”
I took time to explain our charism, and eventually, they came to understand and appreciate it. Now, they are very close to me, perhaps even more so than to sisters who wear uniforms. They feel free to share with me what they are going through at school and in their families, their joys and their challenges.
Recently one of the students shared with me, that in the room she shares with another at the school they don’t understand one another. She said that one day they were even about to fight. I proposed that they would sit and see the problem together and look for how to solve it. She said: “Sister, I don’t trust anyone; sometimes they complain that I don’t talk with them, that I keep quiet but they don’t know what I am going through in my family. For you, as you are a sister I can share with you.”
She then shared her heartbreaking story: Her mother had died tragically in March 2024, and now she bears the responsibility of caring for her younger siblings. Despite her burdens, she displayed incredible faith and courage, smiling as she told me,
“It will be okay, Sister Eliane. I pray every day, and I know that God will help me.”
Her story touched me deeply, reminding me of the resilience and hope that faith can inspire even in the darkest times. I am grateful for being sent to study Fashion Design. This program not only equips me with valuable knowledge and skills for our mission but also allows me to live out our charism in my community, at school and in fact in every interaction.
