An option for women

Marymount Secondary School in Mzuzu, Malawi, offers young women hope for the future

By Fr. Jim McGuire, S.F.M.
September/October 2013

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After 46 years of priesthood, 30 of those years spent in mission in the Philippines and the remainder in Canada, I was invited by Bishop Remi Ste-Marie, a Canadian and a Missionary of Africa (White Fathers), to be part of the Church in the township of Dedza, central Malawi. At that time there were four Scarboro mis-sioners serving in Malawi.

Fr. Jim McGuire celebrates the Eucharist at Marymount Catholic Secondary School, an all girls boarding school. Malawi.

In 2005 I was asked to serve as chaplain at Marymount Catholic Secondary School in the city of Mzuzu where the other members of the Scarboro team were present, some 450 kilometres north of Dedza.

As an older missionary priest I was delighted to be working with young people. In Mzuzu I lived with two senior Missionaries of Africa, Frs. Richard Deschenes and Piet Van Hulten, who are likewise involved with youth. Fr. Piet helps young men and women decide their future by directing retreats and providing counseling and guidance to those who are considering the religious life. Fr. Deschenes works tirelessly with various youth associations in Mzuzu encouraging young people to believe in themselves and strive for the development of their country.

More than half of Malawi’s 15 million people are under 19 years of age. Many of them are like sheep without a shepherd—out of school, not working and discouraged. Fewer than 35 percent of Malawian children have a chance to attend secondary school and the figure is much lower for girls, many of whom are unable to continue their studies after primary school as they are required to help at home, working in the fields and caring for younger siblings. Most of them marry at an early age. A private, well-equipped school like Marymount helps address these problems.

Right (L-R): Tereza Ng’ambi and Agnes Ntaba, two of the 650-member student body striving to better their lives.

Marymount is a boarding school for girls founded some 50 years ago with the help of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (MIC) from Montreal. The school has more than 650 students. Its mandate is not only to provide a good education for girls, but also to promote gender equality.

Tereza and Agnes were two of the young women who attended Marymount while I was there and whose stories are similar to many of the other students. Tereza and her siblings became dependent on their grandmother after their parents separated. The 70 year old grandmother pleaded with me to find a sponsor for this bright young girl so that she could study at Marymount. With the help of friends in Canada, Tereza graduated last year with flying colours and has dreams of becoming a doctor.

Agnes lost both her parents to the dreaded HIV/AIDS virus. As an orphan with poor relatives, her future was not bright. However she was accepted at our school and graduated, thanks to sympathetic donors. Now she is free to find a suitable job to help her siblings and live her own life.

My mission at Marymount was a tremendous blessing to me. As chaplain I was in a position to share the beauty of the Gospel with students and teachers of all faiths. They affectionately called me Agogo (Grandpa) and like most grandfathers, they could do no wrong for me. These kids will always be in my heart.

This summer, after celebrating his 80th birthday with his friends in Malawi, Fr. Jim McGuire retired from active mission and returned to Canada..

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