‘Sr. Claire’ centre offers hope to children with intellectual disabilities

By Sr Marie Pépine Matendakama, FSCM

“The category of intellectually disabled children is seen on the one hand as a curse and on the other as a good luck charm,” explains Sister Claudia Samba.

The “Sr. Claire” center program begins with home visits, a core activity that helps the sisters understand and experience the reality of the people they serve in the name of the Catholic mission.

Twice a week, the sisters travel to the villages around Rosso, Mauritania, where Sister Claudia's community, the Daughters of the Sacred Heart of Mary (FCSM), have had a mission since 2014. Rosso is separated by its town twin, Rosso, Senegal. , on the banks of the Senegal River.

“During our visits, we noticed that the way in which children with intellectual disabilities were treated varied from one ethnic group to another,” says the nun. “On the one hand, they were welcomed and considered lucky because they could earn money and acquire other goods by begging. On the other hand, they were seen as a curse, the evil spirit of the family, which explained their marginalization.

Daughters of the Sacred Heart of Mary (FSCM) with children

Hope and confidence through awareness

In order to meet the requirements of caregivers, the “Sr. Claire center is committed to raising awareness in all its aspects: parental, social, religious, governmental and international.

“We walked for miles, sometimes on sand dykes, and we had tears in our eyes seeing how children with cerebral palsy were treated. It was difficult for us to accept these behaviors, both those who treated them as good luck charms and those who saw them as harbingers of misfortune,” says Sister Claudia.

Hope was born from a project funded by the Papal Foundation, founded by North American Catholics to bring the love of Christ to the world in need and to be intimately linked to the work of the Church and the Holy Father .

The Papal Foundation donated a 16-seater van for the daily transportation of children from their homes to the “Sr. Center Claire.” Through the Ministry of Social Affairs, other entities and NGOs also provide assistance to parents.

However, there is still a long way to go to eliminate these ethnic beliefs (regarding disability) in sub-Saharan Africa,” adds Sister Claudia.

Finding joy in your own work is a gift from God

All children with intellectual disabilities, from birth to 14 years old, are welcome at the “Sr. Center Claire” school.

“Finding joy in one's work is a gift from God,” says Sister Claudia, adding that “what the Bible says (Eccl 5:18) is true: these children fill us with joy when they learn to draw, to sing, write, shape and perform according to their abilities.

She describes the things created by the children at the center as extraordinary and surprising.

“Their intelligent way of being and acting shows us that their world sometimes has surprises in store for us! As a wise man once said: “The secret of life is to love what you do, not to do what you love.” It’s my secret,” concludes Sister Claudia.