Santa Maria Kindergarten Jawa Timur, Indonesia, Diocese of Surabaya

Sister Elizabeth Lindawati, a Daughter of Charity of Saint Vincent De Paul, runs the Santa Marta Kindergarten in Jawa Timur, Indonesia, with her Missionary Sisters, explains,

“There are many poor children who learn and are healthy because of Santa Maria Kindergarten. The economic conditions of their families are so poor that many of them arrive suffering from malnutrition. They cannot learn if they are weak. Most of them cannot pay the school fee.”

Seeing this great need the Sisters work to help make them healthier and pay their school fee so that they can learn well. They give them extra nutrition by giving them milk and/or healthy food five times a week and provide scholarships. The children as also members of the Missionary Childhood Association and participate with their prayers, sacrifices and acts of service. Although they have so very little they also donate during Lent and Advent to programs for the poor. They visit the poor, sick and old who live near the school and give out care packages to the poor in the streets. It is the spirit of God’s love and service which helps to deepen their faith.