Katika Jimbo Kuu Katoliki Songea, shirika la Utoto Mtakatifu lipo hai na linaendelea vizuri katika kutekeleza utume wake, kwani idadi ya watoto wanaojiunga na shirika inaongezeka kila mwaka. Ongezeko hili la watoto limetokana na juhudi mbalimbali zinazoendelea kufanywa na walezi kuanzia ngazi ya jumuiya mpaka Jimbo. Elimu imetolewa kwa Mapadre, Watawa, wazazi na kwa kanisa nzima juu ya malezi kwa watoto wetu ambo ni kanisa la kesho. Kila mmoja anao wajibu wa kuwalea watoto wetu kimwili na kiroho ili waweze kusimama imara katika kanisa kwa kuilinda imani yao.

Watoto wanafundishwa kuwa watu wa sala daima ambayo kimsingi ndiyo hatua ya kwanza ya kuwa wamisionari. Wanafundishwa kuwa na imani thabiti ili kuwajengea roho ya kimisionari kwa watoto wenzao. Wanafundishwa pia namna ya kujitoa kwa Yesu Kristo kuwa ndiye Bwana na Mwokozi wao. Wanafundishwa kuwa wakarimu kwa watu wengine huku wakiongozwa na kauli mbiu yao “watoto kuwasaidia watoto wenzao”. Hata hivyo bado kuna mtazamo hasi kwa baadhi ya wazazi ambao hudhani ya kuwa Utoto Mtakatifu ni kwa ajili ya watoto wa kike tu, mtazamo ambao umesababisha kuwa na idadi ndogo ya watoto wa kiume katika shirika. Jitihada mbalimbali zinafanyika ili kuondoa mawazo haya potofu ya baadhi ya wazazi na walezi ikiwa ni pamoja na kutoa semina ya malezi bora kwa wazazi.

MAADHIMISHO YA SIKU YA UTOTO MTAKATIFU

Sherehe za watoto mashahidi yaani tarehe 28 Desemba hufanyika kila mwaka katika Jimbo letu. Hata hivyo sherehe hizi za Utoto Mtakatifu hazikufanyika katika ngazi ya Jimbo bali kila parokia husherehekea kadiri ya nafasi. Parokia zilizo nyingi huadhimisha sherehe za utoto Mtakatifu kuanzia tarehe 28/12 hadi tarehe 31 Desemba na siyo baada ya tarehe hizo tajwa hapo juu. Katika sherehe hizi watoto hufundishwa mada mbalimbali za kujitoa kwa ajili ya ufalme wa Mungu wakiwaiga watoto mashahidi.

KAZI WANAZO FANYA WATOTO

Watoto jimboni hujishughulisha na kazi mbalimbali kwa ajili ya malezi yao wenyewe kama vile; makongamano ngazi ya Parokia, Dekania na Jimbo, Misa Takatifu, michezo mbalimbali , usafi , kuimba nyimbo zenye ujumbe maalumu kwa watoto wenzao na kwa jamii inayo wazunguka.

MBINU ZINAZOTUMIKA KUWAFUNDISHA WATOTO

Kuna mbinu nyingi zinazotumika katika kutoa elimu kwa watoto wetu nazo ni kama zifuatazo; Biblia takatifu, vitabu vyenye historia za watakatifu, masimulizi mbalimbali, michoro na picha.

UONGOZI WA WATOTO

Kuhusu viongozi wa watoto Jimboni,  watoto wetu ndani ya Jimbo  kuu katoliki Songea wanao uongozi wa parokia na Jimbo yaani, mwenyekiti, makamu mwenyekiti, katibu mkuu, katibu msaidizi na mtunza hazina.  Umri wa watoto walioko ndani ya shirika ni kuanzia miaka saba hadi kumi na minne.

KALENDA YA BARAZA LA MAASKOFU KATOLIKI TANZANIA

Tunapenda kutoa shukrani zetu za dhati kwa mwongozo wa kalenda iliyosheheni shughuli za watoto tunayopewa kutoka ofisi ya mashirika ya kipapa taifa. Mwongozo huu wa kalenda ni msaada mkubwa kwa walezi katika utume wao wa kuwalea watoto. Kalenda hii inasaidia  kujua nini kinatakiwa kufanyika kila siku kwa watoto. Kila mmoja wetu analo jukumu la kuhakikisha kila mtoto anapewa ulinzi na usalama kwani hizi ndizo haki msingi za watoto. Ujumbe tuwalinde watoto wetu kwani hawana mtetezi, jukumu la ulinzi kwa watoto ni la kila mtu mzima .

KITABU CHA MBINU ZA KUWALEA WATOTO

Kitabu hiki cha mwongozo wa namna ya kuwalea watoto na walezi kinatumika vizuri sana tena ni msaada mkubwa kwa malezi. Hata hivyo tungependa kushauri kuwa iongezwe mada moja kwa ajili ya wazazi peke yao ili iwasaidie kujitambua. Wapo baadhi ya wazazi ambao hawajui kabisa umuhimu wa kuwaruhusu watoto wao ili wajiunge na watoto wenzao. Endapo wazazi wataelimishwa itakuwa ni njia nzuri ya kuwapata watoto wengi wanaojiunga na shirika.

MICHANGO YA UTOTO MTAKATIFU

Ili kuongeza ukarimu wa michango ya utoto mtakatifu ofisi yetu imefanya jitihada mbalimbali kama vile kutuma timu ya wahamasishaji kwenye parokia zetu za jimbo, kugawa bahasha maalumu kwa watu binafsi, familia na kwenye jumuiya zetu ndogondogo za kikristo ambapo waamini huweka ukarimu wao na kujipatia baraka. Kila parokia huombwa kiwango cha ukarimu kadiri ya moyo wa watu kwani kutoa siyo utajiri bali ni moyo wa mtu binafsi unaosukumwa na upendo wa Mungu.

Imetayarishwa na: Pd. Siliverius Nziku, Mkurugenzi wa Mashirika ya Kipapa Jimbo

Today the studios of Radio Maria Tanzania roared with the voices of praying the Universal Holy Rosary, while they invited people from every group: elders, youth, businessmen, farmers, and other groups, with the concept of living the message of Pope Francis for Mission Sunday 2024 which says; Go and invite everyone to the banquet (Mt 22:9).

In honor of the Virgin Mary, Star of Evangelization, today October 19, 2024, the children of Tanzania raised their voices together through Radio Maria and other radio stations of the Catholic Church joining spiritually with all the children in the world to pray the holy rosary that is prayed every year in October on the Saturday before Mission Sunday. The specific goal of today’s rosary for the children of Tanzania was to pray for peace, unity and the success of the missionary works in the Local Church of Tanzania and the world at large.

Since it has become a formula for the PMS National Office to choose every year 7 dioceses that take turns in leading others in the rosary, this year the leading dioceses were: Dioceses of Musoma (first mystery), Mahenge (second mystery), Archdiocese of Tabora (third mystery), diocese of Lindi (forth mystery), Mafinga (fifth mystery), Moshi (the litany) and the Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam which is given a chance every year considering that they are close to radio headquarters and if unexpected communication errors occur in a certain diocese they can support (their leading part was the opening and closing prayers).

By comparing the statistics that the PMS National Office has been taking every year to know the number of children who were praying the rosary on the scheduled day and time, the office admits that this year the number of children has been more surprising than previous years. For instance; archdiocese of Arusha gathered about 4000 children, Bukoba 2500, Bunda 500, Dar es Salaam 5000, Dodoma 3000 children, Ifakara 210, Kayanga 230, Moshi 5000 children, Mbulu 6400, Mbeya 6000, 1500 Kahama, Singida 3200 children, Mahenge 500, Njombe 1500, Songea 1900, Lindi 300 children, Iringa 3200, Mafinga 200, Musoma 300 to name a few. There were also priests (Diocesan PMS Directors), nuns and animators who were leading the children in the event of praying the rosary for each diocese. The PMS national team (Fr Alfred S. Kwene – PMS National Director, Sr Idda J. Mketi – PMS Secretary and Sr Anagladness Mrumah – National Childhood Secretary) joined to pray at the main center, that is, Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima Parish-Msimbazi, where the children of the Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam gathered. Hence, with this assessment that the office has done, it has clearly shown that missionary work in Tanzania is growing and spreading rapidly like the seeds of the sower that fell on good soil (Ref. Mk 4:3-9)

It was a joy for us in Tanzania that we were able to have two bishops joining the children’s rosary (His Eminence Protase Cardinal Rugambwa and Rt. Rev. Jovitus Mwijage). Correspondingly, before the blessing His Eminence Cardinal Rugambwa was able to talk to the children and encourage them in living their missionary work tirelessly. In a special way, he was able to encourage all believers to live the message of the holy father of Mission Sunday 2024, which encourages all people to go and invite everyone wherever they are, so that they can follow Christ.

From PMS National Office