Saint Maurus’ Abbey
Hanga, Tanzania

WORK OF THE SJBVC

Hanga Abbey was founded as a Monastery on January 15, 1957 as the first "all-native" monastery in Africa. Hanga Abbey belongs to the Saint Ottilien Congregation based in Germany. Hanga Monastery was elevated to the status of Abbey on December 13, 1993. There are currently 144 professed members in the community.

Hanga Abbey provides many services to the surrounding village including medical treatment through the monastery dispensary, daily transportation to the regional capital of Songea through the monastery's bus company-Amani Express, a clean water project pumping water to the village from twelve kilometers away, and education through the two secondary schools, one primary school, and one trade school that the monastery operates.

Volunteers play a vital role in the abbey's mission, bringing their unique talents, skills, and perspectives to a range of projects and initiatives. Volunteers live in the guest hostel maintained by the monastery, where they are provided with meals in a separate guest dining room. The common cuisine includes rice, beans, ugali, greens, and some type of meat.

The daily work of volunteers is wide-ranging and depends on the needs of the community. Past volunteers have spent most of their time working in the schools, both teaching and working on other projects. These projects have included organizing and cataloguing donated books to build a library, setting up and training students on how to use computers, and starting a website for the Abbey. Since the Abbey is always involved in many different projects, it is easy for volunteers to find work that is meaningful to them.

In addition to their work in education, volunteers contribute to other initiatives, such as community development projects, healthcare, transportation, or other areas of need. By working alongside members of the local community, volunteers can help promote long-term sustainable development and create positive change that benefits everyone in the community.

THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED

2005-2006: Paul Conro & Andrew Krueger

2006-2007: Paul Conroy, Nick Kleespie OSB, & Tim Serie

2007-2008: Paul Conroy, Lew Grobe OSB, & Derek Johnson

2008-2009: Ben DeMarais & Charlie McCarron

2009-2010: Andrew Braith & Anthony Jastrzembski

2010-2011: Alec Torigian & Michael Jaeger

2011-2012: Tyler Etheridge & Paul Rolfes

2012-2013: Joe Gair & Kyle Auringer

2013-2014: Addison Tackmann & Ethan Evenson

2014-2015: Mark Steingraber & Jake Helmer 

2015-2016: Zachary Minea & Joseph Kerber

2016-2017: Frantz Soiro & Patrick Martin

2017-2018: Dylan Lehrer & Thomas Niles-Melchert

2019-2020: Sam Gerdts & Joshua Olson

2021-2022: Joseph Meier & Patrick Mullon

2022-2023: Hayden Hedrington & Parker Zak