Sister Sia Temu

Current Ministry Location-Kenya

Sia Nyasari Temu was born December 18, 1973 to Idda Wilbard (Silayo) Temu and Wilbard Kisingo Temu in Moshi, Tanzania, number six of eleven children. She had 4 brothers: Vitalis, Fr. Aloys, Alex, & Godfrey and 6 sisters: Mary, Rachel, Julitha, Claudia, Agnes & Regina. Sia graduated from Nganza High School, Mwanza, Tanzania in 1996. In 2000, she earned a diploma from Monduli Teachers’ College in Arusha, Tanzania with majors in Physics and Mathematics. Upon graduation she taught mathematics in Girls Secondary School for two years before entering the Maryknoll Sisters in 2003.

Sister Sia’s attraction to Maryknoll began while she was in secondary school. Maryknoll Sisters Connie Krautkremer and Efu Nyaki, a Tanzanian on her home visit before going to her mission in Brazil, spoke to the students in Sia’s school. Sia thought at that time, “I can do that. I would like to do that!” She was attracted to the Maryknoll Sisters, not only because of their ministries, but more because of their way of being in ministry: learning new languages, and being willing to go to remote areas. She also appreciated the Sisters’ concern to treat all with respect and dignity, their flexible lifestyle, welcoming hospitality, and personal responsibility.

Sia Temu entered the Maryknoll Sisters September 7, 2003 at the Sisters Center in NY. She professed First Vows August 14 2005 at the Center and Final Vows October 20, 2012 in Marangu-Moshi, Tanzania.

In 2006, Sister Sia’s first mission assignment was to the Multicultural Peace Building Team in Africa, based in Nairobi, Kenya. The focus of this team’s ministry was “Conversations for Social Change,” a program designed to prototype a process to effect social change through personal transformation. The team published A Psycho-Social Response to Post-Election Violence in Kenya in April 2009.