Jean Pruitt

Jean Pruitt (17 October 1939 – 10 September 2017) was an American Maryknoll Sister operating in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. She was best known for her activism in promoting Tanzanian art and defending Tanzanian children's rights. She worked with the Maryknoll Sisters and the Roman Catholic Church of Tanzania from 1969, and she received several awards for her contributions to Tanzanian society and culture.

Pruitt completed her studies at the Nativity School in Los Angeles in 1953 and at the Bishop Conaty High School in 1957. In 1958, she joined the Maryknoll Sisters in Los Angeles, and by 1967 she graduated from Mary Rogers University (New York) with a bachelor's degree in Education. The following year, she completed her studies in Social Works at the University at Buffalo in New York City.

In 1969, Pruitt was sent to Tanzania by the Maryknoll Sisters to work with the local Roman Catholic Church. She began her activity in Tanzania in the Catholic Relief Services, operating in favor of the healthy development of Tanzanian youth and children. Since her very early years in Tanzania, she founded a number of organizations intended to support young Tanzanian artists. The best known such organization is the Nyumba ya Sanaa (founded in 1972), an art workshop in Dar es Salaam. The same year she also founded the Tanzanian branch of Caritas, and in 1988 she was cofounder of the Tanzania Mozambique Friendship Association (TAMOFA). In 1992 she founded the Dogodogo Centre, an organization specifically established to support the increasing number of street children in Dar es Salaam city.

In 2000, Pruitt became Governor of the Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC-Africa). In this organization she started several programs, including a successful "Education for Peace Program" for educating children and youth about diversity, tolerance and conflict resolution.

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