Kenyan Catholic Diocese Hopes to Instil Child Safeguarding Culture among Highly Traditional, Vastly Muslim Communities

Credit: Catholic Diocese of Garissa/Fr. Frederick Namasaka

“There are community decision makers who decide when a girl is suitable for marriage,” Fr. Namasaka said, noting that Muslims are often resistant to the approaches that Christians propose to protect minors.

The Priest in Charge of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Emmaus Parish of Garissa Diocese narrated incidents in which those he described as “community decision makers” had forced their way in court to have sexual abuse cases withdrawn, and handled by the “elders” instead.

Credit: Catholic Diocese of Garissa/Fr. Frederick Namasaka

Reiterating Fr. Namasaka’s sentiments, the Project Lead of the TU Safeguarding Initiative, Sr. Jacinta Ondeng, identified the challenge of harmonizing Church laws, civil laws, and the Islamic way of solving issues, especially those touching on proactive measures to protect minors and vulnerable adults.

“We are exploring the concept of the Islamic way of life and how sometimes, it becomes difficult for the Church laws and the civil laws that are supposed to protect the children and vulnerable adults to come into play,” Sr. Ondeng said in an interview with ACI Africa on April 3.

Credit: Catholic Diocese of Garissa/Fr. Frederick Namasaka

She added, “Muslims have their own ways of handling their issues. It becomes very difficult to follow up with cases up to the courts because they always insist that they have their own way of dealing with sexual abuse cases.”

“We are however insisting that in Catholic institutions here, and in the Church, safeguarding measures must be adhered to,” the Kenyan-born member of the Congregation of School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) told ACI Africa.

Credit: Catholic Diocese of Garissa/Fr. Frederick Namasaka

She said that while abuse cases are looked at case by case, child safeguarding must always emphasize the best interest of the child. “We may have conflicting laws, but we must be careful not to do anything that harms the child,” Sr. Ondeng emphasized. 

The April 4-5 training for the Clergy, women and men Religious serving in Garissa Catholic Diocese brought together 25 participants, including all the 11 Priests who serve in the vast Kenyan Episcopal See. 

Credit: Catholic Diocese of Garissa/Fr. Frederick Namasaka

Also participating in the training that was realized in partnership with Missio Aachen was the Local Ordinary of Garissa Diocese, Bishop George Muthaka.

According to Sr. Ondeng, the training focused on the different types of abuses, including physical, sexual, emotions, neglect, and spiritual abuse among others. 

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Credit: Catholic Diocese of Garissa/Fr. Frederick Namasaka

In the April 3 interview, the Nairobi-based SSND member said that in facilitating child safeguarding trainings targeting the Clergy and members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (ICLSAL), “we look at discriminatory abuse and financial abuse. These are some of the things that Priests and Religious Sisters need to know.”

The main focus of the Safeguarding initiative is prevention of abuse. “We help the Priests and Sisters identify risk factors to abuse in our institutions and in the Church, as well as in the families,” Sr. Ondeng said.

Credit: Catholic Diocese of Garissa/Fr. Frederick Namasaka

The trainings, the Kenyan Sister, who has facilitated the Safeguarding Initiative in several other Dioceses in Kenya and in Tanzania said, emphasize that taking proactive measures to protect minors and vulnerable adults is a ministry in the Church.

“The Church has a big requirement for us to create a lot of awareness on prevention of all forms of abuse on children and vulnerable adults,” she said. 

Credit: Catholic Diocese of Garissa/Fr. Frederick Namasaka

In the April 3 interview with ACI Africa, Fr. Namasaka lauded the organizers of the training that was realized under the theme, “Safeguarding of Children and Vulnerable Adults: Catholic Church's Perspective”.

He expressed optimism that future training will rope in traditional and Muslim leaders on board.

Credit: Catholic Diocese of Garissa/Fr. Frederick Namasaka

“Interreligious dialogue has always worked in these places. It is possible to bring people of other faiths on board on this matter of child safeguarding,” Fr. Namasaka said, and added, “All we need is to invite Muslim leaders and traditional leaders in our safeguarding training and they will spread the information to others.”

Credit: Catholic Diocese of Garissa/Fr. Frederick Namasaka

The Kenyan Catholic Priests said that the training was an eye-opener. “There are many forms of abuse that we never knew existed. All we know is about physical abuse and sexual abuse. But there is a wide range of abuses that we never knew were real abuses. Neglect is also abuse. There is also spiritual abuse. This training has brought that out very well,” he said.

Credit: Catholic Diocese of Garissa/Fr. Frederick Namasaka

Fr. Namasaka told ACI Africa that his plans, after the two-day training, was to organize a training with catechists and other pastoral agents that deal with the children in his parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Emmaus.