Kenyan Legislator Lauds Catholic Nuns for “carrying biggest burden” in Service Delivery

The Kenyan politician said she found it regrettable that the apostolate of Catholic Nuns in Kenya goes unrecognized today because “we’ve politicized many things and find it very difficult for you to really engage with the government.”

She went on to call upon Catholic Nuns to reach out to single mothers and invest in counseling services for those in need of trauma healing.

“Every challenge you see with a young person is because today, many families are run by single mothers. We must have a program that starts trying to support single mothers so that their children can live within values that can take them now to survive in this world,” Hon. Elachi said at the event that had the Hilton Foundation President, Peter Laugharn, and the Chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), Archbishop Martin Kivuva Musonde, in attendance.

Mr. Peter Laugharn, President of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Credit: Magdalene Kahiu/ACI Africa 

She encouraged Catholic Nuns in Kenya to diversify their services to include counseling programs to help victims of different types of abuse “so that they hear and heal and forgive.”

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While many victims of abuse tell their stories bravely and strongly, some of them are yet to heal “and they can do anything to eliminate you (perpetrators),” the Kenyan legislator said. 

Also speaking during the July 13 dinner, the President of Hilton Foundation, which has partnered with Congregations of Catholic Nuns in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia in the Sisters’ Blended Value Project (SBVP) recognized with appreciation the "tremendous" apostolate of Catholic Nuns despite many challenges.

Archbishop Martin Kivuva Musonde of Mombasa Archdiocese next to Hilton Foundation President, Peter Laugharn, at the dinner event. Credit: Magdalene Kahiu/ACI Africa 

"Your work matters," Mr. Laugharn said and assured the Catholic Nuns of CNHF’s continued partnership. 

In an interview with ACI Africa ahead of the visit of Hilton Foundation President, the Grant Manager of SBVP described the initiative that is being realized at the Kenya-based Strathmore University as a capacity building project that has so far benefited 300 Catholic Nuns thanks to the US$3.2 million grant from Hilton Foundation.

“The grant has gone a long way to support us, to ensure that Sisters’ lives are transformed,” Anne Njoroge said during the July 11 interview.

The Regional Project Coordinator of SBVP, Lucy Kuria, also told ACI Africa that through the initiative, the challenges that were identified among Catholic Nuns in the four countries are being addressed in four ways: capacity building, conferencing networks, research and incubation, and financial inclusion.

In another interview, the Executive Secretary of the Association of Sisterhoods of Kenya (AOSK), Sr. Pasilisa Namikoye, acknowledged with appreciation the partnership with CNHF in facilitating networks among Catholic Sisters in Kenya.

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.