Youths at Kenyan Parish Embark on Peace Caravan to “adopted” Marginalized Community

Fr. Steve, as he is fondly referred to at the Kenyan urban Catholic Parish, spoke to ACI Africa moments after some 50 youths at the parish were commissioned for their journey to East Pokot.

The Sunday, December 10 commissioning was held on the sidelines of the twin celebrations of the annual Family Day and the launch of 125-year anniversary of the Parish that is under the auspices of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit under the Protection of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Spiritans/Holy Ghost Fathers/CSSp.).

Credit: ACI Africa

The members of the Kings and Queens youth group embarked on their 360-kilometer journey to East Pokot on the evening of the day of their commissioning.

Fr. Steve, who also serves as the Assistant Parish Priest of St. Austin's Msongari Parish said that the Pokot Peace Caravan, launched in 2016, has taught the young Nairobians to be selfless.

“The main intention has been for our young people at St. Austin's parish to go beyond their welfare and personal needs, and to think about others who are less privileged,” the Kenyan Spiritan Priest said.

He added, “We have seen their urge to share with others grow over the years, even though they themselves don’t have much. They have grown in their selflessness and ability to sacrifice. Most importantly, they have learnt to appreciate what their parents provide them with because when they go to East Pokot, they see that housing, clothing, water, and food are luxuries.”

Fr. Stephen, the Chaplain of Senior Youths at St. Austin's Catholic Church Msongari. Credit: ACI Africa

“Most people in East Pokot spend days without a decent meal. Our young people see this and become good stewards of the environment when they come back. We have also seen them grow in Christian morality. There have never been any cases of mischief among them when they go there. What they only engage in is prayer and heavy work,” he said.

In Chemolingot, Catholic youth from St. Austin’s Msongari Parish have adopted Claude Academy, named after Claude Francis Poullart des Places, the first founder of the Spiritans.

They have also adopted the entire community around the school and have been traveling to the community annually since 2016, offering the community material and spiritual support. 

“Our main focus has been to develop the infrastructure of the school,” Fr. Steve said about Claude Academy, which had pioneer pupils in 2009.

Credit: ACI Africa

He added, “We believe that the best way to ensure that there is sustainable growth and development of our fellow youth in marginalized communities is to give them opportunities to access good quality education and holistic formation.”

This time, members of the Kings and Queens youth group aim is to build a library block at their adopted school. 

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Throughout the year, the young people fundraised some US$13,046.00 out of the US$26,092.00 estimated budget for the library project. 

“We already have a team doing the construction of the library. We are going there to see the progress of the project and also to be involved in the heavy manual work on the construction site,” Fr. Steve told ACI Africa, noting that what the members of the youth group from St. Austin’s seek to do most during their peace caravan is to preach the gospel of Christ “in a very practical way.”

Credit: ACI Africa

At Claude Academy, the youths from Nairobi have built an ICT block that is fully equipped with computers. Over the years, the youths have also repaired classrooms at the school and built a dormitory that has a capacity of 100 girls. 

Their projects at the school in 2022 included the construction of the school's security fence to shield it from intrusion. Their attention this year was drawn to the school’s library.

Fr. Steve says that there has been increased access to quality education among residents of Chemolingot village owing to ongoing development at Claude Academy. “Consequently, the area has been witnessing moments of calm amid the tensions of East Pokot,” the Kenyan Spiritan Priest says, and adds, “Young people who could easily become Morans and start fighting now choose to fight illiteracy, poverty and diseases. They no longer fight for cattle.”

In their future plans, members of the Kings and Queens youth group of St. Austin’s Msongari Parish hope to have the caravan for Catholic women and the Catholic men at the Parish.

Credit: ACI Africa

“We also wish to develop our adopted school to become a centre of excellence and to invest heavily in an education trust so that more children in the village can have access to education,” Fr. Steve says, adding that as for 2022, 360 children enrolled in primary and junior secondary classes at the school that is partly funded by Misean Cara.

The main challenge that the peace caravan faces, Fr. Steve says, is the cost related to traveling to the far-flung village.

“The entire project can come to about half a million Kenyan shillings. Bus charges alone are KES. 160,000.00,” he said, and added that fear among some young people at the Parish who dread the insecurity in East Pokot is sometimes also a setback to the initiative.