Schoenstatt Sisters' Journey in Kenya: A Story of Hope and Transformation
A New Beginning
For the past twenty-five years, we, the Schoenstatt Sisters, have been active in Kenya, tirelessly serving the community despite not having a permanent home. Each visit saw us travelling around, living out of suitcases. However, last year marked a significant change when we took the bold step of purchasing a house next to the land we had acquired a number of years ago. This house, a solid structure but not more than a bare shell and requiring much renovation, became the foundation of our new home. During this period of renovation, we rented nearby accommodation.
Providing Clean Water
The first major task was to provide clean water, not only for ourselves but also for the families in the immediate area. This was a challenging endeavor, but with the help of local residents, we dug trenches about 2km long and laid the necessary pipes to supply water. The first benefactors of this were the local chickens!
Building and Social Upliftment
The building project was an exciting venture, and we also considered the social upliftment aspect by choosing a young construction company for the renovations and extension of our house. This company needed a significant project to establish themselves in the industry, and they were grateful for the opportunity. Our trust in them was well-founded as they adhered to deadlines and demonstrated responsibility and honesty. This project was made possible by the generous donations received over the years. Donors can take pride in knowing they have supported young professionals of good character, who in turn employed local labour, thus uplifting the community. For instance, one construction worker was able to build his own small house with his earnings, and local women started a small food business selling to the labourers. The construction management supported this initiative by ordering food from these women, ensuring the workers had balanced meals and could rest during lunchtime instead of searching for food.
The Blessing Ceremony
Despite nonstop rain the days before the blessing, turning the ground into a sea of red mud, everyone pitched in to ensure everything was ready for the grand opening. Two sisters from South Africa travelled to attend the blessing, joining the three sisters now living there and a visiting sister from Puerto Rico. Special thanks go to all who helped prepare for the celebration, especially the Salesian sisters.
The Bishop of the Diocese of Murang’a, James Maria Wainaina, led the ceremony. He began by planting a tree to commemorate the day, then accompanied some sisters and guests into the house to bless the building. Radio Maria Kenya provided a live stream of the entire celebration, allowing not only the 1000 attendees but also many Schoenstatt members worldwide to participate. The attendees included Schoenstatt members and friends, local residents, and sisters and priests from nearby communities.
A New Base for Ministry
With a permanent base now established, we can carry out various ministries and outreach programs. Our next focus is on youth empowerment, particularly for girls and young women, through seminars and workshops on personal formation and leadership skills. We plan to build a dormitory with toilets and showers next to our house to provide overnight accommodation for these seminars. To keep costs low, we decided to invest in our land at Kambiti and hire a qualified farm manager to improve our crops and small livestock farming. This will enable us to supply our own food for the seminars and sell the surplus to cover the farm’s running costs. Divine providence once again led us to the right people. Francis, who had faced significant hardships, was happy to take up the position offered to him. Along with another farm manager, Muthii, they transformed the farm, ensuring it could sustain itself financially. We were already able to supply vegetables for seminars held at a neighbouring school during the school holidays. Even the hippopotami in the river bordering our land are enjoying the fruits of our labour! We also plan to build a water tower to store water for crop irrigation during the dry months when our stream dries up.
Looking to the Future
What will the next twenty-five years bring? Only time will tell, but with divine providence guiding us, the future looks bright for the Schoenstatt Sisters in Kenya. We are filled with hope and determination as we look ahead, eager to continue our mission of service and upliftment. Our journey has been one of faith, resilience, and community, and we are confident that with God’s grace, we will achieve even greater things. Together with the Schoenstatt Family in Kenya and in the strength of the covenant of love, we continue to build towards a future filled with hope.
