Ujumbe by mhmcorrespondent

Ujumbe@Witu/Kipini

A magazine of the Mill Hill Missionaries in Witu/Kipini Parish St. Josef Freinademetz Parish Witu/Kipini

Jan-Jun 2020 Vol 2; No1

The Covid-19 Edition

COVID-19 IS REAL PROTECT YOURSELF YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Kipini view of Indian ocean

NOW WE MUST ACCEPT THAT EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED AND BEGIN TO ADAPT TO THE NEW NORMAL.

he last edition of Ujumbe that we published in December 2019 mentioned little or nothing about the coronavirus pandemic that was spreading like wildfire in China. The reason why we did not talk about this pandemic was simple; the only thing we could offer China was our prayers. Secondly, it did not occur to us that Wuhan China seemed very far, but was indeed very near to Witu. We went ahead with plans as usual. The only indicators of Corona in Kenya were short clips by youths on social media making fun of the situation. In January and February, programs were running as usual. The parish was busy with elections of parish leaders starting from the Zonal Level. Youths of the Central Deanery of Malindi Diocese were planning for a seminar and festivals to take place in Witu in April. Mep students were finishing up their mission experience and were preparing to move away before the end of March. By mid-February, Fr Adolf went home for a holiday and was hoping to come back as soon

as circumstances could permit. I was also hoping to travel to Cameroon in April for holidays after two years of my first appointment. Fr. Thomas Ngong had visited and was to help around until the arrival of Fr. Adolf from holidays and/ or the arrival of Fr. Ananth for appointment. Everything seemed ok until the big announcement came in March. Behold Covid-19 was in Kenya. That is how life took a new turn. With Covid-19 in Kenya, t he Cabinet Secretary for health in Kenya Mr Mutahi Kagwe said in one of his updates to the nation. “if we continue to behave normally, this disease will treat us abnormally”. That is how life changed for everyone in Witu. A new way of life had to emerge, and on a day to day bases, we started familiarizing ourselves with words such as “social distancing” Quarantine, sanitizing, lockdown, hand washing, to name a few. To curb the spread of the disease, the Government put measures, restricting all forms of gatherings including assemblies in churches. schools 5

closed and our girls in the Witu Catholic Girls’ Hostel had to go home to their families as we waited for what was to follow. That is how we became separated from our Christian community. Few weeks passed by, and Fr. Thomas and I had to put ideas together to figure out new ways to continue to nourish our Christians with the word of God. In the end, we shifted to social media. We started by writing Homilies and sharing them to our Christians on Whatsapp group. Another option was to do short clips and upload them to Youtube and Facebook. It is more than 100 days now since the first case of Coronavirus was confirmed in Kenya, and everything has changed completely. Experience has shown that we cannot continue to rely on the traditional approach to mission. We must use other avenues like social media. It is an invitation for us to rethink how effective we can remain relevant in the mission, even in situations where the physical meeting is not possible.

COVID-19 IN KENYA Josphine Mwende

Corespondent (Covid-19 Statistic in Kenya for Ujumbe) Former Member of Witu/Kipini Parish youth group

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered virus (Coronavirus). The incubation period for this disease has been approximated to two weeks before one develops signs of having contracted the coronavirus (though asymptomatic carriers of the virus may not show any visible symptoms). The most common symptoms are fever, dry cough and tiredness. When infected with the virus, one experiences mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Aged people and those with underlying medical problems are more likely to develop severe illness. This disease was first reported in Kenya on March 12th 2020 of which a Kenyan citizen who travelled back to Nairobi from the United State of America via the United kingdom on March 5th 2020. She was confirmed positive by the National Influenza Centre Laboratory. From

then, the government started tracing persons who may have come into contact with the patient, but still up to date, the virus has spread widely in the Country. -The Ministry of Health, Amref Health Africa together with the World Health Organisation have been working out preventive measures to curb the spread of coronavirus by • Training over 1,100 health workers and deploying them in various areas. • Setting up beds and isolation wards in preparations for Covid-19 upsurge in county hospitals and that of Mbagathi Hospital and Kenyatta National Hospital. -The Government unveiled strict measures to curb the spread of coronavirus. Some of these measures included: • The closing down of all public and private schools, public gatherings, all entertainment, bars and other social spaces, including places of wor6

ship. • Travel restrictions were later imposed to prevent non-residents from entry into Kenya. Kenyan nationals and residents were required to self-quarantine for a minimum of fourteen days upon arrival in to the country from other countries. • There was further Suspension of all international flights active from midnight on March 25th, except for cargo flights. • On March 25th, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced a nation-wide curfew from 7 p.m to 5 a.m. • 100% tax relief to Kenyans earning KSh 24,000 and below. • Barely 24-hours had slaped before the imposition of restrictions on exiting and entering the capital City Nairobi and three other coastal counties where cases were being recorded. Two new testing facilities were

set up in Kenya that is National Influenza Centre hosted at the National Public Health Laboratories, and Kenya Medical Research Institute (KeMRI) -People with confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection were being taken to isolation centres set up in government and private hospitals. Such centres include the ones at Mbag-

athi Hospital, Kenyatta National Hospital and Agakhan Hospital. At the moment, asymptomatic carriers of the virus are given home care. Since the coronavirus began spreading across the world, Kenyans learned a lot about the extent to which people could go for a tube of hand sanitizer or a face mask. As

the number of confirmed coronavirus cases increased and countries lockdown large gatherings or shops to promote social distancing, these uncertainties drove the so-called “panic-buying” that’s emptying store shelves quicker than they can be restocked.

The struggle to stay safe

This picture paints a reality of how poor Kenyan are struggling to keep off the risk of COVID-19 even as shortage and subsequent escalating prices of protective materials like sanitizers and masks. This caring mother with her two children was pictured as she waited to cross to the mainland alongside Likoni ferry in Mombasa county with their bottle masks covering their faces almost suffocating the child. The family could only cling to hope after taking the only “precautionary measure” they could afford at the time. 7

DAYS OF COVID-19 IN KENYA â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we continue to behave normally, this disease will treat us abnormallyâ&#x20AC;?

Six weeks after the first positive coronavirus case was reported in the country, up to 411 people were confirmed positive for the virus. From the coronavirus cases, the Ministry of Health statistics showed that 7 out of 10 people were asymptomatic. Meaning 71 % of those infected did not show any signs of the Covid-19. Out of these cases, men were leading, both in the number of infections and mortality. Investigators say most men have underlying maladies such as diabetes, high blood pressure and many others. some medical experts have also slyly suguested that the genetic make up of men

is more accommodative to Covid-19. Other behaviours such as drinking and smoking have also been noted as lifestyle practices causing the variation in genders. The Good news here is that many recoveries have been reported from the positive cases in the country. Correspondingly, health workers are keeping checks on active cases. Majority of those who have been infected ranges between the ages of 30-59. The distribution of the cases by age is also lowest between 0-14 years. There were, however, only 3 death in the 0-14 age group in the 6th week of the virus in the country. Up to this time, The youth

The president had earlier put in place measures to curb the spread of the virus. This brought about a lot of suffering since people were not prepared mentally to deal with restrictions in their normal daily activities. June ended the country hoping to reopen the economy in July, including; opening of places of worship.

between 15-29 years had not registered any deaths. However, the Carbinet Secretary for Health Muthahi Kagwe says they are spreading the disease more in the country. Nearly half of the deaths arose from those between the ages of 30 and 59. There is also a decline in the number of imported cases since the ban on international flights. 64 % of the virus is transmitted locally, while the rest have imported the virus. This is slightly above 1/3 of the total cases. The government is still urging everyone in Kenya to remain vigilant to further bring down the number of infections, in efforts to level the Covid-19 curve in the country.

COVID-19 IS REAL PROTECT YOURSELF, YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS

MISSIONARIES TO THE DIGITAL CONTINENT Fr. Kevin Barasa, MHM

Fifty-seven years have gone since Vatican II published the document on Social Communication, Inter Mirifica, in which the council fathers recognized the fast and crucial technical advancement in social communication. These marvellous technological inventions, the fathers say, directly touch Wo/ manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spirit and have opened up new avenues of reaching and influencing each other (IM 1). The council also says that Catholics should not be too inactive as to let other things drown or silence them in this area; instead, they should turn media to salt and light which add savour to the earth and light to the world. Revision and recommitment to these words must become a compelling task

during the Covid-19 pandemic when people are bound in their homes. The creative and prudent use of social media by the Church for the mission has grown into a necessity. With limited church gatherings to obstruct the rapid spread of Covid-19, missionaries lost a significant touch with their flock. Social media has, to a great extent, been the bridge-builder. There is an increased use of the internet, and the subscription into social media handles has shot in recent years, the world over. As Hellen Osman notes (speaking to CNA in 2014), some people may feel uncomfortable to take the gospel into an environment that may be a little bit messy and too loud as social media. There is great need to make available the light 10

of the gospel on this avenue so frequented by our people. People go to social media to connect and converse. Just as Jesus joined those conversing disciples on their way to Emmaus(Lk.24:15), missionaries have a task to join their flock on social media. Social media handles such as; Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Instagram, WeChat, Youtube, etc. have been used during the Covid-19 lockdown in a variety of ways including offering the sacrifice of mass, discussions, catechesis, prayer groups, devotional encounters, sensitization on charity etc. And I think this needs to extend even into the postCOVID-19 period.

Truth be told, pastoral workers often have limited contact with those they are serving. It is within the spirit of Christ and our beloved holy father, Pope Francis, for pastors to go where the people are; and I tell you they are online. As Pope Benedict XVI said several times, we need to send missionaries to the digital continent. Meeting people online can never replace the invaluable act of physically reaching out to people, which is a demonstration of love, charity, compassion, empathy and care. Yet, meeting people online has won a unique place in evangelization. Now on, evangelization will forever be inadequate, except missionaries make complete, committed and creative use of social media to advance the mission of Christ. The best way to evangelize a people is to pitch a tent among them. It is time to send missionaries to ‘the clouds’, if not now, when? Blogger Meredith Gould captures this reality even better when she paraphrases St. Teresa of Avilla, thus;

New places of Worship

“Christ has no online presence but yours No blog, No Facebook page but yours, Yours are the tweets through which love touches this world, Yours are the posts through which the gospel is shared, Yours are the updates through which hope is revealed. Christ has no online presence but yours, No blog, No Facebook page but yours”. 11

THE SUDDEN CHANGE BEFORE THE END OF MY MEP EXPERIENCE

bY: Valeriano Ochwo MEP student Witu.

toral placements. With this, everything had to change. We had LIFE BEFORE AND DURING to accept the situation, unpack CORONA VIRUS ERA IN our bags and move on with life. KENYA, EAST AFRICA The Challenge of foregoing our In my first year of Philosophy in social life in the African conJinja, I remember reading one text, to curb the spread of Corospiritual book called the God navirus. of Surprises. There are things that at times happen to us sur- With the outbreak of Coronaviprisingly. Others sometimes can rus, it brought drastic change to be strange. Some can come at a all the people and institutions all time when we never or least ex- over the world, affecting them pected them. Sometimes God in different capacities. Before works in them. In March this the Coronavirus, particularly year, 2020, I started preparing in Kenya, life was very normal. myself physically and psycho- People were continuing to carry logically to leave Witu. Howev- out their darly routines. All of a er, as the Coronavirus situation sudden life had to change; an escalated, Uganda locked her inevitable change. The African borders. Kenya, on the other concept of communitarianism hand, kept on registering sev- used to be the order of the day. eral positive Covid-19 cases. It People were continuously dobecame hard for people to trav- ing their work and socializing. el from one part of the country The communitarianism was so to the other. We had hoped to strong before. I came to notice travel home for holidays on that a person may find it diffithe 30th of March. Through a cult to bypass someone without WhatsApp message, the MEP a hug or handshake. From my coordinator requested all Mep observation, I think this is instudents to remain in their pas- dubitably pointing to the Philo12

sophical ideas of Professor John Mbiti, which states that â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am because we are and, since were are, therefore I amâ&#x20AC;?. With the current situation where Kenya is experiencing COVID-19, most people seem to be aware of its existence and how it is transmitted. I came to realize that even children know about Coronavirus and keep the social distance from persons and avoid handshakes too. The effect of Coronavirus on my pastoral life At the level of Pastoral work, we used to go out for mass, visit friends and families, chat with them and listen to them. I used to have a lot of fun playing football with many friends from different backgrounds both Christians and Muslims in Witu town. Pastoral was a time for me to mingle freely and interact with the people: pupils and students in both primary and secondary schools, respectively. Such moments have left me with beautiful memories that I will live to remember. There are, of course,

many other memories which I cannot divurge only within the limited context of this article. Later, schools had to close to reduce the risk of further spread of the virus among students. At the Parish level, initially, we used to have mass together even with the few Christians during weekdays. It has now become the other side of the story since there are no public gatherings, including prayers and mass, which used to be. In this situation, I am deeply moved by the creativity and the determination of our two Mill Hill Missionaries here in Witu at the moment, that is, Fr. Alex Kimbi MHM and Fr. Thomas Ngong MHM. They still make efforts to reach out to Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s people through Social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Youtube by recording videos of their homilies through sharing links and typed homilies. Also, I think somehow corona has created time for people to instruspect, interact with the team members on different occasions, including playing gams together, planting some trees around the compound. These activities may seem insignificant but I think they have contributed a lot to the life of

the community. Coronavirus has taught me a lesson The pandemic came at a time when the world never expected it to hit the world to the extent where it has reached. Many people are losing their lives, dear ones, economies getting stunted as businesses are at a standstill. People are losing their jobs among many others. I think Coronavirus has taught humanity a lot about life. We all need one another, whether rich, poor, powerful, weak, the ones in authority and the ones under authority, among others. I think it is a time of introspection for us in Africa and the rest of the world. It is time to develop our countries and continents in terms of medical facilities. People can no longer go abroad for specialized treatment, but each one is now treated in oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own country of residence. Finally, I think this aspect of needing one another; is in line with the famous quotes of Professor John Mbiti that I am because we are therefore I am. Life sometimes has many surprises to make. However, every surprise comes with learning, depending on how it comes. I

knew by the 30th March 2020, having finished my Mission Experience, I was leaving Witu. It was quite emotional for me, but slowly I had to detach after getting used to the language, people and the environment. I had in mind that from April, I would be at home in Uganda for my holidays after spending two years away from home. However, this did not come to pass, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are now in June. I still have no idea when the pandemic will reduce in the country. I had to reattach myself and journey with life. However, life is no longer the same. Due to the limited movements caused by the pandemic, I can no longer meet most of the families and friends that I have known here in Witu. It appears as if I have physically detached from them. We cannot physically chat, talk, smile and laugh as before, until the novel Coronavirus is brought under control. Despite such a surprise, I thank God for his goodness in life. It is now nature fighting, and there is nothing much we can do. We are keeping safe and trusting in the divine providence.

Witu-Kipini Parish Covid-19 Response programme

Fr. Alexander Kimbi, MHM

or over four years, I have been serving as a Missionary in Witu, Lamu County and Kipini in Tana River county at the coast of Kenya. Before coming back to Witu/Kipini in 2018, for a full-time mission, I had been in Witu from 2014 to 2016 on Mission experience. Over the years, I have experienced three considerable challenges in this area. The very first is the terror attacks that have happened in this area. Due to these attacks, people are continually living in fear, people cannot travel freely like other people in other parts of the country. For people to travel, they must be escorted by the arm soldiers when they go into and out of Witu. With this kind of situation, people are not living normal lives here.

The second perennial challenge, though paradoxical, is the issue of drought and floods. This makes it difficult for Farming which is the only source of livelihood for most families within our parish territory. In addition to challenges in agriculture, people have to run away from the flooded areas to look for dry grounds until it

is safe to go back to the farms when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dry again. With floods, it is easy for other crises to develop, such as cholera. bearing in Mind that people have accepted and adapted to this life. It remains that people are not living normal lives here. COVID-19 like a timely bomb has come in with another

Mep Students preparing to take food to the villages 14

huge challenge. One can imagine this situation wherein; people are required to keep social distance, wish hands, stay at home, and they are struggling with flooded houses, looking for a place to lay their head for a night. The above challenge is precisely what we as a pastoral team have been struggling with as we fight the Covi-19 pandemic. Being a missionary in a place like this is not easy. Bearing in mind that this is what I chose to do, I cannot run away from the hardship. When things are tuff there in the villages, people call to inform me. With the coming of the coronavirus, things have been even worst for the people because with the regulations to curb the spread of the virus; people cannot go to other places to look for food to sustain their lives. I remember getting up one morning, and I saw a woman being accompanied by her three little children. I asked her this question. Mama, what are you coming to do this early? She replied “to see if you have some food to help us with” then I asked her again if she has not heard that there was the corona. she replied and said,

Responding to the Crisis

This has been the most challenging part of the mission for us. How could we seat and ignore the cries of the people we left our countries to come and serve? on the other hand, where could we get food from, to provide for the many families looking up to us for rescue? Some times it was frustrating going to bed every evening having received calls from the people there in the villages, and I know what they are going through.

Missio Just responded on time

I imagine them leaving the house that morning, that means they spent the night without

Mission reached out to us at the time we were in dying need for someone to reach out to us. Thanks to its charity program. We were able to reach out to about 100 families, offering foodstuffs such as maize flour, beans and cooking oil. From the times we received a donation from Missio, we got involved in a lot of movements, making sure were gave kin attention to the rules as prescribed by the ministry of health here in Kenya to curb the spread of the pandemic.

anything to eat.

Our first point of distribution

“I have heard that there is Coronavirus, but even if we stay at home, we shall still Die of hunger.”

was at the peace office in Witu, where through the peace program, we were able to identify about 20 very needy families within Witu town to help. Our next consideration was Moa village, which had experienced floods and families were stranded. We then covered the whole parish, going through Soroko, to Kaloleni, to Gatundu, to Shauri Moyo, to Kipini Centre and then back to Witu. Bearing in mind that this was done during the rainy season, Movement was hectic, and we thank God that we were able to reach out. AS we struggle to stay safe from the virus, we remain indebted to Missio and to various groups and individuals who have helped us materially, financially and morally to reach out to a few families during these crises. With your help, we have been trying to comply with the ministry of health’s regulations on curbing the spread of the virus as we went into the villages to help people get some food. We remained grateful to all our benefactors.

Catholic Diocese of Malindi COVID-19 RESPONSE | TUVUMILIANE WITU HIV/AIDS CBO

Witu/Kipini Parish

The Diocesan Covid-19 Response Initiative donated foodstuff and other essential items to the Tuvumiliane Witu HIV/AIDS Support Program, administered by the St. Joseph Freinademetz Parish- Witu/Kipini, for distribution to 20 families nursing HIV/AIDS patients. Tuvumiliane Witu HIV/AIDS Support Program is a registered community-based organization (CBO) offering mentorship, guidance and counselling, advocacy forums, treatment, and nutrition support to 150 persons living with HIV/AIDS in parts of Tana River and Lamu Counties of Coastal Kenya. The Mission of the CBO is to provide complementary health, education and children’s services for vulnerable groups of people to ensure their quality of life is nurtured. It visions an empowered HIV/AIDS-free society that can tackle issues of HIV/AIDS and poverty positively through the utilization of enhanced opportunities and ability to be in charge of its development process. Tuvumiliane Support group’s Project Goal is to work in part-

Moses M. Mpuria Executive Secretary/Coordinator- CJPC MALINDI nership with the Ministry of Their situation is disheartening, Health to deliver high-quality given that they need proper HIV prevention, care and sup- nutrition and continued medport services to reduce new HIV ication to deter opportunistic infections in Witu and Kipini ar- infections, and they are among eas and environs. the most vulnerable groups in case they contract the novel Tuvumiliane Witu Support Coronavirus. group is supported by Misean Cara (Mission Support from Ire- Today’s donation for 20 houseland) and has partnered with holds was received by Sr. Nancy Red Cross to reach other parts Mong’ina, the Project Coordiof Lamu County other than nator of Tuvumiliane Witu HIV/ Witu. AIDS support group in a brief session witnessed by Rev. Fr. Majority of the over 100 fami- Alex Kimbi MHM of St. Joseph lies registered with the Support Freinademetz Parish. group remain severely affected by the harsh economic condi- The Diocesan Covid-19 Retions following measures put in sponse Initiative purposes to place to contain the spread of support more households in Covid-19. this program subject to availAlthough medication for their ability of support from well condition is available at various wishers. health facilities, some of them who live in far-flung interior ar- Tuvumiliane Support group is eas of Witu/Kipini experience one of the four special interest difficulties affording transport groups in the Diocese registered to the health care points. to receive continuous support A good number of the families from the Diocesan Covid-19 Relive from hand to mouth and sponse Initiative, given the naare in a desperate state follow- ture and severity of the cases ing the loss of casual jobs and they address. self-employment opportunities The other groups are St. Franthey used to depend on to sur- cis Rehabilitation Project (Small vive. Home) for children living with 16

disabilities, Pope Francis Rescue Home for Child Victims of sexual abuse and exploitation, and BIMOS Support Group for widows and orphaned victims of HIV/AIDS in Tana Delta. The donation to Tuvumiliane Support group includes foodstuff (maize flour, beans, eggs, fruits), and water packs for a few families. A donation of six cartons of sanitary by the PROJECT 720 Initiative of the Diocesan Department of Justice and Peace (CJPC MALINDI) was also made for the benefit of 50 Vulnerable girls in Witu/Kipini area.

We are sincerely grateful to Karibuni Onlus led by Gianfranco Ranieri, Donatella Crispino and friends of Donamasai, Pontifical Mission Societies ( Pms Kenya) led by Rev. Fr. Bonaventure Luchidio and to the Kenya Conference of Catholic BishopsJustice and Peace Commission (KCCB-CJPC) led by Mrs. Beatrice Odera for their continued support that is enabling us to support the special interest groups and other vulnerable cases in Kilifi, Tana River and Lamu Counties in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.

Tuvumiliane Staff 17

Moses M. Mpuria Executive Secretary/ Coordinator- CJPC MALINDI signing visitorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book

DID COVID-19 PUT US IN A FIXE?

Fr. Thomas Ngong, MHM

nd so covid19 was a fiction movie that was being acted in china which I was to watch on a screen until the film was a real-life experience when I was in Witu/Kipini parish, diocese of Malindi Kenya. When I left Luanda on the 5th February 2020, heading to Witu, I had imagined a duration of stay not exceeding one and a half months. I had hoped that Fr. Adolf Poll (Mzee Alleluia) would be away for at most a month and a half. That was how I planned with Mzee Alleluia. But when he reached home, the doctor assured him that he was perfectly fine health-wise and so, Mzee said he might not go beyond a month in Italy. That was good news that he will soon be back. It was equally the hope that Fr. Ananth, the new-

ly appointed priest for Witu/Kipini would be in Kenya within a month from mid-February. The above is the line of events as I had planed for God to bring to fulfilment. Only this time, God had his plans which he was to bring to fulfilment, not just for me in Witu, but for the whole world, which was the COVID-19 pandemic. When the government announced the first positive case of COVID-19 in Kenya, it seemed a minor thing that will go away without notice. But within a week, a lot had already changed, including schools shot down, travel restrictions within Kenya, and to bring the reality home, international restrictions were put in place. These restrictions meant that Adolf and Annanth would not be in Kenya within 30days from the date of the announcement. Gradually, things grow wild, and places of worship were closed down. Having 18

met a vibrant Christian community of Witu parish it was suddenly cut short by the fact that churches were closed, gatherings of every kind prohibited. I also could not go back to Luanda. I had to stay put for I could not pass through Mombasa, nor could I pass through Nairobi. This is how life has been for me since the coming of COVID-19; however, it is not all that bleak. Support from fellow members of the pastoral team in Witu has been priceless. Praying together with them has not left such a void that as it would have been if they were not around. As regards the Christian community, we had to endeavour to reach out to them through social media. We have been sending reflections online, and we have also been preparing Christian teachings for the Christians and putting them online for the Christian community. This sometimes

reminds me of the writings of Paul, the apostle, to the Christian communities when he couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reach them physically and when he was in prison. With all this experience that I have had in the parish of Witu/Kipini , I have been reflecting on a number of issues as regards the past, present and future ministry in the church vis-Ă -vis what we have been doing as at now in Witu/Kipini parish towards Christians understanding some realities of their sacramental lives. In my reflection, I turn to think that God is calling us to a new horizon which is centred on liturgy within the family set up. This will be a horizon that is reverting in nature but at the same time, advancing. In observation, the sense of a family liturgy has not been fully developed among our people, or it has not been given priority in recent times. Our liturgical celebrations have tended to focus more on celebrations done without the families. More concern was placed on the ability of the family to be able to interact liturgically with others outside the immediate families. Families were encouraged to pray together, but not much was done in terms of follow-ups to ensure that guidelines were drawn to capture nuclear family liturgies as was the case with small Christian communities. This has been our situation until COVID-19 hit us where it hurts the most; closing of all churches and banning all public liturgical celebration. This situation has put us in a fixe, and indeed the social media came in handy to catapult ministry to a new horizon, notwithstanding the fact that in retrospect, God is pointing us to the only unit that remains functional in the time COVID-19 pandemic; the family. Within this time, gender-based violence in

homes has been on the rise in Kenya. This is a sign that family bonding is a challenge for our people. There has been an alarming rise in the number of teenage pregnancies in the country. This is a sign that parents and families do not have what it takes to check the activities of children even when they are with them at home. These are few cases amongst many challenges that COVID-19 has exposed families to. These challenges can neither be ignored nor declared unsurmountable. We ought to take the challenge of rectifying causes of these challenges. They may be varied, but one of them which I think as the church we are capable of dealing with is a reinvigoration of the family ministry.

powering the family to know how much they can do for themselves as a family. If we could begin from as basic a point as these gradual families will come to appreciate the idea of a family liturgical spirituality. This will minimize the challenges that families are going through now and in the future, and families can come together and face each other genuinely. This is not something that is far out of order for the Jewish family celebrations are of that same nature. This is not to say one considers the communal approach to the liturgy as out of place. Instead, it is to acknowledge the need to fall back to the very roots of prayers. We only have community prayers because the community is considered to be a family of some sort. The origin of But how do we revitalize family minis- prayers from the time of Abraham, try? through Isaac and Israel, is more a First one would expect that a crit- family affair than a community afical outline of liturgy within the fair. Altars were family altars bibfamily should be put in place to lically. ensure that the moral obligation placed on the parents by the fourth If these few measures amongst othcommandment which demands ers could be put in place, the hope is adherence to instructions from the that family will be better placed to parents, is truly implemented. Par- interact with each other taking into ents should be empowered as the account the various challenges that real catechists that they are in the they go through together. Families family. At the second level, we need would better address the concrete to build a system which assigns to realities of their families about the the family some special days on word of God. the liturgical calendar to celebrate on their own as a family, without being required to join with other families. As an active step towards this approach, we in Witu/Kipini parish in the main time have engaged a few families trying to encourage them always to make an effort to celebrate various liturgical celebrations as a family to the extent to which they can go as laypeople. We have also engendered on an online practical explanation of the various sacraments in the church. This is with the hope of intellectually em19

Being a health worker in Witu during this Covid-19 Pandemic

As we struggling to stay safe from the Coronavirus, we have been wondering what it means for health workers who cannot stay at home bearing in mind that they have to be in their work stations to attend to the sick. Who knows if someone will walk in with the symptoms of Covid-19? Madame Alice is one of our Christians here in Witu and she works as a nurse in Maisha Masha dispensary, which is far off from Witu town. Our social communications department spoke with her about her experience in this times and this is what she had to say: It has been so challenging being a health worker in these times of Covid-19, talk less of working in a village. Despite the fact that we have not recorded any case in the village as at now, my fears still remain. More that 90% of the people here have not taking the warning about coronavirus serious. No one cares about the guidelines given by the ministry of health. People move around without masks, no one cares about social distancing, not to talk of washing hands. My second fear is that the health facility we have here cannot deal with covid-19 cases because we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even test, not to talk of handling the patients. With the health Centre being the only source of hope for people here in Maisha Masha, I have to be here every day, trusting that God will protect us. 20

New Parish Leadership

Mr. Francis Njehia Chairperson Kipini Zone

Mr. Silas Orembe Chairperson Witu Zone

The Social Communications Department of Witu/Kipini Parish will like to thank you for your continues prayers and support to our parish. To follow our parish activities online, Subscribe to our Youtube channel Christ the King Tv or Follow Fr. Alex Kimbi, MHM on facebook

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BECOME A MILL HILL MISSIONARY OR A FRIEND OF MILL HILL?

TO LOVE AND TO SERVE

“come follow me” say yes to the voice of God in your heart and take part in the adventure of making his Gospel know to the world. “the harvest is rich, but the labourers are few” (Mt. 9:37-38)

Talk to a Mill Hill Missionary to know More about Mill Hill Missionaries. Becoming a Friend of Mill Hill? You can support Mill Hill Missionaries with prayers and donations.

Send an e-mail to fmsjvocp@yahoo.com or Talk to a Mill HIll Sister to know about

FRANCISCAN MISSIONARIES

OF ST JOSEPH =

Witu Catholic Girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Hostel girls saying goodbye to Fr. Adolf when he was going home for holidays