Nativity Play 2011

Christmas in Chepynal was a very different experience than any other. Christianity is still young here... so December does not focus as much on Christmas as it does on the traditions of the Pokot. December is the month when young people are initiated as adults into the tribe and for the boys this is a particularly long process (more to come in the next blog). The December camp invited the younger children in the town to take part in activities focused on Christmas. The children learned some Christmas carols, made decorations for home and church, and practice a short Nativity play. For over a week we did many simple activities to help make the season beautiful for the kids and families here. The children performed their play on Christmas morning before mass. The children all arrived at church on time (a small miracle) and were very excited. The play brought alive the story of Jesus' birth and was a wonderful way to evangelize.

For me, seeing the kids up there singing and giving glory to God was Christmas, Jesus coming into the world again.

Life in Africa

From Sr. Karen Flaherty missioned in Kitale, KENYA

Life in Africa

I can’t do justice to the beauty of the area-Kitale is surrounded by mountains and flowering trees, really such a contrast to the poverty that is here. For example, children and adults with out shoes, people walk and walk and walk where they need to go

Being able to know 6am as a bird lets forth a glorious melody at the same time every day

Living with sisters who GO to the poor by foot, bicycle, picky pickys (motorbikes) or out truck

And who also like to play cards and games

Picking vegetables from our shamba (garden) and having a choice to choose cabbage, carrots, lettuce, spinach, zucchini or sukumawiki (bet you didn’t know that is kale!)

Listening to the needs of the area…then, with others trying to discern what to do about them

Attending 6:45 am mass with at least 60 other people who sing by and with heart (in Kiswahili) from beginning to the end

Working with a vision, nurturing native vocations who are wonderful members of the Company, as well as learning from them

Being a resting place for our sisters traveling to and from the Chepnyal mission

Being surprised at things that happen everyday like a 6 year old girl humming the hokey pokey while she draws (Fruit of American college students who volunteered last summer.)

Competing for road space with donkeys, goats, and sheep for road space

Seeing women carrying almost everything except their babies on their heads with their child tucked in a piece of material on their backs

Amazing trust exhibited by students as I explain an art project (amazing in itself) and them not understanding a word I am saying

Being invited to DANCE at a Pokot celebrations as well as being given a belt with snail shells particular to the region. I’m hoping to de better at the dancing because I know I will be doing it again-

Those are just a few things about being here-there are so many more!

Earlier in the year I began a small art class with 3 young women, Ann, Naomi and Janet, who each have a physical disability. Although Ann has found meaningful work, Naomi and Janet are both are unable to work because of their disability and do not have a stable source of income. As we began doing simple art projects with them, I saw that they all were able to create- to draw, paint, color, cut and glue- what one could not do another could do, which made them a great team.

I thought perhaps they could try making cards and if they did well, maybe they could be sold. This would give them a source of income. It took a couple months of classes before we were able to settle on a design that they could do well enough to sell. Then, the work of making the cards began. Anne and Naomi, who both live in the village, began to come to work on the cards in their free time. When I suggested that they take some supplies home to work on them Naomi shyly told me, “Sister, we don’t have a table in our house.”

We began to meet a t Janet’s every couple of weeks. Because Janet lives further away and is unable to stand or walk we took everything to her place and met there. It was at her home that the group came up with the name Kongot Nyokaram, which in Pokot means Good Friends. It was obvious how they enjoyed being together, supported one another and were indeed becoming good friends.

When I returned to the U.S. in July, I was wondering if the group would continue to meet and make cards without me. I was very happy upon my return to see that not only had they continued, but they had created some new designs on their own. They continued to sell cards to those who visited our mission while I sold some of their cards in the US. When we put their earnings together they had enough to buy their own supplies to continue making cards, with some money to spare.

Recently, I met another woman Helen, who is also disabled. One of her legs is significantly shorter than the other. She does have a special brace and shoe that allows her to walk. Ann and I invited her to join “Good Friends.” Helen lives in another village. When I asked her how far away it was she said, “Sister, it is far.” But I could never get her to tell me just how far it was for her to come. I later learned that she walked 4 hours to meet with us. It is still something that touches me she comes so far just to make cards and to spend time with us.

Helen, Ann, Naomi and Janet have great pride in what they are doing. They are learning how to run this little business on their own. They keep their profits in common and when someone needs something, like shoes, they talk with the group. Usually, they agree that one or the other of them can buy whatever it is they need. Each week Ann gives a report on how much they have spent and earned from their last meeting. They have been a great witness to me…living in this simple way. I am reminded of the first disciples in the Acts of the Apostles, “All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among them all according to each one’s need.” (Acts 2:44,45)

Chepynal Mission

Chepynal was one of the first missions of the Daughters of Charity in Kenya. It is located in the area of West Pokot and the nearest city is Kitale (which you may be able to find on a map. It is in the western part of Kenya.) The Pokot people live in this area and are primarily pastoralist. Although, the region is very mountainous most people also farm, growing maize, the staple crop of the country.
The sisters were invited to come to Chepynal by Fr. Dillion, an Irish missionary priest who has spent most of his life serving in West Pokot. The community responded 10 years ago by opening a mission and began working with the people of the village and surrounding outstations. Currently, there are 4 sisters and myself. Sr. Pat and Sr. Lawrencilla both work at our nursery school which serves 122 children. Sr. Esther, who was sent on mission this past December, works with the women and elderly at Linyough Center. She is also working with a few income generating activities to help the women to support themselves. Sr. Mary is the administrator of our projects in Chepynal. She works with communities to help them build and maintain wells and helps to find resources for disabled children in the area. I've been doing a variety of things as well as teaching art at the girl's elementary and high school.
Chirst has been very present in the people we serve as well as in our local community. It is a joy to see the Vincentian charism present here in this place, that is off the beaten path.

Chepynal April Camp

The first 2 weeks of April Sr. Lawrencilla, Sr. Esther and myself invited children from the village to a camp in the afternoon. In the beginning we weren't sure if children would come and the first day 45 children arrived. From that time on, the children would wait for the afternoon activities to start and each day the number grew. We played games, told stories bible stories, made arts and crafts, and songs and dance. We all had a great time. The video above will give you an idea of some of our activites, enjoy!

Outstations Part 2

Earlier this month, I went with Sr. Pat to visit outstation schools in Mungi and Letwa. Sr. Pat began a nursery school in Chepynal and has worked tirelessly in the outstations to help to support nurseries and develop nursery teachers. We went to these areas to see how the schools were developing and what the needs were in each of them. I was also invited to do an art project with the children while we were there.

Our first stop was Mungit, a small village on a mountain top, about a 35 minute drive from Chepynal. It is a very dry and desert like area where there is little water. The school there went from nursery to 5^th grade. The youngest students were in a semi-permanent building with a dirt floor and walls made of mud. Grades 3 to 5 were located in a newer permanent building. There was only one certified teacher in the school. The other teachers were graduates of 8^th grade. It is difficult to get teachers for schools in these remote and difficult living conditions.

35 nursery children participated in the art project. I had made paper kites for the children to paint and then fly. We laid a large sheet of plastic under a tree for the children to sit on and work. They had never done anything like I,t so everything about painting these strange paper objects was new. It took them time to simply dip the brush in the paint and make a mark, no matter how many times I encouraged or demonstrated it for them. But little by little, we could see them discovering what they were doing. When they were finished they tried to fly the kite, which was another foreign experience for them. They would stand and hold the string. The wind would come and raise the kite and it would fall again. Then, the children saw us run with the kite and watched them fly into the sky. Soon they were all running and laughing. The whole school came out to watch!

In Letwa, classrooms ranged from partially finished brick buildings to sitting on rocks or benches under a tree. No matter where the class was the children were eager to learn. This area is located in a valley with mountains surrounding them. There were over 30 nursery children in the school. There I prepared a simple paper toy and finger puppets. The head-teacher, or principal, assistant chief of the area, and the nursery teacher were all there to help with the children. The children colored with crayons and decorated the paper and bead toys with colored paper. They quickly caught on to how to play with the toy, trying to catch beads attached with yarn to the paper pocket. The children played and played, smiling with each try. The paper finger puppets brought light to their eyes as they saw the expressions of the lion, bear, and elephant I showed them. They drew the eyes, nose, ears, and mouth on their puppets and began saying the only English word they knew…”sister, sister.” I fitted the puppets on their finger and they began to hold it in the air showing me and their friends in class. They were full of life and discovery. Their faces will remain with me for a long time.

As you will see from the photos these two areas are very poor…but they are not without great potential and joy.