January 6, 2008                        Feast of the Epiphany

Dear Heads of School and members of the Sacred Heart family,

In the past two weeks we have all been keenly aware of and concerned about the post-election situation in Kenya.  Our province there, which many of you know through the generous support you have given to help build Sacred Primary School in Kyamusansala, Uganda, includes both Uganda and Kenya.  Sister Irene Cullen, our USA Mission Support Coordinator for the Uganda-Kenya Province, and I thought that you would want to know how the Kenya crisis is impacting the RSCJ there, their educational mission and the people they serve.

There are many solid resources on the internet where you can glean information on the background and present devastating situation to better understand what is going on, so we will focus on the situation of our Sisters and the people with whom they work.  What we know of our communities has been gathered from various emails from our sisters in Uganda and from the Motherhouse; while this does not reflect the whole picture, we hope it will give you a sense of how some people are experiencing these post-election days.

In  Kenya we have RSCJ communities and ministries in three places:  in the town of Eldoret where there has been extreme violence and loss of life, we work in primary education, spiritual animation and vocation work, and in HIV/AIDS prevention.  In the small village of Chekalini, we work in a health clinic, an elementary school which includes a section for children with various disabilities as well as a polytechnic school that trains young women in self-supporting work skills.  In Nairobi one of our sisters teaches at the Catholic university, several are students and several work in the Kibera slum at a parish primary school for which we have recently taken over responsibility.  Those of you who were at the international heads meeting last spring will remember Sr. Margaret Mwarili who is the headmistress of that school.  Much of the violence reported in Nairobi has been in Kibera; we understand that the parish church and school there are safe thus far. 

Just before the New Year all the RSCJ in the province (about 60) had come together in eastern Uganda for their annual assembly. While the meeting has now ended, those who serve in Kenya have been advised to stay in Uganda; they are gathered at our noviceship in Mbiko, near Jinja, so they are safe. Some of the Kenyan sisters have been in touch with their families; many do not know how their families are surviving this turmoil which is a huge suffering, calling for courage and faith.  They may not go back to Kenya as yet. The situation is still unpredictable and unsafe for travel, and the gasoline shortage has made it almost impossible at the moment.

The postulants (first stage of religious life) and aspirants (women seriously interested in joining the congregation) were not at the province meeting.  One postulant, Rose, was visiting her family in Kenya and was on her way to Uganda to join the others on December 29th when she could not travel to Uganda.  She is staying at a parish where there are several thousand people taking refuge.  Food has been brought to them by helicopter and there are soldiers guarding them; they feel more secure than in the first few days.  The RSCJ in Uganda are now in communication with her. Some people have lost their homes to burnings. All this is due to the violence that erupted after the elections. 

Two of the aspirants have taken refuge in Eldoret, one in the cathedral, while another is at our community house there.  The international Red Cross is in Eldoret and offering assistance. 

The ripple effect of the chaos in Kenya is already being felt in Uganda . This is such an example of how we are all dependent on each other for peace and security. Thousands of Kenyan refugees are amassing on the Uganda border and some have come to Uganda.  The Red Cross is struggling to get them food. Oil that comes to East African countries through the Mombasa port has not been getting through Kenya, and therefore not to Uganda, Tanzania or Rwanda. The negative impact on all-size businesses and the life of the people is evident already. Little stores are running out of merchandise to sell so the owners are running out of money to buy their own food. Food from rural farm areas is not getting sold and transported to the major population centers in towns and cities. The new school year in Kenya was to start January 7th,   which will not be possible. School starts in Uganda in 3 weeks.  However, between the present poverty and now the disruption of economic life for many, even the children’s opportunity to go to school may be in jeopardy.  In Uganda, in addition to Sacred Heart Primary School, we also minister in secondary schools in Kalungu and Kangole, in a primary school near Jinja, in universities in Kampala and Jinja and in pastoral ministry, HIV/AIDS prevention and justice and peace work in several parts of the country. 

Underneath all the politics of the Kenya situation there is the cry of the poor for democracy, honest leaders, a decent livelihood, a life of dignity. The perceived dishonest election results have caused these frustrated desires to erupt into retaliation by a few, along side of sincere clamor by others for their rights as citizens. World leaders have taken note and been in touch with leaders in Kenya; as we write there are signs that some dialogue may be possible soon. 

We invite all our Sacred Heart family to join the RSCJ around the world to pray for  peace in one more suffering spot on God’s planet.  What the media has not yet highlighted are the multiple acts of courage, kindness, peace making that are also going on at this very moment. May those candles of hope ignite others and, as this new year begins, may they be joined with our own deliberate choices for peaceful living among ourselves, care-filled compassion for those affected by this and every situation of violence, and courage to make the changes which will create justice and peace for all. 

In the Heart of Christ,
Irene Cullen RSCJ                          Kathleen Conan RSCJ