By Hillary Michael Awiti

NOTE: Part of the SCC Course at both Hekima College and Tangaza College in Nairobi, Kenya in February, March and April, 2009 was a "Practicum." Instead of a regular class one week, the students (seminarians in religious congregations and one religious sister) participated in a gathering/activity of a SCC (or SCCs) in a parish and wrote a short paper on the experience. They used the "see, judge and act" methodology of the Pastoral Circle (Pastoral Spiral). Many students wrote about the SCCs’ involvement in the 2009 Kenya Lenten Campaign on the theme “Justice, Reconciliation and Peace" (that is also the theme of the 2009 Second African Synod). This is one example.

SEE

On Saturday 7 March 2009 I attended one of the Peace-building Seminars for the Small Christian Community leaders of Christ the King Catholic Parish in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya.  Kibera is a very populous slum located in Nairobi Archdiocese of Kenya and its inhabitants come from almost all the ethnic groups in Kenya. The residents live from hand to mouth in desperate conditions such as poor infrastructures. Their main concern is to meet their very basic human needs.  Due to this diversity and vulnerability it was one of the hot spots of the post-election violence in 2008 with examples of tribalism, negative ethnicity, instability and other problems. Hence the need for such a seminar. This was held in the Parish Hall located opposite the church compound.  It lasted from 9.40 a.m. to 1.35 p.m. and was conducted in Swahili. 

The facilitators comprised a team of three Mill Hill Missionaries seminarians Philip Odhiambo, Patrick Amarnath and Tony Emeka together with the catechist of the parish, Stephen Njoroge.  There were 32 participants: 20 women and 12 men representing the larger ethnic groups in Kenya: Kikuyu, Luo, Kamba, Luyia and Kalenjin. These participants came from the following Small Christian Communities: St. Luke, St. Mulumba, St. Martin de Porres, St. Salome, St. Cecilia, St. Raphael, St. Vincent, St. Dominic, St. Charles Lwanga, St. James, St. Catherine, St. Andrew and St. Francis. These SCCs are located in St. Daniel Comboni, Shilanga, Mary Fountain of Reconciliation, Laini Saba, St. Jude High Rise, St. Veronica, Lindi and St Gabriel, Soweto Outstations of the parish.

After a hymn and opening prayer, Stephen welcomed everyone.  The agenda were laid out after which the seminar went on as follows:

1.      Recapitulation on the previous seminars inputs.

2.      Application of the inputs using two role plays on the causes of instability in Kibera slums and problems facing Small Christian Communities in the parish.

3.      Sharing using the “see, judge and act” methodology in buzz groups.

4.      Reporting to the larger group.

5.      Planning for the next seminar. 

However before the last agenda could be fully discussed, one of the priests working in the parish came with a religious sister who made a presentation on the forthcoming International Women’s Day on 8 March, 2009.  This lasted 45 minutes after which there was lunch and departure.

JUDGE

During the recapitulation process, some participants repeated already mentioned subjects thus becoming monotonous.  However, the seminar was well conducted, interactive and many participants volunteered for the role plays.  The buzz groups opened up a forum where everyone had an active participatory role in the seminar by sharing their personal views. Issues that came up included accumulating debts with the small scale business people that leads to frosty relationships and failing to turn up for gatherings.  Another was the second role play that highlighted the harm of gossip among Small Christian Community members, infidelity and weak leadership.  During the entire seminar, there was no time given to scripture readings or reflection. Besides, there were some interruptions during the seminar as members went out of the meeting hall mostly to attend to mobile phone calls while some few came late for the meeting.  Breaks of five minutes enabled participants to remain active during the seminar.

ACT

Decisions and suggestions were made on how to implement what was discussed in the Small Christian Communities themselves.  People should be honest about the difficulty with paying debts and not to betray the trust by hiding. Also ask for forgiveness, be responsible, organised, open and reconcile with others.  As regards the second role play, while infidelity in marriage was emphasized, leaders of the Small Christian Communities were also encouraged to gather information and facts, patiently and sensitively listen to members’ views.   Having done so, then address the matter “kijumuiya” that is, involving the other leaders of the Small Christian Community.  Gossip causes a lot of ill feelings in the group, raises suspicions, anger, distrust and so needs to be handled carefully.  There is a need for a proper reconciliation service after any such events.  I suggested to the facilitators to set some rules at the start to curb the interruptions like switching off mobile phones.  Also use Holy Scriptures often.  Again meet with the priest prior to the seminar so as not to come in with a new agenda as members get ready to wind up.

Hillary Michael Awiti, MHM is a Mill Hill Missionaries seminarian from Kenya. He is studying in the Third Year of Theology at Tangaza College in Nairobi, Kenya. He does pastoral work in animating SCCs in Nairobi Archdiocese. This Practicum Paper was written in April, 2009 in the course on "Small Christian Communities as a New Model of Church in Africa Today."

Hillary Michael Awiti, MHM
School of Theology, Tangaza College
St Joseph's Formation Centre
P. O. Box 865, Uhuru Gardens
00517 Nairobi, Kenya
Cellphone: 0734-722933
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