Kenya Opens Eyes and Hearts of U.S. Students
NAIROBI, Kenya — Dirty remnants of clothing litter the muddy paths, rust streaks across thousands of corrugated metal sheets and piles of household merchandise spill out of small shacks that double as homes. This is what the people of Nairobi call the Kibera slum, a place where justice hides in small corners and is often difficult to find.
Minnesota students visit with a Kenyan farmer of disease-resistant cassava, provided through a CRS project.
Answers sought by nine students from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University (CSB/SJU) are also difficult to find. These students — who attend the affiliated women's and men's campuses in St. Joseph and Collegeville, Minnesota, respectively — came to Kenya to see justice and peacebuilding projects with their own eyes. They left two weeks later with new perspectives on life in Kenya as well as their lives at home.
"The living conditions are worse than I anticipated …but the people are more resilient than I anticipated," says Stephanie Wegmann, a student majoring in both peace studies and communications.
First Impressions
The nine students and their three trip mentors first spent time in Nairobi being briefed by Catholic Relief Services staff on Kenya development priorities and learning about Kenyan culture and human rights issues. They also met with students and staff from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (known by its acronym, CUEA), a school with which CSB/SJU is developing a university partnership and exchange program. This partnership extends the already existing CRS Global Solidarity Partnership between the St. Cloud diocese in Minnesota and the Homa Bay diocese in western Kenya.
A student in Nairobi's Kibera slum plays in an open field recently transformed from a crime zone with the help of a CRS-supported peacebuilding initiative.
The group then headed to the field to see development work in action. Projects that supported people in becoming self-reliant impressed the students most, including CRS' Crop Crisis Control Project (known as C3P) and the Maryknoll-supported St. John Bosco Rehabilitation Centre for street children in Kitale.
"The agriculture projects are something people can do and sustain on their own," observes William Roiger, a psychology major. By planting disease-resistant cassava and banana provided by the C3P project, farmers can harvest more food both to eat and sell.
No Rose-Colored Glasses
Meeting with local agencies and traveling with CRS Kenya staff, the students gained firsthand knowledge of the challenges many Kenyans face. Students witnessed physical hardships, discovered the consequences of corruption and learned how politicians often manipulate Kenyans' strong sense of tribal identity. They also gained deep respect for those working to make a difference.
The students said they were impressed with the exceptional hospitality extended by the communities visited. They were also surprised at how extensively the Catholic church is involved in the communities and at how many priests are helping Kenyans tackle the obstacles in their day-to-day lives.
The group also benefited from the presence of James Kimeu. James, who is majoring in political science at Saint John's University, offered valuable insight on life in Kenya, being a native Kenyan and the son of Peter Kimeu, CRS' East Africa regional technical advisor for global solidarity and justice. Touring Kenya as part of an American contingent, James had an eye-opening experience of his own: He quickly became very aware — and at times wary — of how differently Kenyans treat people when they are from the United States.
Alternatives to Violence
Picking their way through the garbage-strewn train tracks, the students visited a CRS — supported peacebuilding project in Kibera at the end of their stay. An estimated half of Nairobi's population now lives in slums, with Kibera being the largest. More than 800,000 people crowd into rows of sagging shanties that fill almost every square inch of Kibera's 600-plus acres.
"Young people have nothing to do after school," explains Anthony Wambua, the coordinator of the Christ the King Catholic Church — Kibera Peace Building Project. "We look for ways to engage them, to give them something to turn to other than guns and crime."
The project helps to resolve conflicts in Kibera neighborhoods, which are typically divided along tribal lines, and works to strengthen community relationships. Initiatives include supporting youth peacebuilding activities, overseeing a community-based rumor monitoring system that aims to defuse potential violence, and helping young men and women to enroll in the church's skills-training courses.
"We heard repeatedly that educating people will solve things over time," William notes.
This education cuts both ways. The students were extremely grateful for CRS Kenya's willingness to help them better understand another culture, its people and the true meaning of global solidarity.
CSB/SJU students on the trip included Samantha Gaetz, Nicole Kempenich, James Kimeu, Jessica Nelson, Erin Olufs, Kim Overholser, William Roiger, Sarah Rund and Stephanie Wegmann. Three mentors accompanied the students: Sr. Mary Jane Berger, a Benedictine sister and teacher in the CSB/SJU English department; Ronald Pagnucco, Ph.D., a chairman and associate professor in the CSB/SJU peace studies department; and Rev. Fr. Bill Vos, a priest in the diocese of St. Cloud who also serves as diocesan director for CRS and campus minister at CSB/SJU.
