July was the beginning of a life changing experience for students and teachers from Tullow Community School as they experienced the life, culture, sounds and smells of a country that is totally unlike Ireland. For the past two years, Ian Kavanagh, Richard Thompson, Ben Kenny and John O’Brien with Mary Murphy rsm, their School Chaplain, had been planning and fundraising for a mission trip where they could experience the life and work of the Patrician Brothers. Livia Whyte from the Patrician School in Newbridge and Siobhan B Kelly joined the group. And what can we say about the experience!
From the moment we were met at the airport in Nairobi by Brother Placido to the moment he dropped us off for our return journey we were the recipients of the gracious hospitality of the Patrician Brothers. No stone was left unturned by Brother Paul Brennan as he provided for our comforts, our nutritional needs, our transport and our entertainment. Equal hospitality was provided in Kamagut where the boys took turns working on the farm with Brother Tom. Experimenting with authentic African cuisine such as mandaese, chappati and ugali made us more adventurous but appreciative of home cooked foods. When eighteen sat down to a candle light dinner that Saturday due to a power failure we experienced the patience, the ingenuity and the resilience of the Brothers.
Travelling from Nairobi to Eldoret, from Kapsoya to Kabongo, from Kamagut to Iten in our own mobile clinic was an eye opener as we saw groups of women clearing the ground, swinging in unison with sharp bladed knives called pangas. We saw shepherds and shepherdesses tending to mediocre herds of cattle, sheep and goats. We saw villages of round mud huts, refugee camps, acres of maize and pot holed hazardous mud roads. Visiting the primary and secondary schools run by the Brothers, visiting the Kip Keino orphanage, touring the Kabongo Clinic and working on the farm with Brother Tom made us realize that every penny counts and how monies raised from fundraisers are put to very good use.
One of our highlights was visiting St. Patricks School, Iten, where numerous Olympic gold medallists, world champions, world record holders and world junior champions have been trained. To our surprise we found that there was no gym, no track and no elaborate training equipment there– only a plain field! We now have a vested interest in current athlete David Rudisha who recently broke all world records and is a student of St. Patrick’s. What a tribute to Brother Colm O’Connell and to the Patricians! While we did not personally meet Rudisha we had the pleasure of meeting Kip Keino, twice gold Olympic medallist and first Kenyan to win gold, Martin Keino twice NCAA champion and Benjamin Limo, world champion of 5000m.
The boys got right into the life of the mission by painting the roofs on the sheds for the cows, painting gates on the farm, digging trenches to lay water pipes, chopping firewood, cutting grass, interacting with the students in the schools and Livia, herself an orphan, worked for one week in the Lewa orphanage. Seeing and hearing the children shout with joy when we presented tin whistles, recorders, tambourines and drums was an exciting and rewarding experience. These were gifts from the people in Tullow. The boys were in agreement that the experience was rewarding and the chance of a life time and that all the people we met were so gracious and so happy despite very little comforts. We have so much here in Ireland that we had forgotten how a lollipop can bring so much joy to a child! Attending an authentic African Liturgy of over two hours at the University was an eye opener as to how grateful these people are for the little they have and how they give honour and praise to God through prayer, song, dance and elaborate processions.
However, nothing could have prepared us for the challenge we experienced in Kibera, the second largest slum in Africa and home to 1.2 million people. Roads or pathways are littered with animal and human waste and rubbish. Conditions are extremely poor and most of the residents lack access to basic services including electricity and water. The houses are made either from mud or from mabati (corrugated iron sheets). The paths leading to the houses are narrow and vendors line the side walk with their products of charcoal, dried fish, potatoes and tomatoes. Yet, here we encountered the friendliest and happiest people with laughing children grabbing our hands and shouting, ‘How are you?’ or Karibu ‘Welcome’. On our visit to the Raila Education Centre and to the Baraka Za Ibrahim schools we were overwhelmed with respect and attention shown to us despite the fact that the children have no furniture, no educational materials, and no resources. These people have nothing materially but they took time out to welcome us, to talk to us, to give us a guided tour of the buildings and to offer us tea. We were deeply touched by the eloquent appreciation and affirmation of the Patrician Brothers by the head master, making us realize the contribution, the commitment and the dedication of the Patrician Brothers to people who are extremely poor. In these schools of over 6oo students two thirds are orphans. As we left we were touched with the sense of community and togetherness that we experienced among the Brothers working there, the students and also among the school staff.
Before departing we planted a Tullow grove of trees at the school in Kabongo. We didn’t change Eldoret but Eldoret had certainly changed us. The people we met are truly amazing and each day brought completely different things and every experience was better than the next. Our eyes were opened and now we stand up and take notice. Hopefully we will be able to return at some point in time.
Sr. Mary Murphy is a Sister of Mercy in the Southern Province. She was School Chaplain in Tullow Community School, Tullow, Co Carlow until recently, and now has taken up a new position as Chaplain in St. Patrick’s College (Carlow College), Carlow.
Mary Murphy rsm
Southern Province
