WCC NEWS: For spiritual nourishment, “practise humanity,” says Mama Shamsa

A woman who works with youth in Kenya—young people who once turned to heinous crimes—had a group of young Christians, Jews, and Muslims weeping tears of compassion and joy as she recounted her tough upbringing and how she helps turn those youth from crime to community. Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC 08 July 2023 “You don’t get tired of doing God’s work,” said Shamsa Abubakar Fadhil, the Kenyan peace mediator and community mobilizer, better known as Mama Shamsa, a Muslim by faith who was educated in Roman Catholic schools. She is known as a mother for thousands of youth in Kenya. “We have to talk to each other. I have to know what you feel and you have to know what I feel,” said the Kenyan woman who was a keynote speaker at the 5-14 July Emerging Peacemakers Forum. “We have to have capacity to build our youth and give them purpose.” Mama Shamsa spoke to 52 young people from Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Europe, the youngest being 20, taking part in the forum hosted by the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Muslim Council of Elders, and Rose Castle Foundation, just outside Geneva, Switzerland. Showing the way The setting for the forum is the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, overlooked by Swiss Alpine mountains and Lake Leman, far from the crime-ridden area of Kenya where Mama Shamsa does her work. She was among the 2023 honorees of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, an annual international award recognizing individuals or entities worldwide who lead by example to bridge divides and create genuine human-to-human connections, often at great personal sacrifice. Mama Shamsa recounted how, in her culture, when a young woman started menstruating, she was pulled from school—but, for her, in secret collaboration with her parents, Roman Catholic priests educated her, encouraging her in her Muslim faith. Two young Kenyans from her area who had turned from crime to community-building recounted how Mama Shamsa had taken them in and helped turn them around, after they nearly joined the Al Shabab terror group in Somali. “When I see a society, which has broken down with youth who have lost respect, with youth on drugs …As a parent, it is our duty to show the way,” Mama Shamsa said.  “I come from a village in Kenya, which is very hostile. There are a lot of criminal activities going on there – a lot of drug users. Actually it is the hardest drug abuse in that area.” In an interview after she spoke, Mama Shamsa said: “In order to be a good human being, you must have spiritual nourishment. It is not defined by which religion you come from. All religions talk about peace. Spiritual nourishment comes from being a human being. First you have to practise humanity.” Photo gallery of the Emerging Peacemakers Forum 2023 Learn more about the Emerging Peacemakers Forum "Young Christians, Jews, and Muslims begin a peace-building journey" - WCC news release 6 July 2023 "Kenyan woman peace-builder wins human fraternity award" - WCC feature story 14 February 2023 7 July 2023: Mama Shamsa with the participants of the Emerging Peacemakers Forum. Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Former street child in Kenya looks forward to college

Presbyterian Church of East Africa helps transform lives — one child at a time

December 2, 2020

Brian Odhiambo, a former street child in Nairobi, Kenya, will soon begin his college studies in business and entrepreneurship. (Photo Mary Njambi)

About three years ago, Brian Odhiambo lived a life of “survival of the fittest” on the streets of Nairobi, Kenya. He was rescued from his street boy existence and taken to Eastleigh Community Center (ECC), a vocational skills training primary and secondary school of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) that promotes peacebuilding at every grade level.

“They did something great to my life,” Odhiambo remembered. “They took me back to secondary school and paid for my school fees and education essentials.”

Today Odhiambo looks forward to beginning his studies in business and entrepreneurship at Maseno University in Kenya. He is excited to pursue his goals in life and gives God all the glory, he said.

Phares Mithamo Nyaga, an ordained elder of the PCEA’s Nairobi Central Presbytery and director of ECC, served as an international peacemaker with the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program in 2017. He and the center’s staff believe education is effective in keeping street children from being exploited and radicalized by terrorists and traffickers of drugs and ammunition.

ECC, a ministry of Eastleigh parish and church, has been providing access to faith-based educational opportunities and vocational skills development since 1959. Nyaga and the center’s staff believe education is an effective tool in sustaining peace through economic and political empowerment of vulnerable people, such as refugees, women and children.

In addition to Kenyan street children, ECC helps “street families” and others affected by war and famine in neighboring Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia.

“In my opinion, Eastleigh Community Center and the Presbyterian Church of East Africa are revealing, through their work and ministries to those on the margins, the quintessence of what it means to be a Matthew 25 church,” said the Rev. Paula Cooper, World Mission’s regional liaison for East Central Africa. Cooper said the center is feeding, teaching, clothing and sharing God’s love with children, youth and families experiencing hopelessness within their current circumstances.

“They offer a holistic approach to their ministries,” Cooper said. “On that great day, when they are asked, ‘Who did you feed?’ ‘Who did you clothe?’ ‘Who did you visit?’ They will have responses.”

Eastleigh is called “Little Mogadishu” because of its large Somali population. It is considered a place of opportunity and a major East African commercial zone. Through educational support of children, basic literacy skills for adults, psychosocial support, livelihood skills training for youth, women’s microenterprise development and promotion of health and sanitation, ECC’s primary and secondary school programs emphasize attitudes of respect, harmony and co-existence between students of different religious backgrounds while equipping the youth with skills that will give them a competitive edge in the market, Nyaga said.

Government policy in Kenya allows a child to be in a rescue center for a maximum of three years.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, all except 10 of the rescued street children have been returned to live with their families. The 10 students at the center are waiting to take their primary education examination, scheduled for October. These students are under the supervision of four staff members who are helping them prepare for the examination.

Nyaga said the main challenge has been providing food and essentials for the students, as well as paying staff salaries and utilities with no incoming revenue since February. “We remain in prayer that all these hard experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic will come to an end,” Nyaga said.

If you are interested in learning more about the work of Eastleigh Community Center, contact Cooper at paula.cooper@pcusa.org.

The Rev. Paula Cooper, World  Mission’s regional liaison for East Central Africa, facilitates PC(USA) relationships with partner churches and institutions in Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia. She also provides support for PC(USA) mission personnel and Young Adult Volunteers (YAVs) in the region. She assists PC(USA) congregations and presbyteries that are or who want to be in relationship with partners in East Central Africa. Contact her here. Subscribe to her letters. Consider supporting her work in East Central Africa.

 Tammy Warren, Communications Associate, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for: 

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Teresa Turek, Board of Pensions
Dan and Elizabeth Turk, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray:

Loving God, we pray for all those who find themselves in desperate situations. May your love prevail as they try to be faithful to you in difficult times — filling them with hope to persevere. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Adopt a Family initiative in Kenya feeds 32K families in two months

Presbyterian Church of East Africa: If people don’t work today, they won’t eat tomorrow

November 19, 2020

Adopt a Family volunteers at Presbyterian Church of East Africa’s St. Andrew’s Church in Nairobi prepare to deliver food packages to 125 families in Kibera’s informal settlement. (Photo by PCEA Mission Department)

On March 15, the Kenyan government confirmed the first cases of COVID-19 and announced a nationwide ban on large gatherings, along with the closure of schools and nonessential businesses. Two days later, the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) held a press conference to announce the closure of its worship services in adherence with the government directive.

Even as members of the PCEA leadership discussed the closing of in-person worship services, they recognized the human impact of the government directives. The secretary general summed it up clearly: “For many of our people, if they don’t work today, they won’t eat tomorrow.” In a country with nearly 65% of its people working in the informal labor sector, those same directives meant keeping people safe would lead to food insecurity. People around the country could be heard saying they would rather die of COVID-19 than hunger.

“When people are hungry, it’s not about giving them bread for one day,” said the Rev. Peter Kaniah Kariuki, secretary general of the PCEA. “It is about walking with them throughout their period of need whereby you will be able to testify to the goodness of the Lord when you see the daybreak together.”

Within two weeks the leaders of the PCEA had mobilized 4.5 million church members to provide food and support for families. The “Adopt a Family” initiative fed more than 32,000 families throughout East Africa in April and May, and its efforts continue. Parishes and presbyteries have heeded God’s command to love one another in times of joy and struggle. PCEA members and friends have shown up with bags of maize and flour, vegetables and milk, tea leaves and sugar, and money to purchase essential items.

In collaboration with local congregations and community administrative officials, the PCEA has identified the families most at risk and is walking with these families by providing a monthly delivery that provides enough food to sustain a family of four. The church hopes to continue the monthly drop-offs until the pandemic is over, but at least through June.

Some of the members who are donating also are struggling financially during this time. “We have some faithful members who have committed to giving 50 Kenya shillings a week (around 50 cents), and they have been donating each week for the past eight weeks,” Kariuki said. “We also have some rural congregations who could not donate money. One such congregation from Nyahururu, a fertile part of the country, sent an entire truckload of corn that they had recently harvested for families in the informal settlements of Nairobi.”

A Presbyterian Disaster Assistance grant of $8,500 will allow the PCEA’s Adopt a Family initiative to provide emergency food relief and hygiene supplies for vulnerable families. On average, it costs around $50 to feed a family of four people for a month, as well as to provide masks, antibacterial soap and hand sanitizer. So, through this grant, PDA is feeding and protecting 170 families for a month. PDA continues to provide grants for needs such as this through contributions to disaster relief in East Africa.

The Rev. Paula Cooper, regional liaison for East Central Africa, facilitates PC(USA) relationships with partner churches and institutions in Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia. Cooper also provides support for PC(USA) mission personnel and Young Adult Volunteers (YAVs) in the region. She assists PC(USA) congregations and presbyteries that are or who want to be in relationship with partners in East Central Africa. Contact her at paula.cooper@pcusa.org. Subscribe to her letters. Consider supporting her work in East Central Africa.

 Rev. Lauren Scharstein, Special to Presbyterian News Service, deputy director for mission with the Presbyterian Church of East Africa. Founded in 1891 and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the PCEA includes 56 presbyteries. Its 4.5 million church members primarily focus on four missional areas: evangelism and church growth, education, health care, and water and sustainability.

Let us join in prayer for:  

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Gail Strange, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Deana Stuart, Office of the General Assembly

Let us pray:

Lord, bless all worshiping communities. Breathe your Spirit upon each of them, that they might reach a new generation and make disciples. And teach us that while contrasts may exist, there is room under the canopy of heaven for all of us to worship you. Amen.

From Pastor Luke Kiptoo Naibei, Kenya

Hi Presbyterian guys.

I am pastor Luke from Kenya, Bible community church, affiliated to Presbyterian church in Uganda

This building is our church

But needs to be repaired. We're trusting God for funds to renovated this building.

This are my two children.  From left, a young one called Richie' ( Ricky) a girl 4 years. Right is Randy boy 9 years old.

My wife, Susan ,and I at a special outing for lunch.

Sharung in an open air crusade.

We share the gospel to the community, do church conferences, etc.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Sharing a dance of joy across the continents

Mission co-worker in East Central Africa has a clear view of God’s work

February 13, 2020

The Rev. Paula Cooper says she’s “entrusted with a ministry and a message to share about how God is using me and what God is doing across the ocean.” (Courtesy of Paula Cooper)

As one of the newest regional liaisons hired to serve East Central Africa, I have been traveling a lot, and sometimes it feels as though I am living in and out of airports more than in my home in Lusaka, Zambia. You know what, though? I can’t complain! As I travel within the countries that I serve — Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia — I have the opportunity to see God’s amazing work through the hands, voices, eyes and feet of our international Presbyterian partners. Partners who are trying to repair the brokenness among God’s children. Partners who, in their own ways, are attempting to serve and provide for “the least of these” — through means like building and maintaining community schools and theological institutions; building health facilities and clinics; and ministering in hospitals, clinics and prisons.

“For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?” (Romans 10:13–14)

All projects and ministries are designed with the intentions of assisting God’s children to see the transforming hope and light that God offers to all of us and to break the bond of brokenness. 

In addition to efforts of transformation, in spite of what appears to sound or be broken or hopeless within the large populations of the countries that I serve, there is an unexplainable dance of joy exulted in the worship services of “the least of these!”

“The Word (of God) is near you, on your lips and in your heart.” (Romans 10:8)

When I travel home to the States to visit congregations and presbyteries or attend mission network conferences to share my ministry and experiences, the attendees want to know more about our partners. I hear questions like, “what can we do to build relationships? What can be done for us to join in that dance of joy that our brothers and sisters demonstrate in worship?” They want to hear more stories of that despair being transformed into hope and joy, and I see them trying to envision how they can share in the struggle and the hope of our partners in Africa. They are inspired. They are interested. I hear it on their lips. I feel that it’s from their hearts. They want to come alongside our partners; to join in the work that God is doing across the ocean. 

“And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:15)

I respond, exclaiming, “Let’s explore those questions. Let’s explore how we begin long-lasting relationships by reviewing mission resources. Let’s explore the idea of short-term mission trips. Let’s go join our partners in their worship services.  Let’s just go and join them in the dance! Let’s join them in the work that God called us to do. Let’s go and see, learn, teach, share, talk, cry, laugh and pray together.”

“So, faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)

As I said earlier, it appears that I live in airports, but for the most part I can laugh about it because for some crazy reason, I love it! I think I love it because I am entrusted with a ministry and a message to share about how God is using me and what God is doing across the ocean. Also, I love talking about God! I have the opportunity — the blessing — to bring a message from Africa to the U.S.A. and vice versa! 

What a gift — to be able to link, to connect struggles, joys and desires of people who want to join hands with one another across the oceans; to see and hear how others get inspired and say they want to dance to that joy!

Let us all possess the “beautiful feet of those who bring good news” by sharing the wonderful ways God is using us to fulfill God’s missional work.

Rev. Paula Cooper; Mission Co-Worker in Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia; Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for: 

Mission Co-workers:
Rev. Catherine (Kay) Day (Rwanda)
Sherri and Dustin Ellington (Zambia)
Melissa and Charles Johnson (Zambia)
Rev. Janet Guyer (Malawi)
Rev. Cheryl Barnes (Malawi
Rev. Jeremy and Luta Garbat-Welch (Malawi)
Tyler Holm (Malawi)

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff

Alex Spoelker, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Champaka Srinivasan, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray:

God, take us beyond our boundaries to see the brokenness among your children. But don’t stop there — move us to get involved; to build relationships. Move us to dance with you in the struggle and the joy! Move our feet, Lord! Give those who are involved and serving the energy and tenacity to stay in the dance! In Jesus’ name, we pray! Amen!