Last week we held a workshop on peace and non-violent communication in Kibish. The talks were conducted by Fr Fredrick Rubbino from the Philippines and two other facilitators from Nairobi. Those who attended the workshop were only the Turkana community.

During the workshop, the elderly, both men and women, expressed their deep longing for peace. Some seem tired of these wars, and they are now pleading for peace. The ongoing violent conflict is emotionally affecting the people of all communities living in the area. At the sound of the gun, a life or livelyhood could be lost from either one of the three confronted communities, Turkana, Nyangatom, or Toposa. Young herders usually carry out the raids, and unfortunately, youth from both sides were absent during the peace talks. So those who attended agreed to share what they learned before bringing them together.

After the conference, we had a peaceful pilgrimage to the Ethiopian side. We were highly welcomed by the elders from the Nyangatom community and the security forces from the Ethiopian side. During the encounter, elders from both sides shared the pain the constant killings and raids among the three communities. Elders were also informed that clearing the bush from the Kenyan side of the border towards the Ethiopian border has started. The opening of the way is meant to benefit the two communities, especially to enhance peaceful interaction and trading.

We started a dialogue, which has to continue, and we pray that that they will reach some agreement and attain peace in this wonderful and fertile region. Let’s keep on praying and working for peace since this is the only way of bringing together the three communities for their common good for the generations to come.

Fr. Joseph Githinji MCSPA

During the first half of this year, Turkana mission workers involved in child care (especially in our Mother and Child Centers) have participated in several training activities on Child Protection.

With the support of the MCSPA Safeguarding Committee, we have invited them to create child-friendly environments, to reflect on their role and responsibility in the prevention of child abuse in the communities where we are present.

These have been very fruitful and important meetings for the formation of the whole team, with excellent facilitators who have helped us to improve our mission that the children of our missions grow up in a safe environment, free from abuse of any kind: physical, sexual or psychological.

We thank all those who make this series of meetings possible. We will continue to train, follow-up and promote awareness of this issue in each of our missions. We know that fathers, mothers, entire families, friends, teachers, missionaries, priests, medical personnel, workers and social leaders must work together to prevent child abuse wherever we are present.

Diana Trompetero, MCSPA

In mid-April 2020 we began a food collection campaign to face the economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic contingency, to help the neediest families in El Paraiso and nearby villages in Xochimilco south of Mexico City, where the MCSPA has been working for more than three years.

We launched the campaign among friends, family and collaborators emphasizing what Pope Francis mentioned in St. Peter’s Basilica on March 27: “Like the disciples in the Gospel, we were surprised by unexpected and furious storm. We realized that we were in the same boat, all fragile and disoriented; but at the same time, important and necessary, all called to row together, all in need of mutual comfort”.

The response did not take long, those months we felt wrapped by so many generous hearts, full of hope that we wanted to bring to these families along with a bag of food and hygiene items. Then we became aware that the necessary information about Covid-19 that could have saved several lives had not reached these places.

Sadly this did not surprise us, in El Paraiso, live more than 3,000 migrant families from regions that have been devastated by poverty, insecurity or drug trafficking. Most of these families found nothing more than a piece of land “hidden from the authorities” where they live in wooden, plastic and cardboard rooms without the basic services to live with dignity, the rest is unaffordable for them.

These settlements are called “The invisibles”, they are families that do not appear in the statistics, that are not counted in the urban development plans, is social programs, etc. Officially they do not exist. Here we saw a clear manifestation of what Pope Francis talks about in the apostolic exhortation Evangelli Gaudium and which was already mentioned since 2007 in the V General Conference of the Latin American Episcopate:

“Today everything enters into the game of competitiveness and the law of the strongest. As a consequence of this situation, great masses of the population are excluded and marginalized: without work, without horizons, without a way out. The human being is considered in itself as a consumer good, to be used and then thrown away”.

Faced with this, in addition to the bags of food and hygiene items, we took on the task of bringing workshops about Covid-19, in addition to giving them masks and antibacterial gel necessary to follow the prevention protocols.

With this activities and by inviting people to help us to help these vulnerable families, they become less invisible. We are becoming the “voice of the voiceless” and we are turning the good news of the Gospel into concrete actions, not only the members of the MCSPA who are in charge of the activities, but all the people who have wanted to listen to the cry of these families and who want to be co-responsible with Christ in the construction of the Kingdom of God on earth.

Blanca Beltrán

MCSPA

Yesterday, 11th June, in Lobur Mission, we celebrated the 15th graduation of Furrows in the Desert.

Every graduation confirms the success of this program as a way of making a difference in Turkana. Today there are 13 new farmers ready to be self-reliant, producing food and generating income for their own families from agriculture.

We want to thank all the support from the guests, especially from CEC Agriculture Philip Ebei, CEO Agriculture Dr. Jacob Loleia, Director Veterinary Services Dr. Benson Long’or, Ekwakai Lobek Sub-county Administrator, David Lonoko patron Kokuro elites, chief area Ezra, MCSPA Kokuselei Alexy, and Fridah, and the representatives of World Relief and Concern.

Also, to the ones that they were not able to be present, however, they are giving so much support to the graduates through TIPA project from Rotary International. Thanks to them the graduates will be able to start their own farms in their original place.

Thanks to all other partners, Turkana County Government, Arava Institute Israel, Emalaikat Spain, DKA Germany, New Ways UK and others at the local level that support furrows in the desert programme since the beginning, 9 years ago.

Congratulations to the new farmers, and wishing you a good future.

Maque Falgás

As part of MCSPA safeguarding efforts, Fr. Wycliffe Ochieng is implementing a girls’ empowerment programme along the lake deanery (Lake zone of Turkana County).

This programme is meant to create awareness and prevent sexual abuse among teenage and adolescent girls from poor backgrounds.

Girls get trained on various topics and also receive dignity kits (pads, soap, lotion, mosquito nets, sandals among other items).

If you would like to support this programme you can do it through our website link.

Today on the feast of Corpus Christi, Fr. Avelino Bassols celebrated the Mass and did a solemn procession at Ave Maria Parish, South Sudan.

He was accompanied by many the parishioners and the children from the parish schools. The Holy Sacrament was adorned with beautiful traditional ornaments made from palms and branches from the surrounding forest. The community of South Sudan always keeps their faith as the most important thing in their lifes, in spite of being affected by so many hardships.

In this important feast of the Body and the Blood of Christ, let us celebrate Christ who gives himself really and truly to us every time we receive him in the Eucharist. What a great gift and opportunity to become better human beings and better Christians!

In the recent days the community of Ebur Angataruk, one of the places under the care of Kokuselei Mission, has been saying goodbye to Paulina Lokaale. She was a Catholic Turkana woman who always served her community with joy, as the in-charge of St. Moses Mother and Child Centre.

The missionaries of Kokuselei thank God for the gift of finding people like Paulina in Turkana, ready to serve generously every day the persons who need it the most. Her decision to dedicate her life to others without expecting anything in return, has made a dignified life possible for hundreds of children in Ebur for the last 14 years.

We rejoice for having had this great friend in our midst; she shared our mission and always welcomed us with great affection. We celebrate our friendship with a person who has been shining among all due to her faith, hospitality and generosity.

Paulina, you have left an unforgettable mark on those who knew you. You decided to follow Christ and you have planted a seed of love in your community. Your life has left a message in our hearts: Serve, smile and sing to God!

Diana Trompetero MCSPA

What Africa do you want to know? Ancestral Africa, the one that hides the history of the origin of life? Or modern Africa? Which awakens the world of technology, glass and steel buildings, and high-end cars.
In the day of Africa, I am left with beautiful Africa, the Human and that of the great fauna, the one with the colors terracotta, orange, blue and green, the immense, majestic, spectacular, and soft Africa. The Africa that everything envelops and excites us and makes us fall in love and tears our souls to shreds. That Africa of its people, its nature, its landscape made of greens, reds, blacks, and yellows, like the colors of its flags, its clothes, it is their patient and abrupt lives.
When you open your mind and let Africa envelop you with all its strength, you will never forget it, and you will always return. It will always go with you wherever you go.
In the day of Africa, I find myself in this land that slips through my fingers like a handful of warm and moving sand.
All of Africa is the spectacle of life, survival, beauty, penetrating music, intense smells, sour flavors, bitter beer, and life on the street, among the people. African so punished by some and so loved by others.
What does Africa have that subjugates us and makes us fall in love until we understand that we are insignificant?
I am left with young Africa, which will save the world from ending up dying of old and stubbornness. The one that will renew its history and will be the Africa of the African men and women, the Africa that will return to its origin, will wake up one day and say that life grows in it!
From Ethiopia, Africa, with respect to this great continent and especially its people.

Marí Olcina

05/25/2021

From MOSSolidaria NGO, we thank the MCSPA for the opportunity to participate in their projects MAY 25, INTERNATIONAL AFRICA DAY.

Despite the heavy rains that we received yesterday in Turkana and more so in Todonyang Mission, huge numbers turned out to witness the baptism of 36 young adults at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Todonyang. The best gift mothers received.

“For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink”. 1 Corinthians

Lillian Omari MCSPA