The Voices of Catholic Sisters Communicators in Kenya

“It’s not easy to go and beg, but because of the children I have to do that so that they can enjoy life like any other person. So you have to go down – it needs a lot of humility in order to do all that.”  Sr. Jane Francis Kamanthe, Sisters of Saint Joseph of Mombasa, Director- Grandsons of Abraham 

The Grandsons of Abraham is a rescue & rehabilitation center for street children in Mikindani within the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa. It caters for boys aged between five and seventeen years and is entrusted to the congregation of the Catholic Sisters of St. Joseph of Mombasa. The presence of the religious sisters at Grandsons of Abraham has seen the home continue to successfully rehabilitate, educate, offer skills and reintegrate children back to their families.

“When the family is not united children become victims. That is why we need to advise families to always remain together because when they are separated innocent children end up being the most affected.”  Sr. Clementine Marie Mboma - Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, Administrator – Mahali Pa Usalama

Mahali pa Usalama is a rescue center founded in 2008 by the late Archbishop Boniface Lele of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa. The  local ordinary then conceived the idea of opening the rescue center upon realization that many children were being abused in the communities by their families who were supposed to be taking care of them. Located in Mombasa City, the house operating under Caritas Mombasa continues to live up to its mission and is entrusted to the religious institute of the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd.

“The Holy Father normally says, ‘The old people are the memory of the society.’ If we want to know where we are going, we have to know where we come from and the old people are the ones that remind us where we come from. I think we measure how the society is by the way we take care of our old people.” Sr. Grace Samuel, Little Sisters of the Poor

Little Sisters of the Poor Nyumba ya Wazee in Mombasa, Kenya was opened in 1969. Sisters opened this home to offer the neediest elderly a home where they are welcomed as Christ & cared for as family.

Residents are of different religious backgrounds from different parts of Kenya and neighboring countries. The sisters usually source support by going out begging in public places like they do in Kongowea fresh produce market in Mombasa town on Thursdays.

“I think the real core thing is our motto “love service and self-sacrifice” that as I answer to God’s call the core issue is my ability to identify what God is saying, and when I hear and I’m sure I have heard it well then I go full blast.” Sr. Consolata Banda, ASN

The need to partner with an organization for the day to day management of this charitable institution led Cheshire Foundation to seek assistance from Catholic religious women.

Sisters of Charity also known as Irish Sisters of Ireland became pioneer managers before handing over to Assumption Sisters of Nairobi – ASN, a Religious Women Congregation Founded by the late Archbishop John Joseph McCarthy in 1953 in the Archdiocese of Nairobi – Kenya.

“Being alive makes me happy; just waking up in the morning, being able to face a new day makes me happy and gives me hope” Sr. Michelle Njeri

The Franciscan Sister of the Immaculate Conception had a passion for Journalism since childhood. She is a graduate of Social Communications and is skilled in Radio, TV production, online journalism, web design and leadership.

Sr. Njeri has been the communications coordinator for the catholic diocese of Nakuru since year 2017 and her work entails handling the communication office activities and supporting the secretariat and the people of God in the diocese.  She also manages two diocesan radio stations; Radio Amani and Radio Umoja.

“As a religious having studied communication, I feel so much privileged in that I’m a bit flexible with whichever apostolate I’ve been assigned”   Sr. Jacqueline Muchuma

Sr. Jacqueline Muchuma Nanjala is a public relations graduate of the Tangaza University College, Kenya who is currently working as a parish secretary for the St. Mathias Mulumba Parish of the Catholic Diocese of Mombasa.

Sr. Muchuma who began her journey to religious life in year 2000 made her first profession in year 2007 and is currently also serving as a communications agent for Lwanga Communications in Mombasa, Kenya.

"I love social media; this is where I get to interact with the youth. Through social media I have been able to help many young people who are stranded or some people who are discouraged and are in need of a word of encouragement, and I talk to them and they are encouraged. So social media for me is a way of evangelizing the young people because they are always there” Sr. Lydia Mukari 

Sr. Lydia Mukari Okang’a from the Institute of the Sisters of Mary of Kakamega is a fast developing Electronic & Social Media Enthusiast. The Daystar University graduate is a former Communications Coordinator for the Catholic Diocese of Kakamega is our guest and has worked for several catholic media houses in Kenya

Marie Florence Bamvunginyumvira, a Focolarine from the Focolare Movement Community believes that a good journalist should be a voice for the voiceless with the ability to communicate effectively and create understanding & unity among people. 

The graduate of Tangaza University College, Kenya is currently heading the Communications Department at Mariapolis Piero Center located in Juja – Kiambu County, within the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi – Kenya. 

Foc. Marie Florence attributes her desire to join religious life to the firm Christian foundation gifted to her by her parents.  She is very happy and thankful to God that today she has a story to tell about her road to religious life and her contribution to the evangelization mission of the Catholic Church as a consecrated woman in the field of communication

The Focolarine from Burundi is convinced that her success in life is as a result of her “focus on the present moment” and that although she doesn’t consider herself a superwoman, she hardly says no before trying things out.

"I’m a person who really wants to see the best of every person and I believe that in each person there is a lot of potential untapped; so I’m that person who will want to push everyone to be their best.  Sr. Bridgita Samba Mawasi (SSJ)

The perpetual member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Archdiocese of Mombasa (SSJ) is an alumnus of the Rome based Gregorian Pontifical & the Salesian Pontifical Universities.

She is the current Secretary General for the Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern & Central Africa (ACWECA) and has previously worked for the Association of Sisterhoods of Kenya - AoSK.

The communications professional is passionate with matters of Peace & Justice, Human Rights and has a wealth of hands-on experience in the fields of Social Communications Public Relations.

Make sure to visit our Facebook Page https://bit.ly/3y26nZO and our other socials or the Network of Catholic Sisters Communicators (NCSC - Kenya) web page on www.mombasacatholic.org for the next episodes and much more about the Network of Catholic Sisters Communicators (NCSC – Kenya).

"My top most achievement has been and continues to be: To bring Christ in areas and places where he is little known & little loved” Sr. Prof. Agnes Lucy Lando (SMK)

Sr. Agnes Lucy Lando, a member of the religious institute of the Sisters of Mary of Kakamega is a celebrated communications scholar in Kenya and is the first full professor of Kenya’s Daystar University where she heads the Directorate of Research & Graduate Studies and is the Chairperson of the institution of higher learning’s Ethics Review Board.

In 2016 she became the first African to be appointed to the Board of Directors of the prestigious International Communication Association (ICA), a global body that is present in more than 80 countries with over 6000 members, bringing together communication scholars, communication professionals and communication practitioners.

Go to our Facebook Page https://bit.ly/3y26nZO and our other socials or the Network of Catholic Sisters Communicators (NCSC - Kenya) web page on www.mombasacatholic.org for the next episodes and much more about the Network of Catholic Sisters Communicators (NCSC – Kenya).