The MSOLA and education

Since their beginnings and specially since their arrival to Subsaharian Africa, one of the main activities of the MSOLA was the education of children, youth and adults, taking a special care of the education of women. Little by little the schools grew to answer the needs. The small classes became, secondary, professional and Centers to Form Teachers and professionals.

After independence, as African sisters and lay people were well qualified and prepared to be in charge of these education centers, the MSOLA handed over all their Institutions to the local Church.

God is in the midst of the neglected of society

Sr. Christine Bahati, from the D.R. Congo, teaches in Laini Saba Primary School, belonging to Christ the King, Catholic Parish, in Kibera slum, Nairobi. The parish is run by the Guadalupe Fathers.

The shool was started as a Rehabilitation and Drop-in Centre for Street Children who scavenged in the slum and the nearby Kenyatta market. They used to come in for a meal, moral, spiritual and human formation. Today the school has eight classes and sill receives some street children who want to study.

Kibera is a slum of 700,000 people living in dehumanising and hostile conditions, where each one has to struggle for their own survival. Houses are made of mud, and people live in very small rooms. As there is no rubbish collection all is thrown outside, including the "flying toilet's bags". This makes all very dirty. In Kibera there is a lot of violence, prostitution, drug abuse, etc. Despite all these, most people in the slum are full of life, active, loving, kind and very active and creative to earn a bit of money to support their families.

The sentence that I hear most is "Mungu yupo" (God exists). There is no doubt about God's presence in the midst of all this. He is present and at work in the people of Kibera.

The pupils I teach in the school come from this milieu. Three quarters of them are either orphans or from a single parent household. The majority of them are sponsored by outsiders who believe in and find important to give education to these children.
Due to their poor financial situation of the family, most of the children have only one meal a day. In order to help children to concentrate on their lessons in class, the school provides them with porridge at break time and lunch. This feeding program is supported by parents (small contribution if possible) and by the World Food Program.
Children are very keen and interested in education. They have big dreams of becoming one day, people on whom the society counts. Some would like to be doctors, pilots, teachers, even the president of the country… Who not?
They are very creative and full of life and hope. They take part in many activities…
I teach them Swahili, Religious Education, and I animate two clubs: "chill up" for prevention of HIV/AIDS, and "Peace club" to help them to be peace-makers. I am also in charge of the on-going formation of the teachers, not only of Line Saba school, but of all the schools of Kibera. But for me the most important is to be with the children, giving them my love, and helping them to hope that life is worth living, despite the many difficulties they encounter in the slum.
Through my teaching I help them to discover God as a Loving Father who cares for them. I want to be a loving, healing presence to them.
Christine Bahati (DR Congo)
Nairobi - Arwings Khodek 2, community.