CMS Ireland has been involved with Kajiado Diocese for approximately 30 years. During that time strong partnership links between churches in Ireland and the diocese have been developed and continue to grow.
Today the work the work of the local church is supported by link parishes from all over Ireland and there is an active, two-way, exchange programme of personnel and skills between Ireland and Kajiado. Relationships are key to the success of these links and this has been a core focus for CMS Ireland Mission Partners Ronnie and Maggie Briggs throughout their time with CMS Ireland.
In addition to fostering living connections with parishes CMS Ireland also facilitates links between Kajiado Diocese and a number of other groups – including Altnagelvin Hospital and Limavady Grammar School.
The staff of Altnagelvin Hospital for example raised £40,000 to build the ‘Health for All’ clinic in Kajiado town. This clinic was opened by Dr Kenneth Moles from Limavady and was dedicated by The Most Rev Benjamin Nzimbi, Archbishop of ACK on 30th April 2006.
Limavady Grammar School has also been involved with the Diocese for many years. Their walk for water from 2000 to 2004 produced more than £30,000 for building of water tanks and digging of shallow wells. They continue to work with the diocese to help build of a Girls’ Secondary School – which will offer bursary places for less well off people living in remote parts of the Diocese.
The Programmes:
Recovery and Rehabilitation Programme.
Following the drought and famine of 2006/07 it became clear that farmers and ranchers needed empowered and facilitated to deal with the changing circumstances in which they were now working. The programme helps them understand and apply the principles and practices of dry land farming, pasture conservation, livestock disease management, breeding and selection of proper stocking rates.
It is hoped that through this work the livelihood of the pastoral and farming communities in targeted areas can be improved.
The priority activities for the programme are:
- Water: encouraging and enabling rainwater harvesting, shallow wells and de-silting of dam/pans.
- The restocking of sheep and goats: providing assistance for farmers to build up their herds after the devastating effects of drought.
- Food security: educating people about and providing dry-land certified seeds such as cereals and pulses.
- Environmental Conservation: planting of assorted fruit and ornamental trees.
Each of these areas involves ongoing training and support so that the development activities will become sustainable.
TEE Programme.
Theological Education by Extension (TEE) groups have been established in various parishes throughout the Diocese. TEE is among the fastest of educational developments in Majority World Christianity.
Classes of between five and twelve people are held once a week working on a particular programme or book of the Bible, there are 40 teaching books and each book takes ten weeks to cover. At the end of each course there is an examination and a certificate is awarded with a final exam covering all the courses. Each class is visited once a year throughout the diocese.
Mobile Clinic.
The mobile clinic is staffed by a nurse and volunteers. Currently it travels to remote villages in 9 different locations, visiting each location once a month. There are three types of health programmes delivered by the clinic; Antenatal, Health for All and Mother and Child Health.
At the Antenatal clinics the mothers have their weight and blood pressure checked and an examination – they are also provided with medication if it is required. The Health for All clinic examines and treats all those who attend. The Mother and Child Health clinic, delivers an immunisation programme to babies and an immunisation programme for diseases such as Tetanus, Measles, Polio, BCG and Hep B.
Through the work of these clinics basic healthcare is provided for some of the most remote communities in the diocese. They also provide an opportunity for health education – with a particular focus on HIV/AIDS.
MRTC (Maasai Rural Training Centre)
MRTC is an Institution of the Diocese and is the place where most of the physical development activities of the Diocese are based. MRTC started in the early 1960’s as a result of a severe drought and famine – followed by torrential rains. These adverse weather conditions left the Maasai herds devastated and threatened their very existence. MRTC was built at Isinya and over the years it has built six extension centres situated in the most remote parts of the Diocese.
The centre seeks to provide practical training that includes; Animal Husbandry, Crop Husbandry, Community Development, Farm Management, Craft, Water Development and other skilled training programmes.
WET:life
WET:life is the name given to a programme initiated by Bishop Taama after a drought in 1999/2000 and focuses on provision of water, education and training throughout the Diocese.
Interestingly those areas where there was WET:life input were better able to resist the more recent drought of 2006/7. Fewer animals died and water was more readily available for domestic use.
While WET:life is not now being promoted, as a project, in Ireland it is still very much alive in the diocese and continues to bring much benefit to a variety of communities in all parts of Kajiado.
