BENEFICIARIES: Direct 1500 Pastoral Agents and Indirect 10,000 Christians

PROJECT TITLE: PASTORAL AGENTS CAPACITY BUILDING ONLEADERSHIP SKILLSBASED ON THE SOCIAL TEACHING OF THE CHURCH.

(To enhance the participation of the lay faithful in the Evangelisation Mission of the Church and be examples of exemplary leadership to the Society)

BENEFICIARIES: direct 1500 pastoral agents and indirect 10,000 Christians

ORGANIZATION IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECT: Catholic Diocese of Maralal

(Lay Apostolate and Pastoral Programme)

PROJECT DURATION: July 2017- June2018(1 Year)

Applicant:Fr. Peter Musau

Administrator-Diocese of Maralal

P.O Box 350, 20500, Maralal, Kenya

Email:

Legal Holder:Rt. Rev. Virgilio Pante

Bishop of Maralal

P.O Box 350, 20500, Maralal, Kenya

Email:

Budget Summary:

Description / Cost (in Kenya / Cost (EURO)
Shillings) / 1Euro=Ksh 100
Total Project Cost / Ksh :2,838,000.00 / 28,380.00
Less: Local Diocesan Contribution from Justice and Peace Commission/radio programmes / Ksh. 500,000.00 / 5000.00
Total Grant Requested / Ksh: 2,338,000.00 / 23,380.00

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Catholic Diocese of Maralal

PASTORAL ORGANISATION IN THE DIOCESE

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

SITUATION ANALYSIS

PROBLEM STATEMENT:

URBAN ORIENTED PARISHES

RURAL/PASTORAL ORIENTED PARISHES

COMMON PROBLEMS FOR BOTH URBAN AND RURAL PARISHES

JUSTIFICATION:

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

TRAINING MODULES

TRAINING METHODOLOGY

PROJECT PERIOD

ACTION PLAN/FOLLOW-UP

MONITORING

a.Lay apostolate programme level

b.Diocesan level

EVALUATION

REPORTING

SUSTAINABILITY

PROJECT BUDGET

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Catholic Diocese of Maralal

The Catholic Diocese of Maralal (CDM) is one of the 26 Catholic Dioceses in Kenya. It covers the entire Samburu County, including the administrative sub Counties of Samburu North, Samburu East and Samburu Central. The County altogether covers an area of 21.126,5 square Km.The first evangelization among the nomadic communities of Northern Kenya was started in 1952 by the Consolata Missionaries. Currently the CDM has 14 ecclesiastical Parishes which provide structures at the grass roots level through which spiritual as well as development needs of communities are addressed. These parishes are run by over 20 Diocesan priests, 11 Missionary Priests and 6 religious institutes of sisters in the Diocese. These Parishes are clustered in 3 deaneries, where 4 Parishes are run by the Consolata Missionaries, 7 are run by Diocesan Local Priests and 3 by Missionary Congregation of Yarumal.

The vision of CDM is to be “a diocese united by the Gospel where dignity and peace dwell”, while her mission is “to promote a self-reliant community through transformation and good governance”. CDM has four strategic pillars:

1. Promotion of the Church’s Three-fold Ministry (to evangelize, to sanctify and to serve the vulnerable and the poor)[1]
2. Holistic Evangelization and Integral Human Development ( development of the whole man and of all men)[2]
3. Resource Mobilization for Sustainability (A Self reliant, self Ministering and self propagating Church)
4. Communion through Collaborative Ministry (Church strengthening).

Missionary Endeavour

Our Missionary Endeavour in this area is carrying out integral evangelization, to help the nomadic people to face the spiritual, economic, cultural and political problems affecting them. To achieve that Missionary objective, we are investing more in the formation and training of the lay ministers to become self supportive to the local church without strong dependence from abroad.

PASTORAL ORGANISATION IN THE DIOCESE

There are three deaneries (3) and fourteen (14).

Deanery / Parishes
a)MARALAL / 6
b)BARAGOI / 4
c)WAMBA / 4
Total / 14

The pastoral agenda of the diocese is informed by two departments of pastoral work that seek the holistic evangelization and integral human development of the people: Spiritual Pastoral and Social Pastoral. Currently, there are 15 Programmes that inform the pastoral agenda of the diocese.

These Programmes are clustered into 2 major departments as follows:

Spiritual Pastoral Department (5 Programmes): Lay Apostolate, Catechetical, Vocations, Youth and Communications

Social Pastoral Development Department (CARITAS)

Community Development (7 Programmes): Water (Drilling, Supply, Quality), Agriculture and Rural Development, Social Welfare, Integrated Programme for Disaster Risk Reduction, Livelihoods, Gender, Justice and Peace

Institution Development (3 Programmes): Education, Health and Technical Training.

The Diocese has facilitated the establishment of a three year Pastoral plan in achieving its mission of evangelization and integrated pastoral and community development.

2016: Year of Mercy – Be Merciful like the Father!

2017: Year of Good Governance – Thy Kingdom Come!

2018: Year of Unity, Harmony and Reconciliation- That they may be one!

Settlement Patterns and Population size

The settlements patterns of the people in the area are determined by various factors such as climate, water, security, soils and infrastructure.Population distribution in the Diocese like in other parts of Kenya correlates with the land potential. According to the Kenya Bureau of Statistics (Kenya 2009 Population and Housing Census Highlights), Kenya’s Population has risen by more than 10 million people since the 1999 Census; from (28.6 million people) to 38,610, 097 people (19,192,458 males and 19,417,639 females). The Rift Valley Province, under which the Catholic Diocese of Maralal falls has a total human population of 10,006,805 (5,026,462 males and 4,980,343 females); clustered in 2,137,136 households.

The area under the jurisdiction of the Catholic Diocese of Maralal consists of the entire Samburu County as provided for in the promulgated constitution. Samburu County is in northern Kenya and is classified among Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL). The area is inhabited by the Samburu, Turkana and Pokot communities that practice a pastoralist mode of livelihood. The Samburu County has an estimated population of 223,947 – 111,940 Female and 112,007 Male - where 0-14 year olds constitute 51% of the total population.- (Source: Kenya National Bureau of Statistics 2009 census). It is among the poorest in the country with 73% of its population living below poverty line according to (KIHBS 2009). It also has a long history of marginalization embedded in policies and practices of social, economic and political exclusion and reflected in poor service delivery- poor infrastructure, high rates of illiteracy and morbidity.

Main Economic Activity

There are three main agro-ecological zones that determine people’s kind of lifestyle and livelihood: the lowlands are mainly pastoral areas that settle 80% of the total population. Highlands are agro-pastoral and are occupied by the 8% of the total population. The urban and sub-urban areas take 12% of the total population.

The main economic activity in the area therefore, is pastoralism. This involves the keeping of local breed cattle, goats, sheep, donkeys and camels. Livestock here is mostly kept for subsistence since the nomadic people depend entirely on the livestock products, that is, meat, milk and blood for their daily food. Livestock is also used for bride price since it’s still a polygamoussociety.

Perennial Calamities

Being arid and semi-arid land, the area experiences frequent droughts that occasionally result to massive livestock losses as well as human deaths due to starvation and acute malnutrition. Frequent inter-ethnic cattle rustling between the pastoralist communities leave many homeless, poor and hopeless. HIV and AIDS pandemic, malaria, water bone diseases and snake bite, claim many lives of people due to lack of adequate health facilities and inadequate medical information on preventive and curative health. As a result the socio economic standard of the people is very poor since a majority live in utter poverty.

Native Nomadic Communities

The native nomadic communities we minister to are; the Samburu, Turkana, Pokot and Rendile. The Samburu form the majority group, about 76% of the total population. Each of these communities has a strong kinship system that is mode of social network and is meant to help extended families survive the calamities of drought, inter- tribal cattle raids and common fights for scarce pasture. There is a high level of illiteracy across the nomadic communities. This is because girls are married at an early age after being pressured by the parents to drop out of school. The boys likewise are culturally to take care of the goats, sheep and calves. The youth are to protect the community from external aggression, raid neighbouring communities to acquire cattle for wealth and take care of herds of livestock.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

SITUATION ANALYSIS

The phenomenon of the deaneries is new to the diocese of Maralal. The deaneries were constituted in the October 2015 Presbyteral meeting replacing the former “Zones” and with a clear pastoral and administrative mandate.

Coupled with this, elections for lay leadership in the Diocese of Maralal is organised in a three years’ cycle. In this year 2016, elections for leaders, starting from the SCC level to the diocesan level shall be held in all the 14 parishes of the diocese. Theexercise is expected to take 6 months running from November 2016 at the Small Christian Community level to April 2017 at the diocesan level.The months of April, May and Juneshall be characterised by handovers in the parishes across the diocese. Beginning July 2017, leadership training for the new leaders has been planned for.

The newly elected leaders need to be familiarised with the church’s social teachings and the recent papal magisterium.

It is also to be considered that 2017 shall be the year of General Elections in Kenya at both the National and County levels. Christian Leaders who are called to be the “salt and light” of the world shall play a crucial role here.

The newly elected leaders have lots of activities and responsibilities that they are expected to steer. The training of parish council leaders will therefore equip them with skills to effectively carry out their mandates at the Church and at the community. Sustained capacity building efforts will culminate in leaders who understand their roles and are active participants in church and community matters.

PROBLEM STATEMENT:

The identified shortcoming in the identified during the Strategic plan of the Diocese of Maralal 2016-2018, the urgent need to have trained and motivated pastoral agents capable to change the mentality of dependency and to promote and exploit local resources as a new way of supporting the local church and engaging communities on civil education, Good leadership and governance.

While major strides have been made in the Diocese of Maralal in regard to the active participation of the lay people in the evangelization mission of the Church, leadership challenges continue to be experienced in our parishes both in the rural and urban areas.

The major leadership problems facing the parishes in the Diocese of Maralal can be clustered into two major categories:

1. Urban oriented parishes
2. Rural/pastoral oriented parishes.

URBAN ORIENTED PARISHES

Urban parishes face various problems such as:

1. On job transfers: Since most urban dweller leaders are employed, some are transferred before their term of office over.
2. Wrong perception about church leadership: Where leadership is equated with elitism, wealth and high level of education and social status. Such perceptions are very misleading and counterproductive, as the said leader may not have the desire to serve God through the position, but to advance their own selfish interests. This ultimately hurts the Christians, and some Christians have even left the Catholic Church because of such type of leadership.
3. Morality: Some of the parish leaders have not set good moral standards and this greatly scandalizes the Christians, affecting their spirituality and faith in God.
4. One person with several hats:Some of the people elected into church leadership positions take up many other responsibilities outside the church circles, such that their commitment and efficiency in executing their roles and responsibilities in the church is greatly affected.
5. Radicalisation and religious fundamentalism: In some parts of Kenya, churches have been attacked, leading to loss of life. Fear created by such incidences make many people shy away from taking up leadership positions for fear of being “ear marked.” The catholic diocese of Maralal has to take precaution on this.
6. Politics: In most of the towns, politicians use divide and rule methods so as to gain their political mileage. Sometimes it divides the church leadership which leaves the Christian communities divided on tribal lines.
7. Youth are not involved: The youth feel inadequate and misplaced within church leadership structures. They are not given opportunities and leadership responsibilities since they have been trained to think that they are the leaders of tomorrow. Their time will come but not now. They remain spectators in decision making processes.

RURAL/PASTORAL ORIENTED PARISHES

1. Illiteracy: This is a major problem in the rural parishes, which form the greater part of the diocese. Sometimes people who do not know how to read and write are elected as secretaries and treasurers to the councils and committees, making information management impossible since they cannot even record proceedings of meetings or do simple bookkeeping.
2. Lack of exposure: Some Christians do not understand leadership roles and obligations of the Lay faithful. They see the parish as belonging to the Priest.
3. Recycling of leaders: Some Christians do not have the confidence to lead, thus creating situations where some people hold leadership positions indefinitely.
4. Lifestyles: In most areas of the Samburu, the people live a nomadic lifestyle. This implies that it is very difficult to retain such structures like Parish Pastoral Councils etc.
5. Gender bias:In Maralal Diocese, women are not allowed by culture to hold leadership positions. While they are the majority in the Church, their active participation in the Church is greatly hindered by these cultural barriers. There is therefore great need to continuously create awareness on the unique and significant role of women in the growth of the Church and the propagation of the Catholic faith.
6. Age: the young people are culturally considered immature and incapable of holding leadership positions. Transition is poorly managed because the elders in the positions of leadership do not empower successors.

COMMON PROBLEMS FOR BOTH URBAN AND RURAL PARISHES

1. Ethnic bias, where some Christians are influenced by the national politics while choosing the church leaders.
2. Increased in the number of single parents, a group in the church that has unique pastoral challenges that require special attention.
3. The group whose age ranges between 24 years – 35 years (young adults – both the married and the unmarried). Such a group feels it cannot fit in the above groups of Catholic Men Association and Catholic Women Association and therefore they require unique pastoral care and attention.
4. Lack of accountability, abuse of office by some leaders and conflict of leadership roles, e.g. Chairman usurping the role of the Treasurer, etc.
5. Lack of adherence to diocesan laid rules and guidelines in regard to leadership; e.g. how long leaders are supposed to be in office, mode of elections etc.
6. Lack of understanding on the roles played by clergy, religious and the Lay faithful.

JUSTIFICATION:

The CDM pastoral agent capacity building on leadership skills will help in increasing the participation of lay faithful in Evangelisation Mission of the Church. Therefore the skills learnt on liturgy courses, social teachings of the church, civic education; good governance and peace building will enable pastoral agents and Christians at large to meet the pastoral needs of the Parishes as well as remain sensitive to the Pastoral challenges according to the signs of the time.

CDM is planning the Training of the pastoral agents at the Pastoral Centre so that they may be able to run themselves the local Church as self administering and propagating church through their contributions. In this way they will own the church as true Christians, become self reliant through their commitment and visible donation.

Upon baptism, every Christian participates in the three-fold mission of Christ – as a King, a Prophet and as a Priest. The lay people therefore participate in the common priesthood of Christ. Together with the ordained ministers and other consecrated agents of evangelization, the lay people play a significant role in the spread of the gospel message of Christ.

Just like Christ groomed the 12 apostles to spread the Good News after his ascent to heaven, it is also very necessary to empower the lay leaders in the church with leadership skills.

Being a diocese that serves nomadic pastoralist communities who at time experience inter ethnic conflicts the capacity build pastoral agents will exercisetheir responsibility and commitmentof promoting peaceful coexistence and harmony.

After receiving skills on leadership; pastoral agents will be elected to hold offices at a time when Kenya as a country will be holding general elections (August 2017). With reference to the past, where elections have been accompanied by acts of violence and displacement of persons, it is therefore very crucial to equip these leaders with skills on peace, good governance and civic education necessary to bring communities together for peaceful co-existence, bearing in mind that each person, regardless of where they come from is created in the image and likeness of God and has inalienable dignity that should be respected.