By Our Co-President, Sister Wamuyu Wachira, Africa Regional Coordinator, Dieudonné Serukabuza, and Secretary General, Martha Inés Romero, convened in Nairobi in August 2023 our local partners Religious Sisters of the Association of Sisterhood in Kenya (AOSK), the Episcopal Commission for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in DRC, and the South Sudan Sisterhood Association (SSSA) to evaluate our two-years program “Empowering Religious Sisters and Youth on Active Nonviolence and Peacebuilding”.
From July 2021 to June 2023, Pax Christi International with the help of its local partners trained 64 religious sisters as “trainers” in active nonviolence and peacebuilding (33 in Nairobi and Mombasa in Kenya, 19 in DRC, and 12 in South Sudan). The training sisters then committed themselves to training other sisters in their religious communities and youth in schools, parishes, and movements.
In Nairobi, the trainer sisters formed 676 religious Sisters including novices and 6,376 young people (3,099 boys and 3,277 girls) in parishes and schools. In Mombasa, the trainer Sisters formed 460 religious Sisters including novices and 8,006 youth (4,529 girls and 3,477 boys). In DRCongo, the trainer Sisters formed 304 religious Sisters including novices and 3,257 young people (1,547 boys and 1,710 girls) in parishes and schools. In Juba, South Sudan, the trainer sisters formed 98 religious Sisters including novices and 3,559 youth (1,681 girls and 1,878 boys).
During the evaluation process, we had the privilege of engaging with the individuals involved in this project. We heard testimonies, which have served as a compelling testament to the transformative power and profound impact of the work we carried out with our local partners.
It was a profound exchange of ideas and experiences, with each participant contributing to a collective vision of nonviolence and peacebuilding.
The atmosphere was charged with compassion, empathy, and a shared commitment to fostering active listening and spirituality.
