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The Association of the Sisterhood of Kenya Working for justice and peace in Kenya is one of the hundreds of ways in which Medical Mission Sisters around the world try to be a healing presence to those in need today. "Working in the Justice and Peace commission office of the Association of the Sisterhood of Kenya is an exciting part of mission involvement," says Kenyan Sister Brenda Lung'atso, who is our Justice and Peace coordinator in Africa. "My job, to coordinate the women's desk and related justice issues, opens me up to face the challenges that face an African woman today," she explains. "These range from social, economic, environmental, human development, political and cultural, as well as spiritual issues." Sister Brenda has organized leadership skills workshops for women from the 25 dioceses of Kenya, and has linked with other religious congregations and like-minded groups to address justice and peace issues. These include debt cancellation, women's rights and dignity, inheritance customs, the effect of international policy on Kenya, and the U.N. Millennium Goals. Environmental issues are a big focus for Sister Brenda and the groups she works with. "For sustainability, Kenyan forest cover is supposed to be at least 10%, yet today is just below 2% … the indigenous forests that have been water catchment areas are almost depleted," she says. "We conducted workshops on the value of our indigenous trees, including their medicinal properties, to women from all the 25 dioceses of Kenya. This generated an immense enthusiasm, not only to know about the indigenous trees, but to plant them as well." A number of groups came together under the theme, "Trees for Life." Last year, Sister Brenda spent a week distributing donated seedlings of indigenous trees in Western Kenya. "As we have a network of women all over the country, we connected them with other community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions, church leaders, as well as the local governments." Sister Brenda recalls, "The women peacemakers received us graciously at our points of delivery." Sister Brenda, who also served for 12 years in Ghana, was recently elected our Coordinator in District East Africa. She will begin her term of office in April, 2007.
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