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Diane Shisk

 

Women Meet in Kenya


For the last few months, a group of women have been coming together on Fridays to learn to use RC to better their lives, the lives of their families, and the situation in their communities. 


We rotate meeting at each person’s house, as public facilities are expensive and highly commercialized and restaurants and clubhouses lack the privacy required. 


At every meeting we agree on the issue we shall focus on during our next meeting. We have discussed several topics, including forgiveness, what is keeping our lives from moving forward, and how to improve our relationships with our children or in-laws. 


We’ve realized that many issues keep our lives from moving forward yet we do not take time to re-examine them. Re-evaluation Counseling has given us the opportunity to look at our lives and discharge on these issues. 


Initially the group had very few “news and goods,” but now “news and goods” have become an excitement, as everyone sees something new and good in their lives.


During the colonial time, the best facilities and opportunities were for whites only. Fewer opportunities were given to Indians, followed by Arabs, and then Africans. The governing forces brainwashed people with stereotypes to keep each group where it “belonged.” This made it difficult for people to trust each other, interact freely, or share. Our country was established on top of the many distresses from colonialism. Thus suspicion, distrust, and separation among people from the various nations continued. 


I have talked about RC and its goal of eliminating racism and have tailor-made [specifically adapted] that information to address how the colonial policy of divide and rule led to tribalism on this continent, which has separated our people and held us back. Along with encouraging tribalism, colonial policies justified nepotism and created corruption and power struggles, which have led to the frequent wars in Africa that make so many people refugees in their own countries or force them to migrate under difficult circumstances to foreign lands. Many boats sink in the Mediterranean Sea, as people flee from harsh conditions.


The women in the group have been able to see the bigger picture and the implication of divide and rule. They have embraced RC theory and practice, and understood the oppression in society and the need to be liberated, so well that the group is expanding based on their sharing the good news with their communities.


The women discharge on the many distresses they have accumulated and learn to take turns and pay full attention to each other. The beauty of the group is its colorfulness. It has brought together races and tribes that have been divided and has allowed them to see each other as one.


Issues of concern, based on the distresses and separation from external forces, come up when people are asked, “How do you cope with the people of other 
races/tribes?” People share about the human side of human beings, the distresses of human beings, the fears the oppressive society has put in the way of togetherness, and the need to do everything possible to build one nation for the betterment of humanity today and future generations.


This has been a work in progress, and it has been remarkable.


Wanjiku Kironyo


Regional Reference Person for 
Northern Africa and East Africa


Nairobi, Kenya

(Present Time 189, October 2017)


Last modified: 2022-12-25 10:17:04+00