August 18, 2008

Dear Friends,

How soon we forget. In January of this year, Kenya disintegrated into chaos. From where we stay, we could smell the burning tires and teargas, and as TV news was blacked out, hundreds of thousands of Kenyans were being displaced all over the country, while many others were brutally killed. Now, eight months later, the majority of Kenyans and Kenyan residents are moving on with “life as usual,” almost as though nothing had happened. But not quite. Inflation is over 30 percent (mostly related to food items and fuel), and though many of the displaced have been resettled, too many fear to return home, yet have no where else to go.  Construction around Nairobi has resumed, traffic jams are back, and hawkers on the streets are peddling everything from tomatoes to exercise equipment. Ahead, however, within the next few months, severe drought and famine is expected, due both to the disruption of farming in January and February and too little rainfall since. For my students, quite a few are struggling to come up with fees for courses, since many local sponsors (families, churches, and communities) have had too much loss.

"Photo of a woman with two men standing and talking together in a room.">
Pastor Charles Gathungu, Agnes Odero, and Jacob Mbure. Agnes and Jacob graduated in June; Charles was supposed to graduate, but was ambushed by thugs shortly after this photo was taken last March. He is recovering well, but won’t graduate until 2009.

Yet, we have not lost hope. “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail; God’s mercies are new every morning, great is your faithfulness” (Lam. 322-23). At NIST (Nairobi International School of Theology) where I teach and head the Department of Leadership Studies, we are gearing up for the new academic year; orientation for new students begins tomorrow. In addition to the ongoing masters and diploma programs, the certificate courses, which target church and local leaders, are growing, and in my area, we are preparing to launch two new programs aimed at professionals in both public and private sectors:  the master’s in organizational leadership and the executive master’s in governance are to begin in September, and we are encouraged by the interest shown so far. We are faith-based, relationship-based, and skill-based, as we demand high academic standards and are rooted in the African as well as global context.

Why are we growing masters programs, when food is scarce and people are struggling to survive? We are convinced that the cause of failure during and after the 2007 Kenyan elections, and the hope for anything better in the future, lies in the leadership. If Singapore, which gained independence in 1963, (the same year as Kenya), and was a nation with no natural resources, limited space, and extreme poverty and corruption, could be transformed into a thriving economy, where crime and corruption are scarce and where most if not all citizens can ably support their families, why not Kenya?

At a gathering of the students of the Department of Leadership Studies, they talked about what they had gained so far and their expectations for the future. Several noted that their dreams included transforming Africa and beyond, beginning with the church and moving into into society at large. As I watch our June 2008 graduates go out, several are returning to Ethiopia, a few to Democratic Republic of Congo, many will stay in Kenya, one has already written a book, three others have already assumed teaching positions, while several have designed and are beginning to implement training programs. The impact of just this past year’s students is already being felt. There is hope.

May each of us, wherever we find ourselves, seek to make a difference for good, whether in the life of a single neighbor, a family member, or across a nation. Each act makes a difference.

Take courage, with joy to each of you,

Marta Bennett
Nairobi

The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 15