This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Franciscan Sisters Build a Foundation of Love

Wheaton and Kenyan Catholic communities partner to create a nonprofit helping Africans with HIV/AIDS.

In sub-Sahara Africa, people with HIV/AIDS have an uphill battle, feeling rejected by friends and loved ones and having difficulty getting the needed medicines to prolong their lives.

Though far away from each other, two Catholic communities—one in Wheaton and one in Nairobi, Kenya—partnered together to give hope and new life to Kenyan women, men and children affected by HIV/AIDS.

Since 2002, The Wheaton Franciscan Sisters have been in partnership with Assumption Sisters of Nairobi, Kenya in developing Upendo Village located in Naivasha, Kenya. According to its Web site, the nonprofit’s mission is “to spread the gospel message of love to women, men and children, who have HIV/AIDS so they can live with dignity, self-esteem, self-sufficiency and respect.”

Find out what's happening in Wheatonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The village, which is situated on three acres, offers services through its community center, a multipurpose hall, a modern clinic, exam rooms, a full laboratory and pharmacy. Living in the staff house with other members of the Assumption Sisters order, is Sister Florence Muia, the village’s founder and president. Upendo, Muia explained, means “love” in the Kiswahili language.

From the Wheaton Franciscan Sisters’ community, Sister Theresa Langfield oversees Upendo Village as a nonprofit Wheaton-based corporation. Langfield, its executive director, explained that the communities’ connection began when Muia was studying for a master’s degree in pastoral counseling at Loyola University in Chicago and met Wheaton Franciscan Sister Marge Zulenski in 1999.

Find out what's happening in Wheatonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Muia, who recently came to the United States to raise funds and update the board, explained her dream. During her studies, she attended the National Catholic AIDS Network Conference hosted by Loyola. The event drew many visitors and explained the church’s response to this health epidemic. It was a turning point for her.

“I started learning that people here (with HIV/AIDS) were living with a lot of dignity and were being accepted,” she said. “The stigma was low as opposed to my own country where there was still a lot of denial, both politically and socially. That really made people feel like this was a death sentence.

"At the time, there was no availability of anti-retroviral medications. Testing, therefore, was like a death sentence because there was no hope. People didn’t want to know their status because after knowing, (they asked themselves) ‘What next?’ It was better to die without even knowing what you have died from.”

Muia found a suitable partner in her fight to change perceptions and lives. Langfield said that her community has been involved in the issue of HIV/AIDS for 20 years. Examples of the community’s efforts include Canticle Place, which provides living quarters for those with AIDS and Canticle Ministries, which serves as an advocate for this population and educates people about this health issue.

Langfield saw how AIDS ravaged Africa and left children orphans and wanted to help in any way.

“By, what I would call, providence, we connected with Sister Florence so that our dream of doing more in Africa and her dream of doing more for her people could come together in a substantial way,” she said.

Besides encouraging financial support, Langfield and her board of directors provide expertise to the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi. In 2002, a local parish in Naivasha gave the sisters two old, rundown classrooms in a building that were renovated to smaller quarters. Services included a health clinic, counseling, shelter and hot meals.

With donations and the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru’s gift of three acres, the organization moved to new permanent site in 2007 on Naivasha’s outskirts and expanded its facilities. The organization hopes to build a kitchen and dining room, a guest residence and a social services building, Langfield said.

“In the beginning (of Upendo Village), Sister Florence was going to a funeral almost everyday,” Langfield said. “She and her staff were with the people as they died. Now, as her program has developed, the people are living, getting up and being with their children again. We also teach them self-sustaining activities.”

Muia points to successful programs which stop the poverty cycle. For example, donors can buy solar ovens or female German Alpine dairy goats or pairs of chickens for families. In the case of the livestock, families can use or sell goat milk or eggs. Families who have extra chickens or weaned female kids can return the animals back to the village which then can be given to another family.

Another way to generate income is to train people to develop skills or businesses. Through a craft program, the organization buys materials and teaches people to make jewelry, rosaries, beaded shawls and sandals which are sold in the United States. From the sales, they earn 95 percent of the profit, Muia said.

People can also take out interest-free micro loans to start their own businesses selling vegetables, breads, handmade handbags and coats.

“The idea is to maintain the capital at the center so that we can help many people and then let them move on with their lives,” she said. “We have seen it working so well. Currently, we are dealing with about 5,000 people (who come to the village.)”

Donors can sponsor children with funds going toward education, school supplies, health care and food.

“The food is shared by the family,” Muia said. “It’s not only eaten by this child because, by extension, there are family members who are going to benefit. (This donation) ensures that a child will be able to go to school because an angry stomach will not be able to listen to a teacher in a class. Some of them will end up missing classes as a result (of not having food.) It is very critical for us to consider a meal for a child.”

Sister Francisca Mwiklli, the organization’s assistant director who accompanied Muia on her American trip, sees how the hard work by both religious communities bring positive results.

“It is very fulfilling because when these people see you approaching them, they are happy and come to embrace you.” she said. “When we have the support groups, they are lively and they sing. They are like normal people. They help each other. (I see) that kind of community building and people living together.”

Langfield is proud to work with these women and their mission.

“I’ve been with the people and have seen their suffering, but I see their hope, faith, joy and resilience,” she said. “It’s transforming for me. I have been a manager and have done fund development over the years and what I really like is that there is such careful accountability of every penny. Ninety-seven percent of anything we raise goes directly to the organization (in Kenya.)”

For more information about donating to Upendo Village, contact Langfield at 630-909-6604 or visit upendovillage.org.
  

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?