Sister Masicha Carolyne

I am Sister Masicha Carolyne. I was born in the western part of Kenya. My first profession was on July 5, 2003. I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Ministry in Mission from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. As a social minister, I work with the Association of Sisterhoods of Kenya – Justice and Peace Commission (AOSK-JPC).

I coordinate activities of the Gender Equity program of AOSK-JPC. My major task entails organizing leadership training workshops for women in Kenya’s 25 dioceses. We strive to promote gender equity through recognition of women’s dignity and rights and the development for their capacity to engage in social decision-making processes as equal partners with men. Our goal is to challenge and change unjust practices, systems and structures, especially those relating to women, the marginalization of the poor and the destruction of the environment, by upholding human rights and freedoms and by encouraging the personal and social responsibility of all.

Women who successfully complete their leadership training workshops are known as Women Peacemakers. They receive a certificate after 12 leadership-training workshops. Currently, there are 230 Women Peacemakers. These are made up of religious sisters (nuns), mothers and young adult women spread across the country. This composition offers great opportunities for individual members to learn from each other.

Though I only joined AOSK-JPC in 2007, I am very aware of the vitality of our SSND charism. Through leadership-training workshops, I have seen us striving to enable individuals to reach the fullness of their potential and enabling them to use their gifts to enrich others. During their leadership training workshops, which spread over two years (often held in January, May and September) skills are imparted to empower the Women Peacemakers to mobilize and find platforms to address social issues.

During and after their training, our Women Peacemakers learn to organize and assemble crowds for International Women’s Day celebrations (March 8), World Environment Day (June 5), World Peace Day (September 21) and International Human Rights Day (December 10). Often they bring together hundreds of men and women, young and old. Furthermore, they focus on issues of social injustices like human trafficking, child labor, rape, and female genital mutilation among others. We have profound stories of how our Women Peacemakers have challenged social injustices in our country at their ‘ordinary’ levels.

I invite you to join our efforts and struggles to attain a just and peaceful society in which the dignity of the human person is reverenced, human rights upheld and where the interconnectedness of all creation enables people to live in harmony.