AFRICA/KENYA - Bishops' Conference presents a 5-year plan for overcoming famine

Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) – The Bishops' Conference of Kenya has launched a strategic 5-year plan for overcoming the famine that is now affecting 10 million people in the country, due to the drought and the rise in food prices. President of the Conference, Cardinal John Njue, says it is a plan that will guide an effective apostolate and enhanced service delivery to Kenyans through the dioceses. A report from CISA news wrote that the Cardinal said: “I wish to emphasize that this strategic plan is not just about objectives, activities, performance indicators target and deliverables. It is about an encounter between the recipient and the church that leads the recipient to feel loved, cared for, respected and dignified as a person created in the image and likeness of God and enjoying that freedom, that joy and that peace of the children of God.”
Cardinal Njue assured of the church’s commitment to social transformation in Kenya based on Gospel values and capable of uniting the country, which is still recovering from the post-electoral violence of last year. In a society that is “prone to violence, corruption, inequality, injustices of all kinds and tribalism, the Catholic Church through its Justice and Peace Commission will continue to form consciences, be on the side of truth, justice and reconciliation.”
Lastly, the Cardinal mentioned the lack of political effectiveness in working to overcome poverty and famine. “While we acknowledge the fact that there have been inadequate rains in many parts of the country, we are also conscious that had we all taken proper measures, planned in advance, curbed the vice of greed, selfishness, and have the political will to weed out the culture of corruption, no life could be endangered or lost to hunger.” (Agenzia Fides 06/02/2009)