It is every child’s dream to grow up into a dignified human in society. To freely choose their desired destiny. The adults have a special obligation to safeguard the well-being of children. But what happens when the protectors become the predators?
In one of the main cities of Kenya, I meet Riziki (not her real name), a composed 13-year old girl addressing fellow young ones after mass on a Friday morning. The confidence with which she expresses herself momentarily hides the painful reality of her past – the heinous acts perpetrated upon her by the person she trusted most in the world. Thanks to MPU centre under the management of Our Lady of Charity Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Riziki can still stand straight and see life beyond her hurtful past.
Riziki, her parents and siblings used to live as one family until one day, her parents had to separate due to domestic violence perpetrated upon her mother by her father because of unverified rumours. She recalls what transpired,
‘One day, my father beat my mum to a point that he almost killed her. The next morning my mother picked us from school and left with us to our maternal grandparents’ home where we were entrusted to the care of our uncle while she hustled to bring in something for our upkeep.’
Riziki’s mother chose not to go back to Riziki’s father because she could not endure the violence she had experienced from him anymore. She eventually got married to another man and started a new chapter of marriage. Life was okay for Riziki and her siblings at their uncle’s place until her father sent her aunt to trick them so that they would accept to go back to him. Her brothers who were older were wise enough to refuse but Riziki being vulnerable fell for the trap. This would mark the beginning of her troubles.
‘I sympathised with my aunt and decided to go with her because she said there was a funeral of our relative. In the name of attending the burial, I found myself back to living with my father. He also married another woman with whom they sired one child. We had a neighbour named Peter. He had two children, Sharon and Peter whom we would visit and chat for hours or play games. Little did I know that in the neighbourhood, there was a suspicious woman who would carry rumours to my father alleging that she had seen me playing with boys, an idea that angered my father. So he would quarrel me and beat me up because of the rumours.’
One day after Riziki’s step-mother left for a funeral at her home, Riziki’s father was furious that she had left. He saw this as an opportunity to fulfil what he may have been plotting for months on end.
‘My father asked me what I usually go to do at our neighbour’s place, then I told him nothing. He told me that he had been told that I am having an affair with our neighbour. I kept quiet so he quarrelled me and beat me up. The next morning he asked me the same question and told me that he would come to check whether I sleep with the neighbour or not. When evening came, my dad called me. My brother was fast asleep. Then he told me to follow him to his room which I obeyed because he was my parent. When we got to the room, he told me to undress and so I did. Next he told me to lie on the bed. I was young then so I did not want to talk. So my father also took off his clothes and defiled me.’
Looking for a way out of his criminal act, Riziki’s father asked her the next morning whether she has an affair with their neighbour. She was pissed off and in anger accepted the false accusation. This angered her father who beat up the neighbour and threatened to report him to the police.
‘When we got to the police, my dad threatened me that I should accuse my neighbour and not him for defiling me or else I would suffer the consequences. There was an officer there called Pamela, who took me and asked me questions about what happened. She urged me to tell the truth. Since I was still scared because of the threats from my dad I accused both my neighbour and my dad for defiling me though my neighbour was innocent. My dad and my neighbour were arrested and put in the cell while I was taken to hospital. On 10th of July 2020 I found myself at MPU centre under the protection of Our Lady of Charity Sisters of the Good Shepherd. Here, we were received well by mummy and the sisters. I was still young and did not know how to do many things but the older girls helped me. Sr. Clementine followed up my case and at first I lied to her because I was afraid that if I changed the statement I would be arrested. But with time, I decided to tell the truth that it was only my father who defiled me and not my neighbour. Eventually, my case was done and Sister asked my mother whether she was willing to live with me. Both my mother and my step-father accepted to stay with me, so sister came and told me to pack my things and on a Wednesday, I left MPU in the company of mummy, sister and daddy to join my mother and resume my studies.’
Such are the situations many of the children at MPU centre find themselves in. The congregation of Our Lady of Charity Sisters of the Good Shepherd operating in 72 countries have dedicated themselves to offering humanitarian support to such vulnerable cases. Founded in 2008 by the late Bishop Boniface Lele, MPU centre under the management of Our Lady of Charity Sisters of the Good Shepherd takes care of children who have been abused by their families or communities as long as their court cases last.
On my visit to the centre, I meet Sr. Marie Clementine Mboma the Administrator of MPU. Together with her fellow sisters and lay people of like mind, they strive to empower the young vulnerable girls and boys so that they recover their stolen dignity. When asked the kind of cases they deal with at MPU centre, Sr. Clementine responds, ‘‘Children here have unique cases ranging from rape, sodomy, physical abuse, early marriage among others. However, 75% of the cases here are cases of defilement.’’ She adds that, the centre hosts children not only from Kenya but also Uganda, Tanzania and other neighbouring countries, regardless of religion, and that they target abused children under 18 years.
Admission process
Sr. Mboma makes it clear that the children they admit are those referred to them either by magistrates, child officers or police officers. Therefore, in order for a child to be admitted at MPU centre, they should be brought with either a court order from a magistrate, a child officer or a police officer. Upon arrival at MPU centre, a file is opened for each child based on the nature of their case.
A Typical day at MPU Centre
A normal day at MPU centre begins as early as 5.30am when the children wake up and take a shower. The older children help the younger ones since they are one family brought together by fate. They then take breakfast and say their morning prayer before proceeding for refresher classes in one room with different tables serving as the different class levels since the children here are at different levels of their education.
After class the children engage in social support activities such as individual and group counselling with the Sister Counsellor, an activity that enables them heal since they are able to open up and share their hurts. At lunch time, the classroom is rearranged into a dining room where the children are served lunch beginning with the younger ones. When all have their food, they say the grace before meals together then proceed to eat their food. The afternoons are seemingly the most anticipated moments for the children where the social support activities are at the peak. They divide themselves into groups whereby some engage in indoor or outdoor games, some in artistic work, while others engage in dance with the guidance of volunteers at the centre. The sisters also ensure that the children have time to connect with God through spiritual exercises like reciting of the rosary daily, attending Stations of the Cross during Lent, and attending mass every Friday morning. Besides these, the sisters are available to accompany the children to court when it is time for their case to be heard, and also take care of them when they fall sick.
Sustainability of MPU Centre
Sr. Mboma says that MPU does not operate in isolation. The centre is fully supported by Caritas Mombasa who ensure that the children have all the basic needs during their stay at the centre. They appreciate the Archbishop of Mombasa for his support especially for availing priests to cater for the spiritual needs of the children, and for occasionally calling in to check on them.
The joy of Our Lady of Charity Sisters of the Good Shepherd
According to Sr. Mboma, most of the children are admitted at MPU when they are totally traumatized and helpless. So the sisters’ role is to help them overcome their trauma while having access to basic needs like food, clothing, shelter, education and healthcare. She refers to MPU as ‘‘a source of life and place of healing.’’ It therefore gives them joy to know that the children who have gone through MPU successfully have become role models and a source of encouragement to their colleagues at the centre and beyond. For that is what MPU centre is, a place of safety.
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