Kakamega — Clothing, food, prayer materials, financial aid, and smiles. These are the gifts that some 30 children belonging to the Pontifical Society of Missionary Childhood of the Diocese of Kakamega, Kenya, accompanied by their priest and religious leaders, took to their peers in the Diocese of Lodwar, located in one of the least developed regions of the country and whose territory comprises 33 parish communities.
"Children help children," the motto of the Pontifical Society of Missionary Childhood, founded by Bishop Charles de Forbin-Janson, was the common thread that ran through not only the four intense days of this pilgrimage but also the entire preparation that lasted several months, during which the children and teenagers worked tirelessly to raise awareness and collect donations for their peers.
"The visit of these children was a great gesture of collaboration, of working together; it concretely represents the missionary spirit and also reinforces what the movement stands for, especially now that external resources have been reduced," says John Mbinda, Bishop of the Diocese of Lodwar. "The children have set a very important example, one that should be emulated by other dioceses and groups of people."
Echoing the bishop's words, the director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) for the Diocese of Lodwar described the children's contribution as a "great blessing," emphasizing the need for collaboration among dioceses in African countries.
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During their stay in Lodwar, the children actively engaged with the local community. At Christ the King Parish in Lokichar, they gave rosaries, activity materials, and food to their peers. In the city of Lodwar, the bishop celebrated Holy Mass for the children of both dioceses.
The young missionaries also visited the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, interacting with families and personally distributing the gifts they had brought.
Father Godfrey Sechero, diocesan director of the PMS in Kakamega, who accompanied the group, highlighted that the encounters between the two groups of children were among the most significant moments of the pilgrimage. "We want the children to perceive that we are the same people, one single people, even though we live in different geographical areas and climates," said Father Sechero, who also notes that the pilgrimage rekindled the faith and missionary spirit of the children who participated.
