Undergraduate Projects/Long Essays

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Evangelization Among the Poor Poverty: A Challenge to The Mission of The Church In Kenya (Makina Makongeni Sub-Parish)
(Tangaza University College, 2004) Byaruhanga, Augustus
My objective in writing this long essay is to explore the theological basis for the Church's involvement in evangelizing the poor. This has to be done following Jesus' example during his public ministry on earth. Jesus identified himself with the needy and the poor "as long as you did it to one of these little ones, you did it to me (Mt 25:40)" Jesus acted in solidarity with the poor during his entire earthly ministry. Having done pastoral work among the people of Makina Makongeni Sub-Parish for the last three years, I have come to realize that: 1-The poor need people of faith to teach them the Good News of Jesus Christ, who is the liberator, consoler, comforter and source of love. 2-For the poor to come out of their material, political and economical poverty, they need people to address the oppression and injustice they are facing. 3-The poor remind us of the role they play in God's plan and in the kingdom. The mission of the Church is no other than the mission of Jesus who was sent into the world by the Father and who sent the Holy Spirit to continue and complete his saving work. "The Church on earth is by its very nature a missionary since, according to the plan of the Father; it has its origin in the mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit". The proclamation of the Good News to those who do not know Jesus is in fact the grace and vocation of the Church, her deepest identity. The Church is the hope of the poor, the oppressed, homeless, destitute, orphans and widows of this world. Those who are suffering and weeping truly expect words and actions that bring them Good News. Through evangelization, the poor discover the true love of Jesus Christ who came to comfort and console them. Evangelization confronts poverty, injustice, oppression, exploitation and the conditions and social structures that breed these evils. The Church as Christ's body ought to continue this ministry by preaching the Good News to the poor, proclaiming the Gospel that sets the oppressed free and bringing wholeness to the broken hearted. The Church helps the poor to overcome and transcend the fear of death and believe in the life here after.
Poverty as A Structure of Sin in The Slums A Case Study of Mukuru Kwa Reuben Slum
(Tangaza University College, 2003) Muriuki, Stanley
At the very mention of the word slum, what first comes into people's mind is poverty and crime. In our human and religious categories, poverty is looked at as an object of mercy and a misfortune that has befallen a person or group of people. Crime on the other hand is treated with resentment and one who participates in it is seen as an enemy of society. In my pastoral experience in the slums, one question however has been going on in my mind; why all these evils associated with the slums? Is it that Satan is more present there? In this paper, I am going to focus my investigation on how poverty in the lives of slum dwellers can be a structure of sin in the extent it influences the occurrence of the various evils that are rampant in the slums. Pope John Paul II talks of structures of sin as rooted in personal sin, that is, concrete acts of individuals who introduce and consolidate them, making them difficult to remove. Poverty is normally understood in the context of material things, and one who lacks enough to cater for his/her needs is seen as poor. I am going to treat poverty not only as a lack of material things but a whole interconnected network of deprivations that is characteristic of slum dwellers. Engbert Mveng could not expose this in a better way than he did in his article "Impoverishment and Liberation: A Theological Approach for Africa and the Third World": a kind of poverty which no longer concerns only exterior or interior goods or possessions, but strikes at the very being, essence and dignity of the human person'. He goes ahead to call this anthropological poverty. I will carry out this study in four chapters. The first will be a social analysis which is an outcome from interviews with the residents of Mukum kwa Rueben slum. This will be preceded by some background information about this slum, which consists of a section of the vast Mukuru slums in Embalcasi district of Nairobi province. The second chapter is going to be a theological background based on scripture and some specific documents of the church. The third chapter will be a set of reflections that makes a theological or Christian response to the problem of poverty based on the teaching of the Church. These are values and attitudes that can be very instrumental in an attempt towards salvation from the structures of sin that are the subject of our study. The last chapter presents a practical response towards a solution to poverty and its effects on the people. I am going to look at what is being done already in the fight against poverty, and what more could be done. In all this the church is called upon to collaborate, support, encourage and challenge the various bodies involved, be it the government or NG0s. My main goal in all this is to create an awareness that poverty is not only a problem by itself but a root cause of many other evils that pose a great threat to society and faith. It calls for a deeper understanding and more profound response that surpasses mere charity.
The Response of The Christian Community To Growing Poverty in Urban Settlement (A Case study of Mathare Slum)
(Tangaza University College, 2002-02) Mushi, Fidelis Safari,
We shall have a total number of four chapters in this case study. The chronology shows a prolegomena to the issue as our first chapter. In this respect, we shall have in the first place, point of insertion then scope of work, after which the working definitions will follow. The working hypothesis will lead to a brainstorm on the goal of our study, namely slum reality. Chapter two is particularly a focus on the socio-cultural analysis. Therefore, it will give practical insights on the location of the slum, its history, societal divisions, level of issue, structures, cultural analysis and the most challenging issues. It is in this chapter that all our readers will have a tour to Mathare slum, though metaphysically. Our second-last chapter gives a theological reflection on the slum reality. It intends to intermarry the human poverty with the evangelical poverty, whose aim is the kingdom that is already in our midst and is yet to be realised. Finally, in chapter four we will discuss about the pastoral action ought to be taken by the Christian community to counteract the challenges. The appendix list is intentionally mean to update the readers with a deep knowledge of the reality in our issue and therefore to move us towards action on the stipulation. The general conclusion will profoundly qualify the study with a clear and prices Summary and the point of emphasis.
Misconception of Evangelical Counsel of Poverty: Franciscan Missionaries of Hope
(Tangaza University College, 2019) Bartalome, Gido L.
Our main topic in this integration paper is “Misconception of Evangelical Counsel of Poverty: Franciscan Missionaries of Hope” I divided it into four chapters. CHAPTER I; it deals with the FMH Evangelical Counsel of Poverty. In this theme we will see four subtitles: Background of “ndugus” of FMH; Ndugus understanding of ECP.; Ndugus leaving all and following Christ; and Ndugus struggle and their fruits. This chapter says much about my community and way of life. In CHAPTER II, it focuses on the Theology of evangelical counsel of poverty. In this context, we will see five important areas such as, History of evangelical counsel of poverty; Exegetical understanding; The god of the poor; the code of Canon Law; and the teaching of the Church. My community being following the spirit of St. Francis, CHAPTER III dedicated to him. The topic is poverty with St. Francis of Assisi. We will see different writings of Francis and Clare such as The later rule; A letter to brother Leo; The versified legend of the virgin Clare; The radical poverty of St. Francis; and Poverty and dynamics nature.
The Effects of Material Possession on the Ministerial Priesthood: A Study in the Archdiocese of Nyeri
(Tangaza University College, 2016-06) Mwangi, Martin Ngura
This Long Essay is intended to explore the effects and challenges posed by possession of material wealth by the Clergy in the Archdiocese of Nyeri. The world today has become secularised and the church is not spared and this has generated a lot of challenges on the priesthood ministry of the clergy. Possessing material wealth is not the issue, but, its effects and how it is administered and is the issue. The Church has been emphasizing on the need for the clergy to live a life of poverty and simplicity. Possession of wealth by the clergy was one of the reforms the Church has tried in some of the Church Councils. This issue needs a new approach other than the canons that were developed in the various Councils, as well as change of attitudes by the Clergy of what material wealth means to them.
Poverty and Wealth in the Gospel of Luke: A Model and Challenge for the Conventual Franciscan Friars in Kenya Today.
(Tangaza University College, 2006) Kabata, James
There has been a lot of striving among the Christians to comprehend the real meaning and value of poverty and wealth. Conventual Franciscans Friars and other consecrated men and women are also struggling to understand the meaning and value of poverty in their lives. We realize that on the one hand, there are several people in our societies who suffer from povertyl while on the other hand there are rich people who are able to sustain themselves and even have more than they need. In the same category of the rich there are consecrated men and women who have professed publicly the vow of poverty as one of the three evangelical counsels. Some of these religious men and women place a lot of value on the vow of poverty although they have most of their basic needs and wants catered for. This research is aimed at helping us realize the meaning and value of poverty and wealth in the context of the paradox that we have cited above. Our main responsibility shall be seeking to comprehend the value of poverty and wealth under the guidance of the Gospel of Luke and the Franciscan tradition. Method, Structure and Content of My Study This essay is divided into three main chapters. In the first chapter we shall give a background of poverty and wealth in the Old Testament. We shall discuss different lines of thought about poverty and wealth and observe how the people of Israel viewed poverty and wealth. We will also explore the Exodus story, which is portrayed as a prototype of God's concern for the poor and then analyze the provision of the law for the poor. We shall wind up the first chapter by evaluating the general understanding of poverty among the prophets. The second chapter will be the main basis for this study. In this chapter we shall discuss poverty and wealth in the Gospel of Luke. We shall commence by presenting the social and economic status of Jesus and his disciples from the infancy narratives. Then we shall discuss his teaching by analyzing various aspects such as his mission statement (Luke 4:18-19) and the sermon on the plain found in Luke 6:20-49. Finally we shall analyze Jesus' attitude towards poverty and wealth and his instructions concerning the dangers of wealth and the right use of possession. With a concrete background of poverty and wealth derived from the Old Testament and an elaborate meaning of poverty and wealth resulting from the Gospel of Luke, we shall be in a position to apply our knowledge to the Conventual Franciscan Friars in chapter three. We shall briefly explain the general meaning of Franciscan poverty and demonstrate how the teaching of Jesus on poverty and wealth is an actual model for the Conventual Franciscans in Kenya and at the same time a genuine challenge for them.
The Participatory Integration of the Rural Youth in Sustainable Agriculture for Sustainable Development of Kamara Division, Nakuru, Kenya
(Tangaza University College, 2001-04) Muchunguzi, Wilbert
The right and obligation to authentic development is one of the principles enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human rights. And the issue of social integration of every individual, especially the disadvantaged people, in development was loudly expressed at the 1995 Copenhagen World summit for social Development' and later adopted as a guide by the Kenyan National Poverty Eradication Plan. These are just but harbingers that things, somewhere, were not moving the way they were expected to be. Looking back we see that, throughout history people have evolved natural units of settlement to meet their social, cultural and economic needs. This was the origin of rural communities where people strive for self-sufficiency and sustainability through available material, non-material and, most importantly, human resources inclusively. Today's rural communities seek to develop into more viable economic units within modernizing nations. How authentically this has to be brought about in the rural Kenya like Kamara division, remains the main concern. Contemporary popular development is mistakenly trapped in the local and global confusion characterized by economic, political and cultural dominance and influence that lead to social alienation. Those with no means of survival suffer deprivation the most. Unfortunately, the rural youth lie in this category. According to the Welfare Monitoring Survey of 1994, it was estimated that 12.6 million Kenyans lived below the poverty line. In rural areas, the incidences of poverty were 49%2. The effects of this is multidimensional destitution, which manifests itself in form of deficiency of material, social, economic and cultural needs and rights which an individual, household or community hold as vitally important for their survival. Deprived people experience food insecurity, insufficient income, deprivation of knowledge, low quality of life, lack of shelter, social inequality, lack of essential social services and reduced life expectancy. Since the youth constitute the biggest section of the rural population, they are the most suffering. Agriculture is the mainstay of livelihood for many of Kenyans. Since alternative sources of subsistence such as employment, industry, business and informal sectors outside agriculture are scarce, it employs more than 80% of the rural population. Small-scale farming, whose nature is subsistence (food security and reasonable income), dominates the Kenyan agricultural sector. Among the multipronged problems that face subsistence fanning are ecological, economic, political financial, sociocultural, technical, demographic, organizational and environmental. Inequalities in international trade policies also add fuel to the problems. Individually or combined, these problems destabilize the smallscale farmers and their ever scarce resources. This leads to unscrupulous exploitation of resources and unsustainable livelihood and future. We should not be shocked then to see poor fanning practices, forests and catchments inversion and destruction, environmental depletion, unpredictable weather fluctuation and recurring famines. The crown of all is rural massive unemployment, abject poverty and social alienation, which pave a way to rural-urban drift. Here begins people's vulnerability. Where does the future lie then? Which kind of legacy will the future generation receive; will they be able to meet their needs from the same resources uncompromisingly and live a decent life worth of their dignity if we fail to prepare now? What does all these call for? In fact this imposes a very serious social question for us all. It is a prophetic call requiring a critical listening in order to come up with effective interventions. The possible effective answer is participatory integration. Investing in people in collaboration and partnership should be the way forward. Proper mobilization and indiscriminate integration of the whole local population in harnessing the locally available resources) is essentially important to the sustainable agriculture and rural development process. Thus the youth will be able to act as carriers of the sustainable future.
The Challenges and Problems Facing The Elderly in Contemporary Kenya
(Tangaza University College, 2001-03-31) Marango Wamalwa, Joseph
Old age is inescapable if one's life is long. In the African setting as you mature in years, you become a reservoir of wisdom. Your next of kin will come to you for advice. In fact they would like to hear from you what you might say on many things pertaining to the family lineage, clan or the village as a whole. This comes to be realised of course if your life is exemplary. It is therefore not an accident for African people to have a proverb that says, 'Old is gold.' This sounds appealing and that is why the elderly were not despised in traditional Africa unless one was involved in unacceptable practices such as witchcraft. However, things have changed. To praise the elderly people today as a unifying factor in the community and to associate them with wisdom is downgraded as sacrilege. A certain dignified person in one of the top universities in Nairobi astonished many people, when he claimed that wisdom of the elderly is no longer functional due to modem education.' Just to answer him before going too far, let us think about the so-called industrialised countries. They are rich and literacy is almost 100 percent. But when you turn on the other side of the coin, you see that promotion of wars in other countries, breakdown of family cohesiveness and the lust to accumulate is the order of the day in their backyard. Now, is this wisdom? The wisdom we talk about is that which comes from the inside of a person for the common good of all. It is inherent. It permeates all spheres of life to bring about justice and peace. This is the wisdom that we derive from our elderly friends. Affluence is becoming the most honoured and adored commodity in the world. Definitely, Africa is not spared because this new culture is catching up very fast. The social and economic trends are not elderly friendly. Physical changes such as wrinkles on the face due to aging are not admired either. Therefore, there is a need to adequately put in place checks and balances to respond to these circumstances competently. Chapter one highlights the problem at hand. Chapter two is literature review. Chapter three explains the methodology used in carrying out the research. Chapter four is about data analysis that attempts to articulate the current situation on the ground. Chapter five contains the discussions and recommendations. Finally, chapter six presents a project proposal that may be useful to counteract this sprouting phenomenon.
Street Children in Nairobi: Case Study of St.Charles Lwanga School, Kibera
(Tangaza University College, 2001-04) Gebrehiwo, Solomon
The phenomenon of street children is almost a worldwide phenomenon, but prevalent in urban areas, especially in the less developed countries. In Kenya, street children were initially identified in the late 1960s as "Parking Boys"; but the problem of street children began to be explicitly felt in the 1970s. The word "parking" denotes the activity that these children were mostly engaged in, identifying and showing motorists empty spaces to park their vehicles and watching the vehicles to guard them against thieves. The motorists usually paid them some little money for such services. The term "street children" gradually replaced "parking boys", mainly because girls also went into the streets to join the boys and both of them now engaged in activities beyond just showing motorists where to park their vehicles and guarding them. Who is responsible for the creation of street children? Clearly, it is not just their mistake that explains their being on the streets. Nor can we say that their parents are solely responsible for their status. Rather, it is today's social setup and the manner in which one has been brought up. Street children hardly have a social status in the larger society. Existence is tolerated but not trusted, as their abode and background are not known. Many city dwellers would prefer street children not to be near their residential areas or places, even though most of these children are not delinquent and are safe to deal with. Attempt to seek better understanding of the street children's root causes is crucial. It is necessary to perceive it in the context of the various contemporary issues, such as added pressure applied on society by the structural adjustment programs (SAPs), particularly is the effect of shifting the burden of costs for social services to the user. This is probably a major cause of school dropout, some of whom sooner or later find their way into the streets. It is my hope that the developing world will soon come up with better economic policies and better legislation that favor the rights of children so that this escalating situation of street children may be curbed.
Some of the Major Problems Retarding Education Programme for the Hearing Impaired Learners.
(Tangaza University College, 2001-04) Mbogo., Nazarine
The research was conducted to establish problems affecting education for the hearing impaired learners. To investigate the study thoroughly, a case study was carried out at Karen Technical Training Institute For the Deaf. The purpose of the research was to identify the major reasons why most hearing impaired people remain below form four the standard level in education. The objectives were set to create an awareness to the families and society concerning their negative contributions that impair the deaf to further heights than just the hearing impairment itself The other objective was aimed at exploring and giving suggestions concerning ways of helping the minority group of the hearing impaired community by redesigning their schools and planning their education. The final objective aimed at suggesting ways to overcome low self-esteem by equipping the hearing-impaired child with quality and competitive education that meets the challenges and demands in the current society. In literature review and field work library materials, questionnaires and interviews were used to investigate the research problem and the findings were obtained on three levels. 1). On society level: the major problem portrays the issue being he deep rooted negative social attitude towards the hearing impaired people. 2). On education basis, the major problem felt is the undeveloped education system and lack of proper facilitation of the institutions for the good of the learners. 3). Communication-barrier was identified as the basic element that warrants the hearingimpaired learners to be referred to as students with special needs requiring specially trained personnel who will effect communication that facilitates effective teaching and learning. After reviewing the findings, the researcher observes that the idea of discrimination against the hearing impaired people highlights the aspect of ignorance on the part of society. In order to uproot it, the researcher recommends guidance and counselling sessions to parents and community in close association in the impaired persons. The hearing-impaired students should be involved in every activity, both in school and at home and the impairment must never be used as an excuse for lack of participation. Finally, an elaborate educational policy must be put in place to look into the welfare of the hearing-impaired learners and the smooth running of the school. For further study, the researcher recommends that other problems affecting educational programmes for the hearing impaired be explored in depths.

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