By Sr Michelle Njeri, OSF
Located in Mundika, Bungoma Diocese, St Catherine Care for the Aged was started by the Benedictine Sisters of Our Lady of Grace and Compassion to take care of the increasing number of needy elderly people in the area.
Sr Beatrice Odinyu, the regional superior of East Africa, shared more about the care for the elderly. “Our charism is care for the old destitute people,” she said. “Driven by the spirit of our foundress and with compassion, we serve the elderly and abandoned.”
The apostolate in Mundika started in 1990 with the care for the elderly in their homes, but as the number of people in need grew, in 2020 sisters erected a residential home.
However, due to Covid-19 and to take care of the elderly more closely, the sisters have built a new home at their convent compound and named it St Catherine’s Home for the Aged. The residence is a sanctuary of hope, peace, and comfort and currently hosts 17 women and 6 men.
Beyond the residence, the sisters also have an outreach program where they reach out to the destitute and elderly of the Mundika area and beyond.
In the outreach program, they have 60 elderly people; they visit them in the villages and provide for their basic needs.
“Once a month we collaborate with local boda boda riders in our mission to care for the elderly by relying on their mobility and compassion,” explained. Sr Odinyu. “We hire them to transport the elderly to our former residence, where we offer the elderly food provisions and essential medical services in collaboration with Busia Referral Hospital. The riders are our eyes in the community: they keep watch, alert us when an elder is unwell, and ensure everyone arrives safely for their appointments.”
Stephen Etiang, a young boda boda rider, shared his experience of collaborating with the sisters.
“We make sure the elderly person gets here on time for their monthly food and medical care,” he said. “The sisters pay us for each trip, and in the rainy season, when the roads are tough, they even top up our usual fee. We are grateful for what they do for our old people and for the community as a whole.”
Madam Risper Onyango, a clinical officer at Busia Referral Hospital, shared, “I come here monthly for outreach services to care for the elderly, thanks to the efforts of the Benedictine sisters. I follow up on existing cases, attend to new complaints, and review and refer specialized ones. We can perform some basic tests here, but we refer other issues to our main facility. How I wish we could establish a laboratory here in the future and bring in more personnel to offer psychosocial support.’”
Gaudence Opiyo, a beneficiary of the Benedictine sisters, expressed her gratitude: “I am grateful to the sisters; they have helped me for many years, from 2003 to date. If I am sick, they take care of me. As old people we often die early because there is no one to take care of us. We thank God for the gift of these sisters, our daughters who care for us.”
Mr Joseph Sabatia, another beneficiary, spoke emotionally about the sisters’ compassion: “The sisters have the spirit of mercy; God is in them. They sacrifice a lot to help us; may many people be touched and join them in supporting us.”
Despite their successes in taking care of the elderly and destitute, sisters have also had challenges, Sr Odinyu shared, “It is not easy to take care of the elderly; they have had their personal experiences in life. Some came as alcoholics; we try to counsel and journey with them. Others feel lonely, abandoned, or carry unresolved issues. In all this, we stand by them, by the grace of God.
Sr Odinyu also recalled a difficult experience when a major donor supporting their work withdrew from the country. “I remember the day we got the news of the donor withdrawal. For a moment, we felt paralyzed. How do you tell an old person who has nowhere to go that we might not have food for tomorrow?” Sisters then started praying and thinking of what to do: what can they do with their hands, what skills do they have. “Rather than close the doors, we, the sisters, started income-generating projects. Currently we have host baking, candle making, tailoring, small shop, and farming. Every shilling earned goes back to feeding, clothing, and caring for the elderly in the residence and at their homes in the villages.”
The sisters work hard to sustain their mission of service to the elderly; however, they face seasonal struggles, particularly during drought. “We have land and a borehole, but we lack a solar pump and storage tank for water. It would help us do more farming and grow enough food for the elderly we serve,” Sr Odinyu said.
The Benedictine sisters rise with hope every day, driven by one mission: that no elderly person under their care go hungry, unloved, or uncared for. With hands worn by labour and hearts rooted in faith, they joyfully keep restoring the dignity of those often forgotten by society. – Vatican News
