Opportunities for Excellence
By Fr. Silas Kemboi, SJ
Let me begin by stating that what I have termed as opportunities for excellence for St. Charles Lwanga parish-Malindi could apply to many of our apostles and communities. Thus, my hope is that the decision-makers in our apostolates and communities could examine how the tree points raised herein speak to them.
To begin with, there is a need for a contextualized safeguarding policy that captures the reality of the people of Malindi and members of St. Charles Lwanga. The parish priest informed me that they are working on it. It is my greatest hope that they will soon finalize and have it operational. Our team remains available to provide any necessary guidance or support.
Secondly, while the parish is actively engaged in safeguarding efforts, most of its initiatives seem to go unnoticed. This is largely due to communication. My suggestion to St. Charles Lwanga and other apostolates in the province is to design some visible, brief, contextual, and child-friendly safeguarding messages. These messages should be placed in strategic areas. I should insist that the purpose is to create awareness and promote a consistent culture of safeguarding. For more information on how to communicate effectively, refer to our AOR’s safeguarding policy.
Lastly, safeguarding efforts require funds. We understand that St. Charles Lwanga is a small parish with limited means. Nonetheless, for sustainable safeguarding efforts, I think the parish needs to set aside a safeguarding fund, even a modest one, which would help sustain a strong culture of protection within the parish.
Once again, I would like Fr. Sossy and his team for the honor and privilege of inviting. We do not take it for granted. We look forward to more collaboration. To our esteemed readers, stay tuned for next week’s update, where I will be sharing the names of members of the safeguarding committees in our various apostolates and communities.
