Kenya: Restoring families and healing hearts out of love
By Sr. Christine Masivo, CPS
The Visitation Daughters of Mary, a diocesan congregation in Kenya, dedicate their lives to healing hearts and restoring hope to the hopeless and the despaired.
Sr. Jacqueline Githiri, VDM, stands as a beacon of compassion and resilience in the presence she offers to those she was sent to serve as a religious sister.
Our ministry
“We are a new foundation, started in 2020, in the Archdiocese of Kisumu in Kenya. Our ministry, rooted in our charism, is the spiritual restoration of families, understanding that today many families are struggling with so many issues, especially related to divorce and so many depressive issues affecting the family life,” Sr. Jacqueline recounts.
“We discovered that most of the problems are rooted in spiritual emptiness, and so we feel called to serve families from the roots,” she says, noting that her community works in counseling, social, and pastoral work.
Mission and calling
Through counselling, spiritual guidance and tireless outreach, Sr. Jacqueline accompanies people from all walks of life as they struggle with domestic violence, depression. Her ministry serves young people and even religious and priests who need accompaniment, to rediscover their dignity and inner peace.
“I realized my calling to guiding and counselling, while doing formation after my catechetical course. Many people would come with their various needs and I could not manage to help some of them,” she shares. “I prayed and God answered my prayers and I enrolled for a postgraduate diploma in individual and group counseling for the sake my mission.”
Journeying together and restoration
Sr. Jacqueline’s ministry has touched many lives and changed her own. She recalls two encounters that left a deep mark.
A mother came to her very depressed, after having been abused by her husband, and later divorced while she was pregnant.
Sr. Jacqueline journeyed with the woman by encouraging her and helping her rediscover meaning in life, despite of all the troubles she was going through.
“We journeyed together until she was back on her feet again,” notes the sister. “She has twin babies, and it gives me great joy to see this mother so happy. She has got a job, and is now working and can take care of her three children.”
The other case was a religious sister who came in very depressed, and Sr. Jacqueline asked her community to journey with her. “Slowly, she recovered, and we were able to reconnect her with her congregation. Now she is well and active again.
Such stories affirm Sr. Jacqueline’s conviction that healing is possible when people are treated with love and patience. “I have learned that people are not bad,” she reflects. “They are often victims of their upbringing, experiences, or environment. That has taught me to pray for people, not to judge them.”
Resources and privacy
Despite the joy of her ministry, Sr. Jacqueline faces immense challenges.
“Some cases need close observation and we lack facilities to house the clients in crisis,” she narrates. “I have had numerous incidences that needed care, including a girl who survived a brutal family attack and a university student suffering from severe depression and needed attention and follow up.”
Sr. Jacqueline was unable to accommodate them. “It pains me deeply,” she confides.
Her dream is to build a Family Restoration Center, a safe space where those battling emotional or psychological wounds can find temporary shelter and holistic care.
“It would also serve as a training and awareness center for families,” she explains. “Many people fall into depression because there is no prevention and no early intervention. We hope that we may change that by being the bridge as a congregation.”
In her ministry, Sr. Jacqueline works closely with priests, religious, and lay people. She sets specific days for each group to ensure confidentiality and respect.
Her congregation currently has two trained counsellors, with another in formation. Together, they offer seminars, workshops, and individual sessions sometimes under challenging conditions. “Right now, I use a small shipping container as my counselling office,” she says. “But we have faith that one day, God will provide a better place.”
Growing through service and collaboration.
“My ministry has opened my eyes to people’s pain and made me more compassionate,” says Sr. Jacqueline. “I see everyone is capable of goodness once they are understood and listened to.”
Sr. Jacqueline appeals to fellow religious and clergy to listen to people. “Wherever we are, priests, religious brothers or sisters, we must embrace counselling,” she says. “It is not just a profession; it’s a ministry of presence. People are hurting, and they need someone to walk with them.”
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