Through Cross Catholic Outreach support towards Church and Community interventions in the Diocese of Nyahururu WASH program, a significant change in spirituality among community members have been spotted. A Sunday school lay leader from Matwiku community, of Laikipia County Kenya, from Happy Church used to worry that her Sunday School lessons to young ones were in vain.
From children arriving late to Saturday practice due to their household chores and lack of Bibles to read at home, the stories and hygiene lessons she taught often faded off by Sunday morning when the children come to church.
To bridge this gap, through the Program adopting Bible Storying to church leaders, an “orality” approach that doesn’t rely on books, but storying directly into a child’s heart and incorporating Water Access, Sanitation and Hygiene messages through Bible story narration.
This means that even if a child misses the start of a session while fetching water, they can jump right into the circle and catch the rhythm of the story.
The impact of equipping these leaders has been transformative. By using stories like the Samaritan Woman or Jesus Calming the Storm as “living textbooks,” leaders are teaching WASH knowledge with the same clarity as a school lesson. Most importantly, they are raising young ambassadors for their community.
During a recent Sunday service, these children stood before the entire congregation and narrated variety of stories with such passion and heart that they moved the adults.
They are no longer just listeners; they are the “Living Bibles” of Matwiku, carrying the message of health and hope from the church halls back to every household in the community. The program targets to reach 41,000 people with gospel by exit time.