“빈곤이 지속되는 한 진정한 자유는 없다.” - 넬슨 만델라
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진정한 자유를 길러주는 것은 무엇일까요? 아쇼카 펠로우인 킴 파인버그는 이 중요한 질문에 대한 해답이 전인적인 교육이라고 믿습니다.
킴 파인버그의 이야기는 남아프리카공화국 학생들에게 차별과 불관용에 대한 구술 역사 수업을 통해 공감 능력을 키워주는 것에서 시작됩니다. 하지만 이야기가 전개되면서 공감 능력 함양은 그녀가 가장 취약하고 자원이 부족한 남아프리카공화국 청소년들을 교육하고 역량을 강화하기 위해 펼치는 활동의 한 부분에 불과했습니다. 그녀는 자신이 설립한 단체 인 투모로우 트러스트(The Tomorrow Trust) 를 통해 남아프리카공화국 젊은이들이 진정한 탈아파르트헤이트 시대의 자유를 향해 나아갈 수 있는 길을 제시하고자 합니다.
1997년, 그녀는 쇼아 재단에서 학살과 억압의 생존자 이야기를 기록하는 일을 한 후, 교육 관용 재단을 설립했습니다.
그녀는 유대인 학살과 르완다 학살에 대한 이야기를 포함한 교육 과정을 통해, 아파르트헤이트를 직접 경험하지 못한 남아프리카 공화국의 새로운 세대 학생들에게 체계적인 차별과 불관용에 대한 이야기를 전달했습니다. 킴은 2003년에 아쇼카 펠로우 로 선정되었습니다.
교육 관용 재단은 남아프리카 공화국 학교에서 큰 반향을 일으키며 수천 명의 학생들에게 영향을 미쳤지만, 킴은 곧 그 나라가 훨씬 더 뿌리 깊은 문제에 직면해 있음을 깨달았습니다. 그리고 그녀의 눈을 뜨게 한 것은 남아프리카 공화국의 에이즈 고아들에 대한 구술 역사였습니다.
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"제가 '아하!' 하고 깨달은 순간은, 관용 재단(Tolerance Foundation)에서 했던 것처럼 생활 기술을 가르칠 수는 있지만, 학위나 자격증, 혹은 전문적인 기술이 뒷받침되지 않으면 소용없다는 사실을 알게 된 때였습니다. 왜냐하면 생활 기술만으로 사람을 고용하는 사람은 아무도 없기 때문입니다." - 킴 파인버그

빈칸 채우기
남아프리카공화국은 여전히 높은 HIV/AIDS 감염률로 어려움을 겪고 있습니다. 유니세프에 따르면 2012년 남아프리카공화국 성인의 17.9%가 HIV 양성 판정을 받았고, 250만 명의 어린이가 AIDS로 부모를 잃었습니다. 성인 롤모델이나 지원 체계가 부족한 이들 고아들은 제대로 된 사회복지 단체와 시설이 열악한 학교에 의존하여 성인으로 성장해 나가야 하는 상황에 놓여 있습니다.
투모로우 트러스트는 유치원(만 5세)부터 초등학교 졸업까지 아이들의 학습 공백을 메워줍니다. 토요일과 휴일에 방과 후 활동을 통해 학업 및 심리사회적 지원을 제공합니다. 읽기, 쓰기, 수학, 소근육 운동 능력, 컴퓨터 활용 능력 교육 외에도, 교사들은 아이들이 질문을 자유롭게 하고 자신의 잠재력을 발휘할 수 있도록 적극적으로 격려합니다.
투모로우 트러스트(Tomorrow Trust) 프로그램을 통해 12학년을 졸업하는 청소년 중 약 60%가 해당 기관의 대학 진학 프로그램에 선발됩니다. 이 프로그램은 워크숍과 멘토링을 통해 청소년들의 자기 계발을 더욱 지원합니다.
투모로우 트러스트 프로그램은 설립 이후 2,000명의 청소년을 거쳐갔습니다. 김 대표는 고아들에게 가장으로서의 역할을 다할 수 있도록 가르치고, 피해자 의식에서 벗어나도록 격려함으로써 투모로우 트러스트가 간접적으로는 그보다 6배나 많은 사람들에게 긍정적인 영향을 미쳤다고 추산합니다.
킴은 “투모로우 트러스트가 긍정적인 롤모델을 만들어낸다면, 그들은 가족과 지역사회를 변화시킬 수 있습니다. 왜냐하면 이제 그들은 완전히 다른 이야기를 보게 되고, 또 다른 이야기를 원하게 되기 때문입니다.”라고 말합니다. “그래서 엄청난 파급 효과가 발생하는 것입니다.”

감사는 공감을 불러일으킨다
투모로우 트러스트의 운영 과정은 피드백 루프를 기반으로 설계되었으며, 대학생들은 매년 10시간씩 초등학생들을 위한 봉사 활동에 참여해야 합니다. 또한, 투모로우 트러스트 졸업생들은 사회에 진출한 후 첫 2년 동안 급여의 10%를 프로그램 지원에 기부하도록 요청받습니다.
김씨는 투모로우 트러스트 수혜자들이 이 프로그램을 통해 자신이 가진 것에 감사하는 법을 배우면서 공감 능력이 더욱 향상된다고 말합니다.
"일단 그렇게 가르치면, 아이들이 다른 사람들에게 아주 긍정적인 영향을 미치도록 격려할 수 있어요."라고 그녀는 말합니다. "...왜냐하면 이제 아이들은 자신이 다른 사람보다 더 많은 것을 가지고 있다고 생각하게 되거든요. 그래서 단순히 트라우마에서 비롯된 것이 아니라, 감사하는 마음에서 비롯된 것이라는 사실을 깨닫게 되는 거죠."
투모로우 트러스트가 영향력을 확대해감에 따라, 남아프리카공화국 기업 부문에 감사하는 마음과 공감 능력을 갖춘 전문가들이 더욱 많이 합류하게 될 것이며, 이들은 취약한 아동들을 돕는 선순환 구조를 이어갈 것입니다. 투모로우 트러스트 출신들은 남아프리카공화국 및 다국적 기업에서 변호사, 엔지니어, 금융 전문가로서 성공적인 경력을 쌓고 있으며, 두 명의 출신이 투모로우 트러스트 이사회 이사로 활동하고 있습니다.
김씨는 언젠가 프로그램 졸업생이 자신의 뒤를 이어 CEO 자리에 앉기를 희망합니다. 현재 그녀의 목표는 투모로우 트러스트의 역량을 확장하고, 만델라가 말했던 진정한 자유를, 그렇지 않으면 길을 잃을 수도 있는 세대의 아이들에게 전파하는 것입니다.
"그들은 매일 아침 저에게 영감을 주는 가장 강력하고 영향력 있는 인물들입니다."라고 그녀는 말합니다. "그리고 그들이 역량을 갖춘다면, 완전히 다른 세상에서 완전히 다른 나라를 만들어낼 것입니다."

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please join me celebrate the life of Venerable Sr. Irene Stefan in kenya during his
BEATIFICATION here in kenya. see here for details as hundredts os thousands of Catholic follows arrive here in Nyeri.
http://www.dkut.ac.ke/newsn...
THE POPE ANNOUNCES THE BEATIFICATION OF A CATHOLIC NUN IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF NYERI ON SATURDAY 23RD MAY 2015
A photograph representation of a portrait of
Venerable Sr. Irene Stefani who served as a
nurse at Mombasa during the 2nd World War in 1914-1918
THE POPE ANNOUNCES THE BEATIFICATION OF A CATHOLIC NUN IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF NYERI ON SATURDAY 23RD MAY 2015.
VENUE- DEDAN KIMATHI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
Compiled by Rev.Fr.Prof Donatus Mathenge Githui 16th January 2015
Dedan
Kimathi University of Technology is again on the global map this time
round not on the technological platform but on religious, cultural and
heritage grounds. Named after the heroic Mau Mau fighter, Field Marshal
Dedan Kimathi, the University has been accorded the privilege to host
the Beatification ceremony of the Venerable Sr. Irene Stefani who lived
and died at Nyeri Archdiocese in the early 1930’s. By accepting to host
this event, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology contributes to the
reconstruction of the rich Kenyan’s intangible cultural heritage. Just
like the Mau Mau war tale is interwoven with Dedan Kimathi, the story of
Sr. Irene will be incomplete without the mention of Dedan Kimathi
University of Technology in the years to come.
By
hosting the event, the University becomes part and parcel of the Sr.
Irene’s religious itinerary that pilgrims from all corners of the world
interested in her life would hardly ignore. This in itself enhances the
University’s visibility tentacles nationally and internationally. The
story of Sr. Irene told in this century will richly boost the heritage
value of the planned Dedan Kimathi Cultural Centre, the symbol of the
university’s commitment to walk the talk of conserving heritage. The
University is therefore poised to become a global pilgrimage tourist
destination thus enhancing Kenya’s tourist product. Plans are underway
to ensure the success of this history making event of the Beatification
of venerable Sr. Irene Stefani to be held on Saturday 23rd May 2015 at the graduation grounds.
In
the Catholic Church, Beatification is one step away from Sainthood
which is the highest honour bestowed on Catholic Christian who died
after living an exemplary life or expression of heroic deed or by way of
martyrdom.
Why Dedan Kimathi University grounds
Having
received and examined relevant documents concerning Sr. Irene Stefani
and her heroic virtues, which she expressed in her life, having also
been satisfied that the canonical/legal due process and procedure have
been followed by the relevant office, the Holy Father Pope Francis
raised the servant of God Sr. Irene to the canonical status of Venerable
and announced that she is a candidate for beatification on Saturday 23rd
May 2015 in the Archdiocese of Nyeri. When the Archbishop of Nyeri
Most. Rev.Peter Kairo was give this papal announcement and direction, he
immediately started looking for a venue for this important
Beatification ceremony since Kenya has never had a blessed who has
served and died in the country. According to directions from
Vatican/Rome, the venue must be proximate to the cathedral of the
diocese, connected to a tarmac road and the ground must be big enough to
accommodate a huge crowd and parking places for Christians coming from
all over the world. Most Rev.Peter Kairo wrote a formal letter
requesting the Vice Chancellor of Dedan Kimathi University whether the
ceremony of the Beatification could be held at the university grounds.
After the meeting of the university management the permission was
granted. That is why some of you have seen the name of the university in
the daily papers where the story of Sr. Irene Beatification has been
featured. The ceremonies of the Beatification will indeed, be a great
honour to the University community on the material day and years to
come.
Life and times of Sr. Irene
Sr.
Irene was born in August 22, 1891 in Anfo, a small village in Northern
Italy. She joined the Consolata Missionary Sisters in 1911 and she was
trained in religious life as well as a nurse. In 1914, she took her vows
a s a sister and soon after was sent by Blessed Joseph Allomano the
founder of Consolata fathers and sisters missionaries to Kenya. After a
long and exhausting journey by ship, she arrived in Mombasa on January
1915.
As
you are well aware, the Second World War had already begun in 1914.
When she arrived in Mombasa she could not come upcountry. Because of her
training in nursing, the British asked her to take care of the soldiers
and Courier Corps
who were wounded in the war both in Mombasa and Tanzania. As the war
was ending she was able to come up country and join the Consolata
missionaries in Mathari, the headquarter of the vicariate/Diocese ready
to give her services the people of Nyeri.
Her exemplary life at Gikondi in Mukurweini Sub-County
Sr.
Irene was sent to serve with other sisters at Gikondi Parish as a
nurse. She gave herself, body and soul as a nurse giving healthcare,
caring for the sick. It is said by some of her contemporaries that many
were the times that she spent the whole day without eating in order to
serve many patients. Because of this loving service and total
dedication, the people of that area nicknamed her as “Nyaatha” which is a
name translated as “a person of mercy”.
According
to the documents that the missionaries kept in Gikondi Parish, it is
written that there was an epidemic of plague and Sr. Irene got sick soon
after arriving in that area. She contracted the disease as she was
treating one of the patients even after being warned by other sisters
not to attend to the patient because she could be affected. Out of love,
faith, dedication, prayer and full obedience to God, she identified
herself with the sick, the hopeless and the dying. These heroic virtues
are the DNA that makes one a blessed and a saint. She died on 31st October 1930. She was buried at Mathari Diocesan cemetery.
Four Stages in the canonisation process in the Catholic Church
Servant of God is the first of the four steps in the canonization process.
Venerable, is being declared upon a decree of heroism or martyrdom by the honored after through investigation in his or her life by the relevant offices in the Catholic Church.
Blessed;
after clear miracles which are evaluated by medical doctors and church
the venerable is raided to the statues of a blessed. Hence the ceremony
of Beatification which is only decided by the Pope The blessed begins to
appear in the church calendar throughout the world.
Saint; After more scrutiny and acknowledgement of other miracles by the office of Congregation for the Causes of Saints,
the blessed is announced as a saint by the Pope and the event of
sainthood is conducted by him or a delegate. Sainthood completes the
process of canonization.
In the 2nd, 3rd and 4th
stages, miracles are expected to be done after people with sicknesses
or any other extraordinary deeds done by God through the intersession of
the servant of God, venerable, or blessed. These stages may take a
short or a long time or even a contrary or beyond. No doubt Venerable
Sr. Irene has passed the first two stages before becoming a blessed in
May. Such miracles have happened in Mozambique and were verified by the
church and independent medical doctors.
Tribunal of investigating the life of Sr.Irene
Following
the canonical procedures, the Vatican through the office of Causes of
Saints raised the status of Sister Irene to that of the Servant of God
in the early 1970’s. Soon after, Vatican directed two tribunals to be
set up to inquire about her life. The tribunal in Turin, Italy was
established to focus on her life based on her writings while the
tribunal in Nyeri, Kenya was to focus on her heroic virtues as
demonstrated by her life in Nyeri, particularly Gikondi Parish.
Rev.
Fr. Pascualleti and Sister Gian Paola were sent officially in Kenya to
bring this message to the late Bishop Gatimu. Very soon, the tribunal of
Nyeri was established and Fr. Mino Vaccari was appointed as Chairman
and Rev.Fr. Prof. Donatus Mathenge was appointed as the secretary
(Notarius) to the tribunal. When Bishop Gatimu concluded the tribunal
work and signed, the report was packaged and addressed to the office of
causes of the Saints in 1986. As it is expected, Bishop Gatimu was
supposed to take the documents to Vatican, and just when he was about to
start his journey a malady overtook him leading to his death on 20th
February 1987. After Easter of the same year, the Notarious, Fr. D.
Mathenge, was given the task of taking the documents to the Vatican.
The day of Beatification
The
Holy Father Pope Francis is the one who is supposed to come for the
beatification. But due to his tight schedule, he delegated His Eminence,
Angelo Cardinal Amato, the Prefect of the Congregation for the, Causes
of Saints at the Vatican, Rome. There are three critical events. On 22nd
May 2015 there will be a vigil/kesha at Gikondi parish for the purpose
of Spiritual preparation by Christians. The 23rd is the big day of
Beatification at Dedan Kimathi University grounds.
On Sunday the 24th,
the relirics (blessed remains) of blessed Irene will be taken in a big
procession from Mathari church to the Cathedral where they will be
placed in a new tomb which will be a point of reference as a shrine in
future years.
The impact of Her Heroic life and culture or virtues to the youth today
The
heroic virtues of Sr. Irene are relevant to the society today
especially to the youth who are the leaders of today and tomorrow
regardless of their religious affiliations.
The
Beatification of Sr. Irene Stefani and, hence, the recognition of her
virtuous life shall be outstanding as an immeasurable contribution to
the development of the history, culture, and value system of the
University and without doubt, shall be a reference event in years to
come for alumni and stakeholders of this University.
Compiled by
Rev. Fr. Prof. Donatus Mathenge Githui
Ag. Head of Chaplaincy at Dedan Kimathi University
and
Chairman;
Publicity Committee, on the Beatification
of Venerable Sr.Irene Stefani in Nyeri Archdiocese
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