All of us who work at Mwangaza Jesuit Spirituality Centre, Nairobi, Kenya, are given the unique gift of meeting some extraordinary people (sometimes heroic) doing extraordinary things for so many kinds of people whose life is tough. They run schools of various grade levels, homes for “street children”, orphanages, camps for refugees running from war, hospitals and medical aid dispensaries, helping even AIDs patients—even among people who will reject them because they are Christians. Some live very isolated “in the bush” with tribal, very simple people, “primitive” by our standards. What they eat and where they live and sleep would shock you. We are honored to meet such and hear the stories of these very impressive people when they come to our retreat center for an eight-day retreat.

What we at Mwangaza (meaning “enlightenment” in Swahili) are is a spiritual oasis and spiritual “rest stop” for these good people. Mostly Catholics come but many Protestants do as well: nuns, ministers and laypeople. We receive people from eleven nations (South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Burundi, Ethiopia, the Congo, Djibouti, Somalia, and Kenya.) Some who come here have suffered from various health challenges and are profoundly tired, some suffer even from the trauma of war, yet others come exhausted and stressed. Most simply work hard to be with and for people who have so little, people who are really, really poor, some who have been abused in unspeakable ways.

So what we do is provide them 8 days of complete quiet, good, nutritious meals, their own room with shower and clean bed, and above all the opportunity for them to rest their mind and heart while having quality time to ponder the Word of God in the Bible, to help them hear once again God speak His great love and gratitude to them. Then we send them back to their places of service with hope and knowing more than before that the God and Spirit of Jesus go with them to strengthen and guide them. Each person who comes here is matched with a well trained guide, a Kenyan or someone from another country, a person who is knowledgeable in the Bible themes of love and mercy, compassion and being called in Christ to do what they do with much faith, hope and love.

Each day they have a conversation with their guide, up to 45 minutes in length. What God’s Spirit does in their spirit during that week makes our work here immensely meaningful. We feel privileged to be involved with doing what Mwangaza is about for much of Eastern Africa.

During these last five years there has been a steady increase in requests for spiritual retreats and courses at Mwangaza Jesuit Spirituality Centre. Thanks to generous donations, five years ago we were able to upgrade the centre’s capacity from 24 to 54 bedrooms. Two years ago, a generous grant made it possible for the centre to turn our 24 older bedrooms into self-contained facilities.

So, we ask you to join us in this effort of ours to welcome these extra people we presently cannot provide for and want to be here for that one special week of renewal. You could hardly support a more worthy cause and a set of people more deserving!

You may contact us at director@mwangazajesuits.org for further information

Thanks for helping us during 2019 and 2020

Many retreatants and students received 100%, 75% and 50% scholarships thanks to generous donations from private donors. Rest assured that we pray for our benefactors. As a local contribution is “a must’, to Mwangaza’s fees for retreats and courses a discrete “solidarity %” has been added to help those who cannot afford meeting the full cost of the programmes. It is a necessary help, but we need more

Bursary Fund

We always need extra money to support people who can’t afford our retreats or courses. The funds needed come up to USD 20,000 circa to subsidize retreats and USD 18,000 to assist with the fees of the courses for 2020 and 2021. An 8-day retreat will come up to USD 320 circa in 2020. Courses come up to USD 300 circa per 4-day module in 2020. A 4-block course will come up to USD 1,200 circa in 2021.

An extra Appeal in the time of Corona virus pandemic

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Mwangaza had to close down all its formation programmes and retreats between starting from March 15. Nonetheless we decided to keep all the Centre’s permanent staff for all this time. With no income for all this time, the Centre has had to do an extraordinary effort and use up its meager funds to cope with the situation. We appeal to our benefactors to continue to help us to resume our service to the Church of Africa.