Mission from the Margins in the Context of HIV and AIDS: Grandmothers’ Narratives of Transforming Religious Communities in Maai Mahiu, Kenya
Main Article Content
Keywords
Stigma, HIV and AIDS, grandchildren, grandmothers, Missions, margins, pastors, religious leaders
Abstract
Using the narratives of grandmothers in Maai Mahiu, Kenya, this article demonstrates how the grandmothers from different Christian denominations and ministries were stigmatised within their religious communities, how they responded to the stigma meted on them and their contributions towards the transformation of the religious communities in the context of HIV and AIDS. By revisiting the theme of HIV and AIDS in religious communities, the article affirms that HIV and AIDS is still one of the biggest challenges facing the world. The situation of children orphaned by AIDS continues to be a serious issue in high prevalent areas and 80% of these children are found in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). When AIDS kills parents, the grandparents especially grandmothers usually assume the parenting role of the orphans. This article utilises the data collected for my unpublished PhD thesis, which was conducted to examine the source of strength, faith and hope exhibited by the grandmothers’ parenting grandchildren orphaned by AIDS amidst the intense stigma they faced. The study employed qualitative and grounded theory research approaches. In particular, sixteen people were recruited as study participants (15 grandmothers and 1 health worker) and later into the study three pastors were recruited. The article shows that the grandmothers’ responses to the stigma from their religious communities resulted into them gaining and promoting accurate knowledge on HIV and AIDS, positive living, improved standards of living and more importantly, the transformation of the religious communities. The grandmothers largely responded in a way that would positively transform their own lives, their community and their religious leaders. Based on this, the article concludes that by being proactive in their responses to the stigma and ostracism meted on them, the grandmothers were practically engaging in mission, but doing it from the margins of the community where they had been pushed by religious communities.
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Dr Pauline Wanjiru Njiru, St. Paul's University
Lecturer
St Paul’s University, Theology Department, Kenya
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