The air inside the Langata Women’s Maximum Prison was filled with “unique melodies” and a profound sense of renewal on March 31, 2026, as 35 inmates celebrated their graduation from a transformative three-month Psycho-Ignatian Spirituality Program held under the theme Resilience, self-acceptance, and the “Reason to Rise.”
The ceremony, led by Jesuit scholastics from Hekima University College, marked a milestone in the inmates’ journey toward healing and self-discovery. The event began with a colourful Eucharistic celebration presided over by the Kenyan Prisons Chaplain, Rev. Fr. Paul Miring’u, and concelebrated by Hekima Jesuits Rector Fr. Emmanuel Foro, SJ, and Hekima University College Principal Fr. Marcel Uwineza, SJ.
The impact of the program, which has been championed by Deacon Bonosa Kwadwo Fosu, SJ, a Jesuit scholastic at Hekima University College School of Theology and his companions, was most audible in the inmates’ spirited twist on a traditional Catholic greeting. When prompted with “God is good,” the graduates responded with a powerful new mantra: “God is Good, I am a Witness, and All the time, I am getting Better!”
This shift in perspective, from victims of circumstance to witnesses of growth, formed the emotional core of the graduation.
Several key leaders offered messages of goodwill, highlighting the collaborative effort between the African Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN), Hekima University College, and the Kenya Prisons Service.
- AJAN (Message from Fr. Ismael Matambura, SJ): Delivered by Ms. Sergon Pascalia, the message emphasized “faith-driven justice” and the importance of reaching those on the margins. The program’s roots were traced back to a persistent “dream” by a former student named Lilian, who insisted on bringing Jesuit presence into the prison system.
- Fr. Marcel Uwineza, SJ (Principal, Hekima University College): Fr. Uwineza shared a moving story of a beggar from Syria whose life story transformed a sceptical taxi driver in Rome. He challenged the graduates: “How can your stories… become a source of healing for you and for others? Make your story become a reason to rise.”
- Fr. Emmanuel Foro, SJ (Rector, Hekima Jesuit Community): Fr. Foro reminded the women that through Ignatian spirituality, they can see themselves through the eyes of Jesus. “What He sees in you may not be what you see… but what He sees is the right thing,” he remarked.
- Fr. Paul Miring’u (Prisons Chaplain): Fr. Miring’u praised the inmates’ “perseverance” and thanked the Jesuit team for their passion and insistence on establishing the ministry, even when the path was difficult.
The program, coordinated by Deacon Bonosa, utilized Ignatian tools such as the Examen, spiritual conversation, and prayer to help inmates cultivate resilience from within. In his concluding remarks, Deacon Bonosa noted that while the corporate world might not view “hope” as a strategy, for these women, it is the ground of existence.
“Christian hope is not passive; it must be set ablaze with passion… a passion that presses forward with courage, giving us reason to rise each day and keep striving.”
As the 35 graduates received their certificates, the ceremony concluded with a call for the women to be “agents of change” and “light” to their fellow inmates, proving that transformation is possible even within the most challenging walls.
By Pamela Adinda, HUC Communications & International Office Coordinator
