All my life I heard about the need to support families. I realized that pre-primary school children were being neglected. So it was time to take action by starting a training program for teachers who would guide these precious little ones. The Montessori method was selected. A teachers' training college was constructed. Eight tutors were trained. From those beginnings, this program of 26 years has produced 1200 teachers who touch 16,000 children in Kenya alone. The program is self-supporting and self-propagating. It is on its own. In my books this is mission at its best. It is life giving. It is indigenous and self perpetuating. I only had to give the staff the tools to make it happen. They made it happen. I did not.

The muscles came from the Holy Spirit. The spirit of the Child Developers' Program ( this is its name) is expressed by what happened on its 25th anniversary. Genuine joy filled the hearts of the 1200 participants who had come on a bright sunny day to celebrate the Golden jubilee of the Montessori Teachers' Training College. This joy became deeper as the singing, swaying dancers dressed in multi-colored, attractive wrap-arounds, danced up the gifts of gratitude to God for 25 blessed years. Tall, handsome, warm-hearted Bishop Rotich accepted the gifts of gratitude. His homily had touched our hearts. The long, painful journey to develop the college was worth it. Ours was the joy of a job well done for the thousands of children whom we have developed for over 25 years.

More about Bob's Ministry

Bob's Biography             Bob's Reflections

Visit the Maryknollers Currently in Nairobi, Kenya