Creators of Peace Circles in Kabutei, Baringo County, Kenya asks the question 'are we good ancestors?'

‘My grandmother said that everyone must leave something behind when they die…..a child,  a book, a painting, a house or a garden planted. Something one’s hand touched in some way and changed it positively. So when people look at that tree or that flower you planted, you're there.  The difference between someone who cuts the lawn and a gardener is in the touch.’  These were the words of Linah who was one of the participants of Creators of Peace Circles (CoPC)  between 1-3 June, 2016 in Kabutei, a small village in the valley of Kabarnet town in Baringo North.

The CoPC facilitators were honoured to be in the presence of very patient women who sacrificed being away from their families early enough just to wait for them. The area chief was also very supportive. In total there were 17 women and 3 men- who were all Chiefs.  Margaret shared her expectation to hear ordinary things about peace, but came to realize they were extraordinary and helped  her understand peace in depth. She was grateful to be part of the training.

Reflection was a new thing to the women.  They were challenged that they cannot give what they do not have and so obtaining the inner peace was very important for a peace creator. Paul, one of the chiefs, shared that women play a key role in peacemaking in a family. He confessed to have taken matters to do with women  lightly.  He learnt that there is power in personal reflection and he admitted that as men, they need someone who can correct them. “We need someone to get close enough to tell us when we are wrong. Someone we trust; and that to me is my wife. Women are important,’ he shared.

Mary, an elderly woman, thanked God that her two adult daughters were present at the training. ‘They have undergone many challenges in marriage.  Today they have heard many stories which tell them they are not the only ones who go through difficult challenges and that they can make it in life,’ she said.

The 'Qualities of a Peace Creator' session left one woman questioning herself as to whether she was a good ancestor to her generation. It made her realize that people don't inherit the earth from the ancestors; ‘we borrow it from our children. If a woman loves destroying peace for others, that is the legacy she will leave behind. I am praying to God to help me change my bad attitude of destroying the peace of others,’ she concluded.

Julius, another chief, encouraged the women to be interested in what the government was doing.  “When we don’t care about what our government is doing, we are also saying to the next generation that we are not interested in the possible burdens being passed to them,” he concluded.

On the third and last day of the Peace Circles, the women did not want to leave the room. They felt enlightened and wished that the programme could extend so that they could gain more insights. The local chiefs present graced the closing session and also appreciated Creators of Peace.  They requested  the facilitation of more Creators of Peace Circles so that more women could learn that peace cannot be achieved by force but only through understanding.

Facilitators and Report by Mediatrix Masava and Annastacia Munene.