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“Come out and study every day,” Students in Kenya Encouraged to Work Amid Challenges at School Opening Mass

Bishop Mark Kadima Wamukoya of the Catholic Diocese of Bungoma. Credit: Amani Catholic Media

The Bishop of Kenya's Catholic Diocese of Bungoma has urged students in the country to embrace discipline, perseverance, and faith as they pursue education despite the many challenges they face in life.

In his Wednesday, January 28 homily during the opening of St. John’s Machakha High School in the Diocese, Bishop Mark Kadima Wamukoya said that success requires consistent effort and patience even when results are disappointing.

“You must come out to sow, you will not have anywhere to harvest from the good soil if you have not first come out to sow. You must come out and work. The work that you do should not discourage you, because sometimes it does not bear fruit immediately. Today it may not produce, but keep working. You must come out and sow every day. Come out and sweat every day. Come out and study every day,” Bishop Kadima said at the school opening mass.

The Catholic Bishop encouraged students to keep working on their discipline and studies, assuring them that the journey of success is not without challenges.

“We must come out to work every day. We should not be discouraged. It does not mean that everyone and everything is successful. All of us have had difficulties in life. Sometimes we don’t get people who cooperate. Sometimes we don’t get people who help us, but it does not mean we should not come out and work because someone failed to help us,” he said.

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The Catholic Bishop encouraged the students to persevere, highlighting some of the life challenges students face, such as lack of school fees, food and sometimes enough support, reminding them that hardships do not determine their future.

“Success will not come without perseverance, without difficulties, without failings, without problems. We all had problems. We all had difficulties, we all had discouragements, we all had bad people, jealous people who say all sorts of things. Who tells you that you will not succeed. Don’t take that, God himself will make sure that you succeed despite the problems,” the Bishop said.

“God will not work out for success because we have paths, we have thorns, we have stones around us. Stones will be there, rough paths will be there, thorns will be there,” he added.

The Catholic Church leader of Bungoma Diocese also reminded the students to learn to keep their education promises, especially to their parents, cautioning against those who are taken to school and end up dropping out.

Sabrine Amboka is a Kenyan journalist with a passion for Catholic church communication. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from St. Paul's University in Kenya.