Romana

A symposium organized by and for parents of Kianda School was held on January 9, 2002, as a commemoration of the school’s 25th anniversary, in the centennial year of the birth of Blessed Josemaria Escriva. Some 550 parents attended.

Joan Odera, a graduate of the school and who has recently been named principal, opened the symposium. The first speaker, Olga Marlin, gave a slide presentation on «The Roots of Kianda.» She was one of the eight young women invited by Blessed Josemaria to begin Opus Dei’s work with women in Kenya in 1960. They started Kianda secretarial school in January 1961. It was the first multiracial school of its kind in Kenya. The student body included Africans, Europeans, and Asians, reflecting in deeds the truth of Blessed Josemaria’s words: «There is only one race on earth, the race of the children of God» (Christ Is Passing By, no. 13).

Olga Marlin ended her talk by encouraging those present to keep moving Kianda forward «so that in 25 years you can be the ones who will be telling the story of so many dreams that have become reality.»

The next speaker, Eva Beauttah, was one of the first students at Kianda College. Over the years, her three daughters studied at Kianda School, and now her granddaughter does as well.

A number of parents gave talks on family-related subjects. Mary Kibera, director of the Family Development Institute, concluded the symposium by pointing out the need to create new forums so that families could exchange experiences and gain support in ever-widening circles for the values that they share.