DGS Africa

Blogs

Committed Formation training

The Kibera early childhood training has been rescheduled for September. Bishop Fredrick, of
Tumaini Ministries, requested the delay because he wants to be available to do all of the training.
The same training at Tanganyika Anglican Diocese in Tanzania has also been put back because
they are raising funds for the travel costs. DGS will contribute 20,000 Kenyan Shillings to assist.
CEO Kistos is working on setting up the same training for each of Nairobi and Mount Kenya South
dioceses during October.
The Mumias Anglican Diocese Level 3 training is now
likely to run later in November.. Photo of a Level 3
compact box being blessed by Bishop Joseph at Mumias
Diocese.
Bungoma Anglican Diocese residential training now
scheduled for November.
Manicaland Anglican Diocese Level 3 in November

20th Anniversary of Good Shepherd Ministry in Africa

Recently, the CGS in Australia had their 30th Anniversary and it was mentioned about how the start
was made in Africa, which led to DGS Africa, when Mary Hare (a CGS Formation Leader) did a
Level 1 training in Uganda which Gladys (now a DGS formation leader) and some Pentecostal
pastors attended. And how it was during the 2008 post-election violence, and they were shot at as
they were crossing the border from Kenya. This means that in 2028 it will be the 20th anniversary of
the beginning of Good Shepherd children’s ministry in Africa. This would be a wonderful
opportunity to have a celebration gathering at the diocesan birthplace, Bungoma Anglican Diocese.

Developing regional centres

In Kenya where the ministry has been underway for almost 17 years, there are two regional
centres, one in the west at Mumias and the other in Nairobi for the central and eastern regions.
In Tanzania, the regional centre which is also
very much in the geographical centre of the
Nation is the Anglican Rift Valley Diocese.
Photo of St Thomas Kindergarten at All Souls
Cathedral, Rift Valley Diocese where early
childhood atriums are now running.
While in Central Africa, the first diocese to
initiate DGS has become the regional centre.
That is Manicaland Diocese which is very
much in the East of the Anglican Central Region, but being close to Mozambique, and given their
interest in DGS, it is a good location.
For some time, there has been discussion of the start-up of DGS in Cameroon and when it gets
underway this would be an ideal site for a west Africa regional centre for DGS. The map at the end
of this report gives a geographical illustration of these regional centres.
There is work to do to build up the regional centres by assisting them to raise up Formation
Leaders to train guides and help develop atriums in schools and churches in each region, and to
build up connections and relationships with each other through prayer and coming together for
catch ups, fellowship and in service training.
As well it is important that DGS across Africa is united together with a common vision by whole of
DGS Africa gatherings. Hence, the need for an in Africa travel fund for DGS to help bind the
organisation together with the Good Shepherd.

From DGS all Africa office

The DGS staff member, Immaculate will now start in September
at the DGS office which is in the AMA (Anglican Mission Africa)
offices at Ngong in Nairobi.
DGS and AMA are working out how the two organisations will
complement each other. When AMA does a broad scale mission
in a diocese, DGS will have discussions with the diocese
concerning the development of DGS children’s ministry in the
diocese. As part of the mission there will be input for teens, young
adults and young families about the vulnerability of the unborn
child and the great hunger they have for Christian input. As well
the need for parents to ensure that their children have a
comprehensive grounding in faith will be an important mission
input.
When Immaculate starts soon it is important that she links up with CTC at All Saints Cathedral to
work out how she can assist with the further development of DGS, including prenatal to 3 years
there.
The new DGS web page is being prepared by Maxwell of Cliffale Technologies and should be up
and operational by sometime in October.