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By:
HARRISON MAINA | |||||||||
| Posted:
Aug,28-2018 10:41:31
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LOWELL, Mass.__In one of the greatest shows of support, love and courage in the face of a heartbreaking tragedy, hundreds of mourners turned out Tuesday to pay final respects to the late Winnie Wangui Kabue who passed away last Saturday through suspected suicide. Conducting the funeral held at the St. Joseph Cemetery in Chelmsford, the Reverend Father Joseph Mathenge Komu, leader of the Kenyan Catholic Community and Friends in Boston urged bereaved families, friends and general Kenyan community in USA to talk openly about the rising cases of young compatriots taking their lives due to mental health issues occasioned by complex situations hard to rationalize. The father said that a line of open communication is the first step towards healing and will help the community brainstorm solutions that will stem the worrying trend. Since July 2017 to date, five young Kenyans below age 35 have committedtaken their own lives in their own apartments in Massachusetts alone, and close to 20 cases in other states combined. In most of the cases, it has become difficult for bereaved families to reveal the true cause of death to the community even as they seek financial help through public fundraisers to meet the cost of the funerals. "We all know what happened. We all know there are questions to be asked, and while this is not the time, it is also important to remember that we will never know how diseased her mind was," Father Mathenge told mourners. While the late Wangui's death sent shockwaves within the community, Father Mathenge cautioned the mourners to be instruments of goodwill and comfort and to avoid passing judgment. "I am sure if Wangui was to wake up from this casket before us right now, I am sure she would apologize to all the people who have been so angered by her actions," the father added, bravely broaching the taboo subject in the socially conservative Kenyan immigrant community.
"Let all young people and others come forward and discuss issues they may be going through without fear of being stigmatized. There is always a solution with someone to problems you are facing if you seek help by talking about it," he added. Father Mathenge cautioned the community against passing judgment on bereaved families or anyone else in the community talking openly about the suicide situations. "Judging others is mostly done not based on factual information which many a times leads to the wrong conclusions." Newly elected member of the St. Michael Leadership team, Mr. George Makena upheld the priest's concerns and said that time is ripe for Kenyans in Boston and USA at large to confront the sad trend. "It is time for us to come together, here at St. Michael and all other churches surrounding us to figure out together what we can do to help our youth. We can't ignore the problem anymore and we can't let divisions stop us," he advised. Prior to the funeral, hundreds of mourners also attended a dedication Mass and funeral fundraising ceremony on Sunday at the St. Michael's Catholic Church on Bridge Street where the late Wangui attended. Over $26,000was raised by well-wishers towards the late Wangui's funeral expenses. In a final solemn requiem Mass Tuesday morning that illustrated the late Winnie's faith-based, mourners from all over New England as well as family members from California and Kenya remembered the late Wangui as a cheerful, fun loving, caring and selfless individual who always lived and shared her Catholic identity with her peers. She was also praised and a smart young woman with an impeccable academic acumen as she was in the middle of a master's program in Biotechnology before her sudden demise. In his homily, Father Mathenge reminded the mourners on the importance of the community coming closer to God not just in times of pain and sorrow but also in times of uncertainty and in search for solutions. He further urged the hundreds of young people in attendance to return to the church to find solace as well as find common solutions to some of the social ills afflicting them. Several other speakers mentioned the indelible mark the late Wangui left on the lives of those she touched. In their tribute, the Catholic Youth Association of St Michael Parish recounted their adoration for Winnie as a mentor and founder of their Association in Lowell while the family paid tribute to a rising family jewel who left them so drastically to fathom why this had to happen. Going on in hushed tones, it was clear within the crowd that the questions were both many and pertinent while the answers were few and hard to come by. However, what was clear is the willingness within the community to realize that the family of the late Kenyan needed all the support available as they embark on the journey to heal and bring a sense of normalcy in their lives. Hundreds of first generation Kenyan American youth surprised many with their strong input during the entire funeral planning process, prompting calls for every adult in the Kenyan community in the region to step up and help them grapple with this very personal loss in their young lives. According to many present, the late Wangui was the face of love in a family that espoused and taught each other the same. Esther Ng'ang'a, the youth coordinator at St. Michael's church said that the late Wangui always went out of her way to reach out to her younger friends and bring them back to the Church and closer to God. "Her death therefore proves that we as a community need more love and understanding of one another as well as remembering that it is in giving that we receive and those who are always giving need to be checked on too and loved as well," said a mourner who requested to remain anonymous. However, a general consensus among many that there exists an urgent need for a community wide inter faith dialogue on the how to heal, move on and combat social ills afflicting our youth. "The fact that it seems insurmountable does not mean we as a community should not try.This is clearly our time and moment to shine the spotlight on those who are suffering among us and to reach out to them, to encourage and help them. Every individual has the responsibility to be the other's keeper, we need to be friends, mentors, spiritual advisers or even just to be there!" added a concerned mourner. | |||||||||
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Source:
AJABU AFRICAN NEWS
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