Defeating COVID 19: The place of religion

Background

It is said that Africans exercise their spirituality everywhere. Just as Mbiti notes; “Africans are notoriously religious. Whenever the African is, there is religion. He carries it to the fields where he is sowing seeds or harvesting a new crop; he takes it with him to the beer party, or to attend a funeral ceremony; and if he is educated, he takes religion with him to the examination room at school or in the university; if he is a politician, he takes it to the house of parliament”(Beidelman and Mbiti 1992)

Kenya is not exceptional; we are highly religious. The predominant religion in Kenya is Christianity made of about 85.52% of the total population. Islam is the second largest religion with about 10.91%. Other faiths practiced in Kenya are Baha'i, Buddhism, Hinduism and traditional religions(No Title n.d.).

The religious structures for these religions are quite elaborate. For example: Christianity is divided into Catholics, Protestants (including the Anglican Church of Kenya, Africa Inland Church, Full Gospel Churches of Kenya, Presbyterian Church, Reformed, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran among others) and Pentecostal churches which are quite numerous(No Title n.d.). Notably, the Catholic Church and protestant churches have well defined structures and greater reach in the aspect of local areas penetration.

Islam in Kenya is also a very organized religious group. Although more concentrated mainly in the Coastal and North Eastern Regions, Islamic religion is now widespread to most parts of the country.

Introduction

What role does religion and religious affiliations play in society? Mainly, religion exists for spiritual nourishment. It thus forms a huge basis of morality in the society. Some of religious activities include but not limited to: services/sermons/teachings, religious education, prayer and fasting meetings, counselling, recreational activities, children and youth fun programs, empowerment programs and humanitarian work for the poor and vulnerable.

In the wake of the COVID 19 pandemic, there has been a huge paradigm shift in the religious activities not just in Kenya but globally. Empty churches, mosques and temples, discouraged faithful, lost fellowships, uncertain salaries and allowances and a general fever of hopelessness for both congregants and leaders.

Technology usage has been on the rise. Sermons have become televised, put online on social media platforms, prayers, fellowships and bible studies are being conducted on WhatsApp, other apps and text messages, tithes and offerings through mobile or internet monies. Even for the least technologically skilled, the last one month or so has been learning by fire.

The time of COVID-19 has been difficult for many people around the world, in many different ways. No part of the world has been left untouched by the storm that is COVID-19 pandemic. What started as an epidemic, mainly limited to China has now become a truly global problem that is shuttering every foundation and structure that societies have relied on for their daily survival.

It has had a devastating impact on the economic conditions of global economies. As a result, governments across the globe have rushed to protect lives and livelihoods through among other ways creating economic stimulus packages for their countries in an effort to cushion the effects COVID – 19 has had on their respective economies and to prepare for the expected recession in the global economy. Eyes of expectation are continuously being turned to the government to come up with a solution that will not only stop its further spread, but also ensure restoration of normalcy.

From what we have witnessed so far from countries that have been hard hit, minorities, the marginalized and the most vulnerable members of the society will be greatly impacted due to the underlying poverty and economic deprivation they face. Every effort, every available resource should therefore be channeled towards ensuring that the poor and all Kenyans in general are cushioned against adverse effects this storm will have on their lives and livelihoods.

What role do religion and faith play in the daily lives of people in overcoming this and other pandemics? How can they influence how people view themselves and society at such a time?

Besides the spiritual nourishment, prayers and words of exhortations, massive drastic measures and interventions by religious groups and their leaders is needed to benefit the vulnerable population among their faithful – individually - and to drive the government to do more for its citizens – collectively.

But how can religious leaders use the advantage at their disposal to boost other efforts being made to combat the spread of COVID-19 in Kenya? During this pandemic, majority of the congregants have been pushed to desperation cocoons due to loss of jobs, collapsed businesses, overwhelming expenditures, haunting loans, uncertainty about tomorrow among others. Have our religious groups done an assessment of the status of its people? Can they use the small members-fellowships not only for spiritual nourishment, but also to understand the situations of their people?

Everyone is experiencing economic difficulty. People are not running their businesses, some have scaled down their operations, and others stay home because of the curfews and travel restrictions. Some people have had their salaries reduced significantly. Religious leaders should therefore first lower their expectations from their members during this crisis as everyone is adjusting to these new realities. This is the best time for religious leaders to lead efforts that can help their members.

The other obvious expectation from the church for example, is to show responsibility and empathy, and play its role in supporting the weak in their communities, show love and care instead of looking to get more money from the members who are already in a precarious situation.

Since this is a new challenge to everyone, there is no silver bullet that will deal with it once and for all. There is a need for a multi-faceted approach towards combating it to the level where it can be contained effectively. The defeat of Covid-19 requires concerted efforts. To quote Dr. Tedros, there is a need for “Solidarity” “Solidarity” “Solidarity”!

Religious Institutions’ Initial Response to COVID-19 in Kenya

It was distasteful for some religious groups to downplay GOK regulations and proceed with life as normal, some even televising their Sunday worship on national television even after the ban on public gathering. More hurting is stories of infected religious leaders conducting spiritual rituals with huge gatherings infecting locals in far flung, remote counties that otherwise would possibly never share the pain and menace that is COVID 19. This behavior by some section of religious groups and leaders in Kenya since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed exposed them as a system that is deeply at loggerheads with reality – outdone of course in unproportioned rate only by the political class. For some, it took the hand of the local authorities to force them into complying with the directives that the government had given to avert the spread of the virus in Kenya.

The Daily Nation Newspaper wrote about a case in a Kenyan Court by three pastors who want the ban on congregating to be lifted so that they can continue with their services. They are protesting the directive against social gatherings that saw closure of churches, saying it was reached without consultations with relevant stakeholders. They want churches allowed to conduct services with leaders compelled to ensure members adhere to guidelines for curbing spread of the virus – some of the same leaders who have put their congregants lives on the line for not obeying GOK/MOH guidelines (Clerics want church opened as counties ramp up Covid-19 fight - Daily Nation n.d.).

This call arguably portrays a picture of fear of an uncertain future as offerings and tithes continue to dwindle week by week, resulting in cutbacks to programs and personnel. Other’s initial response was to plaster Pay bill numbers all over in online platforms for their members to continue remitting their tithes and offerings. Some church members have continued with this obligation amidst the economic difficulty that has plagued people in the course of this pandemic – commendable obedience to scripture and God’s word and a sign of the influence and position of religion on the majority of Kenyans.

We applaud the religious leaders who led the government and the country in praying for the nation – memorable for among others the president’s statement quote, “even science needs God”. This was great momentum in the right direction in securing and maintaining a position of influence to be a voice on a national level in crafting the way down for COVID 19 and the way up for the economy. Luckily, the avenues and the channels for such opportunities are still available courtesy of the place of religion in the country – and gladly so.

This is the time for the real impact of religion to be felt.

Expected Response during COVID-19

Some religious groups in Kenya are run like governments. Some own strong institutions ranging from mega churches, mosques and temples, to established schools, universities and colleges, hospitals, retreat centers, hotels, guest houses, Micro-finances, companies and SACCOS. Others have ventured into the transport industry through the ownership of fleets of buses, rental and commercial properties that have given them a big share in the booming real estate industry in Kenya, and so on.

Save for some, one cannot help but admire the organizational structure and effectiveness of religious groups. Their leadership is organized right up to the grassroots, reaching even the remotest of all places. They also have umbrella bodies that lobby on their behalf for representation in various forums in government and other spectrum of the society. Protestants for example have the National Council of Churches and Evangelical Alliance of Kenya. Catholics have among others, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops. Muslims on the other hand have the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims while the Hindus have The Hindus Council of Kenya. One can only imagine the kind of help these institutions can offer during this crisis.

There are other advantages that religion enjoys here in Kenya: massive following, streams of income from their faithful’s offerings, loyalty, cordial relationship with the state and politicians, members willing to volunteer, networking avenues, and donor funded programs.

Among others, religious groups would consider a moratorium or suspension of debt and other monetary obligations and debts in the form of cess (like in the Prebyterian Church) to lessen the burden on the local area penetration (affected congregational level faithful’s some of whom are very needy presently). Banks and Governments globally are adopting such strategies to protect the global economy and religious groups should consider similar strategies to protect their faithful – one of the limited strategies to guarantee future survival.

The public transport sector has been hard hit because of the need for social distancing, need for them to provide sanitizers to commuters, thus causing the players to increase fares in order to at least afford fuel and overheads for the day. Before the outbreak of the pandemic, we saw some churches giving free or subsidized transport to ferry members to their services to and fro every Sunday. Now that the cost of petrol and diesel was reduced by over Kshs. 17 per litre, why can’t they extend such services now to their members who find it hard to afford transport to their work stations as a way of supporting the fight against COVID-19? Buses can leave churches and pick members/faithful’s to agree upon drop off points at no or subsidized costs.

There have been complaints about the poor state of quarantine and isolation facilities that the government has been offering to people who need to isolate. It will be good of religious leaders to surrender their well-maintained guest houses, hotels and other facilities to complement what the government has been providing. Some of their faithful are part of the infected Kenyans.

Religious groups, especially churches, have been good at organizing fundraisers, attracting well-wishers from politicians, corporate leaders, and other prominent people in the society. Most Sundays before COVID-19 was confirmed in Kenya, notable politicians were flocking churches with huge sums of money to support church development programs. Can churches consider stopping the development projects and better still, invite the well-wishers to sponsor interventions that benefit their faithful’s. For example, a one-off contribution of Kshs. 2 Million in a parish (based on the structure of the catholic and Presbyterian church) may be just enough to feed the needy and most vulnerable faithful’s including persons with disabilities, the elderly, those that lost their livelihoods within and without some urban and rural parishes – with redeployment of some development funds, it is possible to cater for their needs enough to last past the COVID 19 storm.

If religious leaders established a COVID-19 response fund, it would receive top-down support. With their structure and networks that reach to the grassroots, such a response would ensure that the most needy and vulnerable members of the society are reached. The politicians disappeared in the thinnest air possible as soon as large gatherings were declared illegal. Can churches still give them a platform to contribute to the COVID-19 emergency fund remotely, and announce to all, using the available platforms for publicity sake if that is what our politicians crave for?

It is not in our place to question how religious groups spend their revenues, but if they can spare a portion of that to support and where possible cushion their faithful against the detrimental effects of this pandemic; they would have done humanity a great service.

Post COVID-19

It is not expected that people will resume their normal daily routines as soon as COVID-19 is contained – at least based on pronouncements by experts. There will be a transition period in which great adjustments will still need to be made by and for all. For an institution that has benefitted from the goodwill of its members since time immemorial to survive, religious leaders need to pre-empt the kind of a response that will help their members stand on their feet post-COVID-19.

The adjustments will be worth making, their high expense notwithstanding. Inasmuch as jumpstarting the economy solely rests on the shoulders of the government, other strategic players ranging from the private sector, NGOs and religious bodies, will need to work together to resuscitate a dying economy. COVID-19 has presented us with a perfect example of a problem that can only be solved by a double-edged sword.

Reginald Kadzutu, Head of Retail at Zamara noted in an article by Kenyan Wall Street in March 29 that the COVID-19 spark that will implode the economy will be immense. “Government has no capacity or room for any stimulus package. The structure of the economy is now skewed against income tax cuts to spur demand. Our forex reserves are not enough to support the local unit anymore,” He continued (Kenya’s Economy Has Highest COVID-19 Risk Exposure in Africa ~ RMB - Kenyan Wallstreet n.d.).

It is therefore important for everyone to prepare on how the transition post the pandemic will be done. For religious groups, it will be to ensure an all-rounded welfare program for their members; spiritual, economic, and social well-being.

If they are already not thinking about it, they need to seriously consider starting a revolving fund right now, a kitty that will respond to post-COVID-19 needs such as food, shelter, health, transport, education (since schools will be reopened), and even clothing. Will religious leaders perform the simple miracle of answering the prayer of a family’s need for food? What will be done to businesses that need to be revived, for example?

Post-COVID-19 religion should exist purposely to advance the well-being of society, services to humanity as a way of worship to God. Prioritize supporting causes that are progressive, humane and reaching to everyone regardless of their inherent belief system. If this COVID-19 wave will pass without the world feeling the impact of religious organizations, then they would have missed an opportunity to show the world that God is working through us.

Authored by Daima Trust Team: James, Seth and Lucy

Twitter: @GichukiJM, @seth_jaoko @LucyGichuki10