{"id":12237,"date":"2020-07-15T08:09:28","date_gmt":"2020-07-15T12:09:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/?p=12237"},"modified":"2020-07-15T08:33:45","modified_gmt":"2020-07-15T12:33:45","slug":"kenya-awards-a-daughter-of-charity-who-feeds-street-children-during-the-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/kenya-awards-a-daughter-of-charity-who-feeds-street-children-during-the-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"Kenya Awards a Daughter of Charity who Feeds Street Children During the Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"
NAIROBI:\u00a0<\/strong> Sr. Winnie Mutuku was serving late lunch to 14 street boys inside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Heart compound of the Diocese of Kitale in the western part of Kenya when she received an unfamiliar call from a friend.<\/p>\n
For a moment, the member of Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent De Paul stood transfixed in one place and listened to a congratulatory message from someone who introduced himself as an official in the\u00a0Ministry of Labour and Social Protection in the country\u2019s capital, Nairobi.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe called and told me, \u2018congratulations Sister Winnie. You have just been accorded a state commendation by President Uhuru Kenyatta for your service during the COVID-19 pandemic.\u2019 It must have been a few minutes to 3 p.m.,\u201d recalls Sr. Winnie in an interview with ACI Africa Tuesday, June 2.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The government official then forwarded her a screenshot of a list that had had 68 names of Kenyans who had demonstrated leadership during the pandemic. She was at position 56 on a list that had names of doctors, nurses, journalists and other people from different professions who had been accorded the Presidential Order of Service, Uzalendo Award.<\/p>\n
President Kenyatta made the announcement on Monday, June 1 when Kenya marked its 57th<\/sup>\u00a0Madaraka day celebration to commemorate the day, in 1963, when the country attained independence after decades of colonization.<\/p>\n
The President said the award was in recognition of distinguished and outstanding service to Kenya in helping steer the country through the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo recognize and honor those Kenyans who have exhibited exemplary service, sacrifice, patriotism, heroism and high sense of civic duty in helping steer Kenya through the current Pandemic; and on behalf of an eternally grateful Nation, I have on this 1st<\/sup>\u00a0Day of June, 2020 issued an Executive Order establishing a new National Award and State Commendation – The Presidential Order of Service \u2013 Uzalendo Award,\u201d President Kenyatta said in the virtual celebration that was broadcast from State House in Kenya\u2019s capital, Nairobi.<\/p>\n
He added, \u201cThe names of the inaugural recipients of this high National Honour have been published in a Special Issue of the Kenya Gazette dedicated to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
What followed was a chain of congratulatory messages that flooded Sr. Winnie\u2019s mobile phone even as she tried to concentrate on the street boys.<\/p>\n
\u201cI usually allow the boys to have fun after the meal and to dance to some music, which I play from my mobile phone. I didn\u2019t have the time to reply to any of the congratulatory messages as the boys were already begging me to play the music,\u201d says Sr. Winnie.<\/p>\n