Nairobi Students Champion Interfaith Understanding Through Service » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 29 – Kenya’s religious landscape is one of quiet complexity. Churches line city blocks, mosques echo above the hum of matatus, Hindu temples nestle between office buildings, and indigenous shrines are scattered across urban and rural spaces. From Christianity and Islam to Hinduism, Jainism, and African traditional beliefs, Nairobi reflects a deeply rooted tapestry of spiritual diversity.

Amid this vibrant cultural mosaic, a group of high school students from the American School of Kenya is taking an active role in promoting understanding and unity. Through the Cultural and Religious Inclusion Initiative (CRII), these students are on a mission to explore, honour, and serve the many faith communities across Nairobi.

CRII is a student-led club that blends learning with service. Its approach is simple yet impactful: engage with religious communities, listen to their stories, and offer tangible support. While CRII organises book drives and produces educational content to promote interfaith awareness, its core focus remains the in-person service visits to religious institutions.

In early 2024, CRII visited the Hare Krishna Temple in Ngara, where students explored the community’s focus on devotion and service. They donated food supplies to support the temple’s kitchen, which serves thousands of free meals each week.

Later that year, the group visited ACK Christ Church in Westlands, where they took part in conversations on faith and outreach. The students also contributed school supplies to the church’s “Kids to Kids” programme, which supports underprivileged children through education.

“It showed us how service is central to faith across traditions,” said one student volunteer.

In 2025, CRII deepened its exploration with a visit to the Jain Shwetamber Munisuvratswami Temple in Parklands. There, students learned about the Jain principles of non-violence and simplicity, and supported the temple’s community initiatives through a donation to its general fund.

Most recently, the students attended the open house of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple on Wayaki Way. They toured the sacred space and engaged in discussions on the role of family, service, and sacred spaces in Latter-day Saint belief.

As CRII looks ahead to future service visits and student-led interfaith dialogues, its guiding philosophy remains rooted in action over theory: building understanding through presence, and cultivating respect through meaningful connection.

In a city defined by its diversity, CRII is not just recognising that diversity—it’s reaching out to serve it.