At dawn on Sunday 12th October 2014, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, arrived in Nairobi for a pastoral visit to the Holy Metropolis of Kenya.
His Beatitude was met at the airport by His Eminence Makarios Metropolitan of Kenya, the Ambassadors of Greece and Egypt, African Priests, and other state officials. During the day the Patriarch had lengthy collaboration with the local Metropolitan. His Eminence Makarios briefed the Alexandrian Primate on the progress of the works of the Orthodox Church of Kenya.
On Monday 13th October, His Beatitude visited the district of Kibira, which is the second largest shanty town in the world following the slums of Brazil. There he venerated at the Holy Church of St George and then went on a conducted tour of the nursery school, the primary school and the clinic which operate under the supervision of the Metropolis. The priest, the teachers and pupils of the Orthodox Schools welcomed the Patriarch with traditional dances and songs. His Beatitude emotionally thanked everyone for the warm welcome and gave all the children icons and sweets.
The Patriarch then went on to visit the orphanage which was recently built in the Gutli area which borders the shanty town and which used to host residence of the Metropolitans of Kenya. He was shown the ultramodern building complex and the technical school which is under construction and which includes a hostel and an academy.
He then went on to visit the districts of Kwangware, Rironi and Kirito and was shown the Orthodox primary schools and nursery schools and gave the children stationery.
In Kirito he also visited the hospital of the Annunciation of the Theotokos, of the same Parish name, greeted all the patients one by one and then in the area of Rironi he visited the St Eleftherios spiritual centre which is under construction. The children there sang the Patriarch’s hymn in Greek. It is worth noting that all the teachers of the Orthodox Schools are graduates of the Patriarchal Academy “Archbishop Makarios III” and the majority of the children are orphans. His Beatitude was briefed on the prospect of building orphanages next to each school for the children who walk 5 to 10 kilometres to reach school, while at all the Orthodox schools free meals are given daily.
His Beatitude is being accompanied on this trip by Their Eminence George of Guinea, Gregory of Cameroon and Fr. Athenodoros Papaevripiades.
