English
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For a “today” that builds tomorrow
Olga Marlin was born in New York City (U.S.A.) in 1934. Her parents –Ervin Ross Marlin and Hilda van Stockum- travelled a lot with their six children, as her father worked with the United Nations. She went to primary school in Washington D.C. and after that to high school in Montreal (Canada) where her family had moved in 1946. After that they went to Dublin where she studied in Trinity College obtaining a Masters Degree in Modern Languages, and later a Higher Diploma in education at University College.
In 1960, when she was 25 years old Olga left her family and the comforts of Europe to settle in Kenya, where she was to contribute to the development of African women. This was at the request of Saint Josemaria who had invited her and other young professional women of Opus Dei to go there and find ways to contribute to the colossal work of education opening out in that country. They were to be one more with the people of the country and to love the Africans very much, as they had suffered so much throughout history. “There is only one race -saint Josemaria would repeat time and again- the race of the children of God.”
Thus was born Kianda College –a secretarial college in Nairobi for girls of all races and religions- which has had a profound effect on many parts of the African continent.
“To Africa with a Dream”
-25 years old, well established with a promising career and a bright future; and Saint Josemaria invites you to relocate to Africa. Why did you accept? Was it out of youth and an adventurous spirit?
I accepted because on the one hand I had a vocation to teach (I had discovered it when I was nine years old!) and it made me happy to go and teach Africans, and on the other the confidence St. Josemaria showed in us moved me not to want to let him down. He was fully convinced that we would be faithful and do a great work in the service of God, the Church and souls. His only concern was that we keep close to God through the practices of piety he had recommended; the rest would follow. With this conviction the eight of us set out: two teachers like me, a secretary, a nurse and three professionals in hospitality.
-Looking back over the years, has that invitation surpassed your expectations? If so, why?
When we arrived to Nairobi in 1960, Kenya was an English Colony, and the races were strictly segregated: residence, schools, public transport, etc. were divided into European, Indian and African. However, St. Josemaria had impressed upon us that the educational institutions we were to start had to fulfill four conditions: they must be multiracial, open to all religions, clearlynon-missionary but rather a work of professional people, and something should be charged, even if very little, because one doesn´t appreciate what is given free.
We soon found out that the best option was to start with a secretarial school, so I went to speak with the principal of the best secretarial school in Nairobi (for Europeans). She very kindly helped me, but when she learned that we were thinking of admitting African girls she couldn´t believe it. “What?” she exclaimed, “they don´t know English! They can never learn shorthand or typewriting!..” I went away feeling a bit deflated, but knowing at the same time that we would go ahead… Experience showed that the African girls learned extremely well and were able to take up responsible jobs that brought good salaries with which they helped to raise the living standard of their families. Kianda Secretarial College has more than 7,000 past students of 43 nationalities including 27 countries of Africa. The same is now happening with the other institutions we started: Kianda School, Kimlea Technical School, Kibondeni College of hospitality, and lately Tewa at the Coast, where there is the highest rate of illiteracy in Kenya; we have discovered that the students there are eager to learn and absorb everything.
-You were one of the promoters of Kianda Foundation, a non-profit organization established in 1961 for the educational, social and spiritual development of women in Kenya. What were the difficulties you came across in doing this work?
The first difficulties arose when we tried to put into effect the four conditions SaintJosemaria had set for us and that turned out to be so fitting. We had started giving classes in our home, which was necessarily rented in a European area, but had to move house in order to be able to admit girls from other races. Then we had to encourage them to mix which they had never done before. Over time the friendships formed have been a source of great joy. Also, the fact that professional women who were not missionaries started an educational project in the country was a new phenomenon and took time to be understood.
-If you were to indicate a “recipe” learned from St. Josemaria for overcoming difficulties, what word would you use?
Loyalty and optimism.
An overview of today
In just a few decades many significant transformations have taken place in the history of Kenya: cultural, governmental, in the Church…Could you highlight some of the features you now see, with the perspective of years?
From the first we noticed the importance that the family has in Africa, the “extended family” which includes grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins… a child can never be an “orphan”, because he belongs to the clan. These strong bonds are being threatened by a western culture which is greatly influencing the youth, and the challenge is to help strengthen them by supporting the family through education.
During the more than fifty years that I have been in Kenya, the government has gone through various stages: from the traditional government of chiefs and colonization to a democracy which has been largely imposed from outside and still does not function as such. Those in government have yet to assimilate in practice the concept of nation.
-Did you realize that the “today, now” you learned from Saint Josemaria was to have a decisive influence on the development of the country and the benefit of so many people? What would you advise other people who are working for the development of their own country and still don´t see the fruits?
From Kianda Foundation we are clearly aware of the “today, now” in the sense that we have always tried to meet the needs of the moment and to be up to date on these. Fifty years ago there was no sign that an educational project could be started at the Coast where people were living the life of time immemorial. Nevertheless, Tewa is now opening up new horizons where Christian families will spring up with a certain standard of living as has already happened in Kimlea among the tea plantations.
When so many families were displaced during the 2008 elections, Kimlea offered classes for women and girls from refugee camps near Limuru, and Kianda Foundation sourced for funds to buy land and build houses for more than 100 displaced families who have been working to return little by little the amount lent. Kianda Foundation was able to obtain these loans thanks to a credibility acquired after fifty years of transparent functioning at the service of the African woman.
I would advise other people who work in the development of their country to be alive to the needs of the moment that can vary very much from one country to another. One has to be creative in opening up new initiatives.
In the “school of a saint”
-You met St. Josemaria and worked with him. What would you highlight about his way of working and his life?
First of all, I learned teamwork at government level. “Four eyes see more than two”, he would say, and he taught us to value and foster the contribution of others. Although we were very young, Saint Josemaria listened to us and paid attention to what we said; he trusted us and that gave us wings.
Saint Josemaria infected us with his faith. In 1960 he proposed eight young women to go to Kenya and another eight to Japan. At that time it was unheard of for people to travel to such far countries, but he told us; “We are going to Japan, we are going to Kenya, to look for souls for Jesus Christ…”
-Did he ever correct you? Why did he correct?
Saint Josemaria corrected out of a sense of responsibility. He knew that he had received of a message that God gave him to transmit to us, and he couldn´t alter it. At the same time he corrected out of the affection he felt for everyone. He would repeat: “I love you, but I want you to be holy”. He never corrected me directly, but to tell you the truth, at times I wished that he would, because of the confidence he showed in the person corrected.
-At the end of the day, in 1960 Saint Josemaria was only a 58 year old Spanish priest. Why did you trust him so much? Why would you listen to him?
Overlooking his age and origin, Saint Josemaria was the Founder of Opus Dei and he was our Father. From him we received the spirit of God and the care of a great father of a family. How were we not going to trust him?
Three generations of the Nyalita Family, 2011
In 1960, when she was 25 years old Olga left her family and the comforts of Europe to settle in Kenya, where she was to contribute to the development of African women. This was at the request of Saint Josemaria who had invited her and other young professional women of Opus Dei to go there and find ways to contribute to the colossal work of education opening out in that country. They were to be one more with the people of the country and to love the Africans very much, as they had suffered so much throughout history. “There is only one race -saint Josemaria would repeat time and again- the race of the children of God.”
Olga Marlin
“To Africa with a Dream”
-25 years old, well established with a promising career and a bright future; and Saint Josemaria invites you to relocate to Africa. Why did you accept? Was it out of youth and an adventurous spirit?
I accepted because on the one hand I had a vocation to teach (I had discovered it when I was nine years old!) and it made me happy to go and teach Africans, and on the other the confidence St. Josemaria showed in us moved me not to want to let him down. He was fully convinced that we would be faithful and do a great work in the service of God, the Church and souls. His only concern was that we keep close to God through the practices of piety he had recommended; the rest would follow. With this conviction the eight of us set out: two teachers like me, a secretary, a nurse and three professionals in hospitality.
Get together with the Father in Rome 1960s.
-Looking back over the years, has that invitation surpassed your expectations? If so, why?
When we arrived to Nairobi in 1960, Kenya was an English Colony, and the races were strictly segregated: residence, schools, public transport, etc. were divided into European, Indian and African. However, St. Josemaria had impressed upon us that the educational institutions we were to start had to fulfill four conditions: they must be multiracial, open to all religions, clearlynon-missionary but rather a work of professional people, and something should be charged, even if very little, because one doesn´t appreciate what is given free.
Students of French in Kianda College, 1966
-You were one of the promoters of Kianda Foundation, a non-profit organization established in 1961 for the educational, social and spiritual development of women in Kenya. What were the difficulties you came across in doing this work?
Mary and Olga with Mrs. Gichuru, Margaret Kenyatta other friends when they visited Strathmore, 1961
-If you were to indicate a “recipe” learned from St. Josemaria for overcoming difficulties, what word would you use?
Loyalty and optimism.
An overview of today
In just a few decades many significant transformations have taken place in the history of Kenya: cultural, governmental, in the Church…Could you highlight some of the features you now see, with the perspective of years?
From the first we noticed the importance that the family has in Africa, the “extended family” which includes grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins… a child can never be an “orphan”, because he belongs to the clan. These strong bonds are being threatened by a western culture which is greatly influencing the youth, and the challenge is to help strengthen them by supporting the family through education.
During the more than fifty years that I have been in Kenya, the government has gone through various stages: from the traditional government of chiefs and colonization to a democracy which has been largely imposed from outside and still does not function as such. Those in government have yet to assimilate in practice the concept of nation.
-Did you realize that the “today, now” you learned from Saint Josemaria was to have a decisive influence on the development of the country and the benefit of so many people? What would you advise other people who are working for the development of their own country and still don´t see the fruits?
Olga with Mary Kibera, welcoming President Daniel Arap Moi to Kianda, 1981
When so many families were displaced during the 2008 elections, Kimlea offered classes for women and girls from refugee camps near Limuru, and Kianda Foundation sourced for funds to buy land and build houses for more than 100 displaced families who have been working to return little by little the amount lent. Kianda Foundation was able to obtain these loans thanks to a credibility acquired after fifty years of transparent functioning at the service of the African woman.
I would advise other people who work in the development of their country to be alive to the needs of the moment that can vary very much from one country to another. One has to be creative in opening up new initiatives.
To Africa with a Dream, by Olga Marlin
-You met St. Josemaria and worked with him. What would you highlight about his way of working and his life?
First of all, I learned teamwork at government level. “Four eyes see more than two”, he would say, and he taught us to value and foster the contribution of others. Although we were very young, Saint Josemaria listened to us and paid attention to what we said; he trusted us and that gave us wings.
Saint Josemaria infected us with his faith. In 1960 he proposed eight young women to go to Kenya and another eight to Japan. At that time it was unheard of for people to travel to such far countries, but he told us; “We are going to Japan, we are going to Kenya, to look for souls for Jesus Christ…”
-Did he ever correct you? Why did he correct?
Saint Josemaria corrected out of a sense of responsibility. He knew that he had received of a message that God gave him to transmit to us, and he couldn´t alter it. At the same time he corrected out of the affection he felt for everyone. He would repeat: “I love you, but I want you to be holy”. He never corrected me directly, but to tell you the truth, at times I wished that he would, because of the confidence he showed in the person corrected.
Rome 1968 - The Father with Mary Mumbua and Florence Auma
-At the end of the day, in 1960 Saint Josemaria was only a 58 year old Spanish priest. Why did you trust him so much? Why would you listen to him?
Overlooking his age and origin, Saint Josemaria was the Founder of Opus Dei and he was our Father. From him we received the spirit of God and the care of a great father of a family. How were we not going to trust him?
Documentation
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List of Contents
- Magnanimity, faith, and “madness”
- For a “today” that builds tomorrow
- A real passion for making Jesus Christ known
- God is my Father!
- Opus Dei’s First Steps in Madrid
- St Josemaria Escriva in Madrid: the founding of Opus Dei
- St Josemaria’s final moments
- Saint Josemaría’s love for the Eucharist
- January 1938, from Burgos, Spain: "If you need me, just call me"
- Tracing the history of the Church in the footsteps of St Josemaría
Prayer
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