Houses of study

Introduction
Our Postulancy is situated in Ongata Rongai, approximately 30 kilometres from Nairobi city centre.
This relatively small town reproduces in smaller scale all the contradictions of Nairobi: the very poor people co-existing with the extremely rich ones, different religions and Christian denominations rubbing each others' shoulders, in a melting pot of diverse ethnic groups coming from different parts of the Country and of Africa. The Postulancy was built in 1983 within the precincts of our Comboni Parish.
In the academic year 2006-2009 there are 18 postulants: 8 in the first year, 6 in the second and 4 the third year.

Formators
The formators have usually 'official' and planned meetings: monthly, to discuss possible problems arising from day-to-day life in the Postulancy; every three months, to revise and adjust programmes of catechesis, discuss problems arising from the community of the Postulancy and assess each postulant; at the beginning of the academic year, to program catechesis, inputs, seminars, formative colloquies; at the end of the academic year, to finally assess each postulant, especially those leaving for the noviciate, and evaluate the previous year.

Postulancy
The three-year Postulancy period has the objective, as it were, to discern the candidate's desire to become Comboni missionary and to help him reach a free and responsible choice. This implies that the postulant is helped to build a realistic self-knowledge and self-acceptance, and is given the opportunity to be in closer contact with the life, values and ideals of Comboni and the Comboni missionaries'

Pastoral Commitments
All the postulants have different activities in the parish, in whose precinct the Postulancy is built. The fact that the parish is run by Comboni Missionaries, helps the postulants, on one side, to be in closer contact with the Comboni missionaries' life and work and, on the other, it facilitates the postulants' insertion in the activities of the parish. The activities are usually carried out on Sunday. Beside teaching catechism and Sunday school classes, joining the Y.C.S. in the nearby Secondary School and the youth group in the parish-each postulant is attending the meeting in one of the Small Christian Communities: this helps the young man not to lose sight of the life and the daily struggle of the people and to actually test his ideals and values vis a vis the challenges and the questions of adult people.
Between the holidays of the second and the third year, the student is spending two months in one of the missions. It is a time for him to experience and share the life and the activities of the Comboni missionaries in order to better clarify his vocation and, important to underline, to have a deeper knowledge of their Province of origin (many of our candidates do not come from a Comboni parish: out of 18 Kenyan postulants, only 2 come from our missions).

Community Life
The style of interaction of the postulant with the various members of the community, the way in which he is able to elaborate conflicts and frustrations, his availability and constancy in manual work and commitments, his energy to pursue an objective of personal and community value without losing courage -are all elements for a more realistic assessment of the candidate. For this reason a community of 18 postulants seems to be more conducive for a healthier and deeper contact among the various members and, for the formator, it gives the possibility to 'see' the postulant in his daily life.

Comboni Brothers
The Comboni Missionary brother is a layman with a profession, and he is consecrated to God for the service of his brothers, evangelising people with his practical work. He follows:
A life characterised bay action and prayer

• He serves the people, sharing with them sweat and work
• With his human and professional service he contributes to restoration of life and overcoming of the power of death manifested in human sufferings
• He makes present the kingdom of God healing with his efforts the wounds caused by injustice sickness, poverty and underdevelopment. Therefore he works for human promotion

The type of works done by the Comboni Brothers varies according to their capabilities and the need of the missions. Some are Builders, carpenters, mechanics, painters administrators, others are doctors, nurses, teachers and catechists. Generosity, availability, humility, adaptability, prayer and imagination continue to be the main features of the Comboni Missionary brothers.

Identity of the Comboni Brother Centre Nairobi
“ Our Comboni identity consist right from the beginning in taking up God’s initiatives as Comboni did . In letting ourselves be consecrated by the Father with the gift of the spirit and in awareness of being sent by him for the service of the Gospel. We find in the pierced Heart of Christ the Good shepherd the model, the source and the power to give our lives to the poorest of the poor”( Chapter Acts 2003 n. 53)

Basic Characteristics
The community of the Comboni Brothers’ Centre gathers Comboni Missionaries at the last stage of their basic formation. It has several important characteristics

Social Ministry
The last stage of our basic formation focuses on ministerial education opening to the first missionary experience.

Human & Spiritual Growth
We commit ourselves to attaining a deeper sense of identity and belonging the Comboni family. We also aim at developing our personal growth projects an incarnated spirituality and capacity for collaborating in mission.

Brothers and Scholastics spend a period of one year to learn English to obtain the required Certificate for studying at Tangaza College. Upon completion of the language studies, the Scholastics join the Nairobi Scholasticate and Theology where the Brothers attend the course of Social Ministry in Mission.

The Brothers beside the scientific education received in Tangaza we are dedicated to our weekly apostolate. This practice is an essential part of our ministerial training, focusing on faith and human growth in all spheres.