Burnout and Renewal: A Journey Through Peace Work
Beginnings in Peace Work Burnout is not something that happens overnight. It builds slowly, almost invisibly, as one pours heart and energy into work that feels too important to step away from. Looking back, I now see how my own journey into peacebuilding began with both promise and peril. In 1995, I joined the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) as a support officer in Eldoret. At first, my duties were simple: handling logistics, finance, and data management. But peace work in Kenya during the 1990s was no ordinary assignment. Almost immediately, I found myself accompanying staff into volatile regions—places scarred by political violence, cattle raids, and community strife. Our field trips took us to the Uasin Gishu and Kisumu/Nandi border areas, Turkana, West Pokot, Marakwet, and Laikipia. My role quickly shifted from office-based support to the frontline distribution of relief food for communities devastated by conflict and drought. Those early days were eye-opening. I...