Operating outside the bureaucracy of Kenya's formal shelter system, at least 10 Catholic convents across Kenya have turned their peaceful residences into informal safe havens for domestic abuse survivors.

To help the children of incarcerated women, Catholic sisters provide parish-based homes or support to existing guardianships, keeping siblings together and preserving the connection between imprisoned mothers and their children.

Across northern and eastern Kenya, prolonged droughts have stretched for years, and communities are forced to move constantly in search of water and pasture. For pregnant women, the consequences are severe.

The Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary have shaped Nazareth Hospital, which began as a tiny dispensary and now offers a range of services, including maternity care, surgery, oncology and mobile clinics.

 The sisters' work had always been about care. But the climate crisis demanded a new approach. They were not just feeding bodies; they were nourishing souls.