First Kenyan Friend for Quaker PhD
'Over one third of all Quakers live in Kenya but the scholarship is very limited and there has been nothing much written about how it is for Quakers there today.'
A Kenyan Friend is undertaking research into the history of African Quakerism, in what Woodbrooke describes as ‘important work’ in hearing ‘African voices about African experiences’.
Oscar Lugusa Malande is the first Kenyan student to enter the Quaker Studies PhD programme at Woodbrooke.
Ben Pink Dandelion, programme leader at Woodbrooke, said ‘his research will redress the imbalance of scholars from the global north talking about Quakerism whilst other voices are rarely heard. His analysis will also give an indigenous view of the history and reality of Quakerism in Kenya as it moves away from its colonial beginnings…This is a very unusual and positive moment… Over one third of all Quakers live in Kenya but the scholarship is very limited and there has been nothing much written about how it is for Quakers there today. Oscar’s project will change all that.’
So far, the student, who recently completed an MA at Earlham School of Religion, has raised the approximate £18,000 per annum charged by Birmingham University and is within £5,000 of his target for this year. He is now crowdfunding for the remainder at www.qsra.org/donations.html.
