Abstract:
The Borana MBB women are converts from Islam to Christianity. The Borana
in Nairobi originated from Isiolo, Moyale and Marsabit. Some of them have lived in
Nairobi all their lives though their parents migrated from the rural area. The Borana
are part of the wider Oromo people group. The dominant religion among the Borana
is Islam but there are also minority Christians among them. This study is an attempt to
understand the conversion process of the Borana MBB women living in Nairobi. It
applies Rambo's model of understanding conversion with regard to the experiences of
these women. The changes resulting from the conversion are also examined.
This study employs the ethnographic research method to gain insight into the
experiences of the Borana MBB women. Being a phenomenon that touches human
behavior, the research has preferred this anthropological research method in order to
establish what cannot be studied scientifically. For better understanding of this
complex phenomenon, the study has used Kraft's worldview theory of relationships as
the running theme together with Love's concepts of 'encounters'.
Through the findings of this study, it has been established that the Borana
MBB women mostly came to Christ after they faced some form of crisis in their lives
at the personal, social and the supematurallevels. The agent who left the greatest
impact in the life of the informant is the one who came into their life at the point of
crisis. Power encounter greatly contributed to conversion through healing and
deliverance from evil spirits. Upon conversion, the convert came not only to Christ
but also to the body of Christ, the church. This called for a smooth transition that
could reduce 'culture shock' to the new convert as was often experienced.
Recommendations are made out of the findings with proposals that can be
applied in ministry to the Borana Muslim women in particular and Muslims in
general. There is need for better understanding of the specific needs of Muslim
women in order to reach them better with the gospel of Christ. The MBB should be
empowered to become an agent of the gospel of Christ in his family and community
at large. This will only happen if she has proper follow up and sound discipleship that
can strengthen the new convert.
