Josephine Gitome
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dr. Josephine W. Gìtome | |
|---|---|
| Born | Josephine Wanjirū Gìtome |
| Citizenship | Kenyan |
| Occupations | Lecturer. Academic researcher. Advocate for Refugee Education and Empowerment |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | Kenyatta University, University of Nairobi |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Refugee Education, Religion, Gender studies, Pastoral care, Faith and healthcare for Refugees, Youth Counseling and development, Maternal Healthcare, and Digital health solutions. |
| Institutions | Kenyatta University |
Josephine Wanjirū Gìtome is a Kenyan academic researcher and advocate for refugee education and empowerment. She was Director at the Centre for Refugee Studies and Empowerment from July 2012 to 2018, as well as director of the Regional Centre for Capacity Development at Kenyatta University (KU). Gìtome's scholarship and research projects focus on Education for refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), holistic youth development and counseling, informal maternal health, digital health solutions, and the integration of traditional indigenous methods in pastoral care.
Gìtome earned her PhD in Religious Studies from Kenyatta University in 2003.[1][2] She has a Master of Arts Degree in Religious Studies from the University of Nairobi (1989).[2] She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Religious Studies at the same university in 1986. In addition to her academic qualifications, she has obtained several professional certificates, including an Advanced Certificate in Higher Education in Emergencies from the University of Geneva; a Certificate in Training of Trainers on Integrating HIV/AIDS as a Social Issue into Tertiary-Level Curricula from the University of South Africa; and a Certificate in Advanced Leadership Seminar from the Haggai Institute in Maui.[3]
Career
Gìtome is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Kenyatta University, with a specialization in Church History and World Religions.[1][4][3] In 1989, Gìtome worked as a Juvenile Probation Officer with Kenya's Ministry of Home Affairs. She served as the Organizing Secretary for Puberty to Adulthood Camps Kenya (2004–2014), a program that empowers youths through mentorship and life skills during their transition into adulthood.[5] She also served as the acting director of the Centre for Capacity Development in Higher Education (2009) and Director of the Regional Center for Capacity Development (2011). Gitome coordinated the founding and establishment of the Centre for Refugee Studies & Empowerment at Kenyatta University (KU), where she oversaw the KU and Moi University Dadaab campuses (2012–2018).[3][6] In the same period, she was Kenyatta University's institutional coordinator for the Borderless Higher Education for Refugees (BHER) project in partnership with York University, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, Windle Trust Kenya, Danish Refugee Council, and the University of Geneva to expand educational access for refugees, nationals and United Nations staff working in the refugee camps.[1] She served as Director at the International Centre for Capacity Development (ICCD). She is a member of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians.[3]
