Marie-Anne Danataya Laurence, a Bachelor of Commerce student at Strathmore University had the privilege of shaking hands with Pope Benedict XVI during his audience on 31st March at St Peter's Square. Marie-Anne was in Rome for the UNIV Congress.

"I was chosen from a group of students to be the one to go up and greet the Pope. The experience was a mixture of emotions. It was great, fantastic, exciting, and nervy all at once," she related.

Had she even dreamed of meeting the Pope when she set out to Rome? No. "I knew I would see the Pope but I didn't think it would be close range, forget shaking hands with him," she said.

In her short audience with the Holy Father, Marie-Anne told him that Kenya loves him. She asked him to pray for the country's constitutional review process since the issue of abortion was on the cards. And he said he would!

All she had when she was going to meet the Holy Father was a bunch of rosaries which she was to ask him to bless. But she thought she ought to give him something. She remembered she had a bracelet and she graciously offered it to the Pope. The Pope in turn gave her a rosary which she says is making rounds among family and friends.