ACWECA Sisters Training

Tapona Foundation with the Miller Centre for Social Entrepreneurship recently partnered with the Association of Consecrated Women of Eastern and Central Africa under the Sister’s Blended Value Project to empower sisters in their entrepreneurship journey. The training was held at the Association of Consecrated Women in East and Central Africa (ACWECA) Secretariat, Rongai in Kenya.

The sisters were drawn from five congregations within Kenya. The training was attended by the Benedictine Sisters of Divine Providence, Franciscan of Elizabethan, Missionary Benedictine of Tutzing, Handmaids of the Holy Child of Jesus, and Daughters of the Sacred Heart. This was done under the Sister’s Blended Values Project.

The Sisters’ Blended Values Project (SBVP) provides practical, hands-on learning experiences, apprenticeships with local social enterprises, and mentoring in social entrepreneurship for Catholic sisters. This enables them to transform their congregations into social enterprises, with a special focus on women and youth.

‘This training will be instrumental in improving our business approach by a long shot’, said Sr. Scholastica, from the Handmaids of The Holy Child Jesus.

‘It will help us manage and effectively carry out financials as well as monitor how our business projects are running and growing. It will also give us a plan for growth and expansion from the start’, she added.

Sisters Blended Value Project Coordinator, Sister Celestine Nasiali of Oblates of the Assumption (OA) said she is optimistic that the training will help improve the businesses and highlight their social entrepreneurial skills.

The initiative is aimed at strengthening collaboration and networking with like minded institutions within the region and beyond to support Catholic Sisters to build up their vision, ministry, infrastructure and committed personnel. This will help to enhance their ability in social entrepreneurship while strengthening their organizational sustainability and profile among the people they serve.

Sr. Stella Kanyunyuzi, who is the association’s incoming finance officer, thanked Tapona Foundation for sharing knowledge with sisters, saying that they  will strive to implement and put into practice what they have learnt during the training. 

“We will continue working on our business plan, implement our projects, sensitize other religious women about ACWECA and the activities that they carry out and give feedback to our sisters in different communities especially our administrators,” she said.

She also added that the sisters were now empowered in their evangelization, and that they would use the opportunity to enhance their outreach and make a lasting impact in their communities.