KENYA: ASEC launches Book – ‘Transformation Partnership’
On the occasion of World Day for Consecrated Life, which was celebrated on February 2nd, the African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC) launched a book titled, Transformative Partnerships: Role of Agencies, Foundations, Institutions in Promoting Strategic Social and Sustainable Change for Women Religious in Africa, edited by Sr. Jane Wakahiu LSOSF, who is the Director of the Catholic Sisters Initiative at Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
According to ASEC Regional Director Sr. Lina Wanjiku, the book documents various collaborations and partnership of Sisters as well as their leadership training programs and the important role of spirituality in empowering Sisters. It offers a significant contribution to the understanding of the strategic role of Catholic Sisters in Africa.
According to Sr. Patricia Murray, IBVM, Executive Secretary of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) in Rome, the book highlights a significant change that has happened within the
Catholic Church during the past decades which has resulted to an increased emphasis on developing creative partnership both within the Church and with men/women of good will; a call to develop a spirituality that responds to the cry of the earth the cry of the poor; a need for new type of leadership, new culture and organization models crucial for systematic and sustainable change and last but not least a clear call within the Church to establish new bridges of collaboration and solidarity across religious congregations and with faith-based and humanitarian organizations.
The book is divided into four parts which explore various engagements of Sisters as they contribute to the general work of evangelization as well as holistic integral human development. The four parts include Collaboration; Women Religious Leadership Development and Education; Spirituality, Religious Life and Christian Commitment and, finally, Institutional and Ministerial Case Studies.
According to the book editor, transformative partnership provides an opportunity to share various stories on religious life as lived in Africa. “To help amplify and foster visibility of women religious and to understand the journeys, collaborations and how women Religious are impacting communities in Africa, research and publications are important facets to disseminate the stories and impacts of the work of sisters,” Sr. Wakahiu explained, adding that research articles provide documentation to learn on what works in Sisters’ ministries and partnerships is necessary to create social change in Africa.
Rev. Fr. Stephen Mbugua, PhD, Vice Chancellor of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) who was the chief guest at the book launch held in Nairobi said that books are a good repository of knowledge, experience and life styles. They also form a basis for future reference and evaluation or benchmarking.
“This book provides evidence of the work done by the Sisters in the transformative partnership. It also explains the collaborations in the field of pastoral ministry within the Religious institutions and dioceses,” Fr. Mbugua said adding that in order to generate transformation within people’s the agents of such process must be transformed.
“They must have internal and intra-personal skills. They need critical skills that change the cognitive and affective processes that generate change. The book being launched has provided evidence of how the Conrad Hilton Foundation has provided such holistic approach to empowerment of internal capacities that include spiritual, academic, and psychological skill development and preparedness as agents of transformation,” Fr. Mbugua observed.
The book has been published by Pauline’s Publication Africa and can be bought through their ecommerce website as well as at the Catholic Bookshops run by the Daughters of St Paul.
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By Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Online News
