ACWECA: Getting the Feel 18th ACWECA Plenary Assembly
From Left AOSK Secretary General Sr Pasilisa and ACWECA Secretary General Sr. Hellen
Sr. Grace Candiru, MSMMC
Four days in the 18th ACWECA Plenary Assembly, Sisters and invited guests to ACWECA’s first ever virtual plenary assembly are in awe.
For Sr. Theresia Buretta who said it was her first time to use Zoom, the idea of this working didn’t occur to her.
“At first I was worried and I wondered what would happen because it was going to be my first time communicating through Zoom,” she recalled.
Three days into the plenary sessions when this interview took place, she was in awe. She said she was very pleased with the sessions which were given with great care.
And ACWECA President Sr. Cecilia Njeri’s fears concerning the efficiency of Zoom conferencing were no different from Sr. Buretta’s.
“My greatest fear was internet and I constantly kept on thinking of its efficiency for such a session,” she said.
But she is now surprised that so far all is going on smoothly. Sister Cecilia said the theme of the Assembly: “Re-awaken our prophetic role: A call for Reformation towards Holistic transformation in the Region Today”, is relevant, and has challenged the Sisters in the region to embrace and live out the resolutions of the Assembly.
“If we re-awaken that prophetic role within each one of us, Religious life will be more meaningful,” she confidently said.
She noted that the topics of the Assembly were all linked to the theme, and therefore challenged the Sisters to take on their role of being prophets seriously.
“But what has totally impressed the ACWECA President is the feeling that the theme of the 18th ACWECA Plenary Assembly is in line with the wishes of Pope Francis. Knowing that the theme of our Assembly is in line with Pope Francis’ wishes is very satisfying,” she noted.Commenting on the key presenters, Sr. Cecilia Njeri observed that they were all well researched and knowledgeable on the topics they handled.
“What they presented and the way they presented them made it all fruitful,” said Sr. Cecilia who is the Superior General of the Little Sisters of St. Francis in Uganda.
The Association of Sisterhoods of Kenya (AOSK) Chairperson, Sr. Josephine Kangogo could not agree more.
“Not many people are conversant with this technology and you know internet can mess you up big time,” she said.
Sister Josephine also appreciates the topics that have been covered, saying they were very relevant and that they speak directly to theme as Superiors and as Congregations.
She recalled that when they were talking of doing the plenary assembly online, many people wondered how this would work. She now appreciates what is going on.
“We are here in Nairobi but we are connected to Rome, the US and everyone who is participating in this Plenary Assembly,” she joyfully said adding that when His Eminence Joáo Braz Cardinal de Aviz was speaking from Rome, I felt one with the Church.
And for the ACWECA Secretary General Sr. Hellen Bandho who has literally been at the driving seat of organising the 18th ACWECA Plenary Assembly, the feeling of uncertainty couldn’t be worse. Connectivity was her greatest fear not only from Kenya where the Assembly was to be coordinated from but also for the Council of Delegates throughout the Region.
“I feared we would have less than 100 participants attending the Plenary Assembly,” she recalled of her fears.
But just for records, the numbers of participants attending have ranged from between 170 and 178 since the beginning of the Assembly on Monday, 23rd August 2021, to date. And based and the records of the communication team covering the Assembly, the level of participation has been very high. Compiled pages of chats have come to between 19 and 25 pages, besides those who are given chance to speak directly.
Meanwhile, many of the cooperating partners who presented solidarity messages also appreciate the progress the Assembly has made so far, and the AMECEA Secretary General Fr. Anthony Makunde was one of those who spoke to the news team.
“I admire the commitment of the delegates, which I think is very commendable,” he said, adding that he was impressed by some delegates who reported that they were following the sessions from their cell phones.
“Not everybody has the luxury of owning personal computers but the commitment of some Sisters to use their phones to follow the sessions was quite impressive,” he observed.
Fr Makunde also took note of the sisters’ direct contributions and chats which he said were very clear and seemed to come from their hearts.
And owing to the success of the Zoom conferencing technology that has made such meetings possible, he said it was now clear that there is no turning back.
“With or without Covid,19 we are not going back,” he said.
His premise is that there will be more virtual meetings than on site ones and according to him, virtual meetings save time, cost and that one may not have to travel long distances to participate in important forums.
He was quick though to note the missing human touch and interactions.
“There is no substitute to direct human touch and interaction because we are social beings,” he observed.
And former ACWECA Secretary General Sr. Eneless Chimbali could not agree more. “I am missing the participants’ interaction, which is very fruitful because they learn a lot in those interactions that often take place during breaks. She, however, said she was happy that ACWECA and the hosting country Kenya put in much effort to make this Assembly possible.
“This platform is giving us a new normal but this cannot surpass in-person meetings and it is my prayer and hope that the next assembly will be in-person,” Sr. Eneless said.
A Kenyan Sister Alice Wambui re-echoed Sr. Eneless’ sentiments saying, “The physical interaction is missing but we can understand the situation,” she said, adding that the assembly was well organised and up to her expectations. She also lauded the choice of the presenters.
Meanwhile, a Daughters of Mary and Joseph Sister from Uganda who only identified herself as Sr. Grace too said she missed the physical interactions but that the sharing and presentations were superb.
On her part, Sr. Rosemary Mwaiwa of the Daughters of St. Paul, (FSP) who is currently based in Kenya, says she particularly appreciates the presentations.
“The selection of the presenters was well done, the program was well organised and the ICT team worked hard to make sure that we are at ease being online,” she said.
Another participant from Uganda, Sr. Grace Aciro Otto began by giving her positive experiences thus far.
“My positive experience is that the facilitators, topics, rapporteurs and moderators were well chosen and so far, so good. The presentations are very enriching, I feel empowered,” she said.
She too acknowledged that she initially had two major fears. “When we were invited to this 18th ACWECA Plenary Assembly, I had two fears: interference due to poor network and the number being too big, therefore controlling the assembly could prove to be a challenge,” Sr. Grace who is also the Superior General of the Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate of Gulu recalled.
She now confesses that the good and stable connections and coordination of the ICT team allayed her fears.
And the Kenyan Nazareth Sisters of the Annunciation Sister Rufina Mutea, is appreciative that they were able to have the Assembly.
“Despite the fear of not being able to interact well in this kind of forum, I appreciate that holding the assembly virtually has brought many of us together and strengthened our bond as one family of God,” she said.
She said she appreciates the organizers for work well-done, the speakers for very enriching and inspiring inputs, and the various reports that have helped them to learn from each other and to grow together.
While nearly all delegates interviewed acknowledge the missing social links and interactions, they nevertheless appreciated that the assembly has taken place.
And from the side of the Communication team who are doing the coverage of the Plenary Assembly, they observed that the sessions were highly interactive. Despite the limited time for verbal interactions, the Sisters ably used the chat and their comments ranged from words of encouragement, to others seeking clarifications.
On the whole, many participants used the platform to appreciate the works done by all those involved in the 18th ACWECA Plenary Assembly.
