ACWECA: Strategic Plan to Improve Coordination
Sr. Helen Kasaka, LSMI
The Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA), has said it is developing a five-year strategic plan to help the secretariat coordinate and promote its activities efficiently in the region.
“The ACWECA Secretary-General, Sr. Bridgita Samba of the Sisters of Saint Joseph said this on Thursday during the consultative strategic planning process which was held from 18th – 22nd April 2022 at the ACWECA Secretariat in Rongai Kenya where seven secretaries-general from seven out of the ten-member countries and ACWECA secretariat staff were in attendance. The strategic plan seeks to unveil the future for a new ACWECA that is ready to empower, coordinate and promote the activities in the region,” she said.
She said the process also evaluated the last strategic plan (2017 – 2022).
“This was a time that a lot was done in terms of developing policies that have given direction to ACWECA and defined its identity,” she said.
She further said that the strategic planning process, facilitated by the consultant, Peter Kiama, was consultative, with extensive consultations during the preparations of the plan to ensure it reflects both institutional and stakeholder aspirations and that it is fully owned by all stakeholders for easy implementation.
The Secretariat is expected to launch the Strategic Plan by the end of this year, 2022.
The General Secretary for the Association of Women Religious in Malawi (AWRIM), Sr Bernadette Mnyenyembe SHR, appreciated the fact that the process looked at the associations’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats at this time in history. This assessment she said puts ACWECA on track to plan its future.
Sr. Nadia Lazarus (SOC) the General Secretary of Ethiopia said ACWECA being a regional body needs to devise strategies to ensure all members are brought on board in all its programs, given the socio, economic, plus political challenges and environment within which member associations operate.
On her part, the ACWECA finance officer, Sr. Leonida Shimanyunya belonging to the sisters of Mary of Kakamega said it’s worth analysing what adds value to ACWECA. Analyse all our challenges in one docket, pick one or two depending on the weight of each that we shall be able to implement with results.
“The strategic plan we are developing is a document that will guide us toward achieving the ideal management body we want to be,” she said.
The Catholic Care for Children Program Manager for the Association of Sisterhoods of Kenya, Sr. Delvine Mukhwana of the Daughters of the Heart of Mary said the mission and vision of ACWECA and the programs it has and what it is planning or preparing with the strategic plan is important and there are big dreams and that can only be attainable if all member associations will commit to it.
“It’s only now to fold our sleeves and remain focused and determined we are going to experience a deeper evangelizing that we desire to see because a deeper evangelizing is the impact that we want to see,” she added.
Speaking on behalf of the participants the ACWECA Justice and Peace Officer, Sr. Clara Mangwengwe of the Precious Blood Sisters appreciated the facilitator Mr. Peter for helping them to, assess, and reflect on what happened in the past five years.
“Thank you, Peter, for deepening our understanding of our region. We have actually plucked a leaf of knowledge of ACWECA through this process. You enlightened us, encouraged us, you helped us to participate to the best of our ability, to come to that point that which we were failing to pronounce ourselves. Reading in between the lines and assisting us, provoking us to really say what we want to achieve, “she said.
In his presentation on ‘Strategic Planning Process, Peter Kiama the consultant congratulated ACWECA members for embarking on this project and further challenged them to come up with a document that would be owned by the ACWECA association. He added that a strategic plan is expected to define clearly the drive of the organisation, establish realistic goals and objectives consistent with the organisation’s mission; provide a compass direction of the organization and a base from which progress could be measured, and establish a mechanism for informed change when needed.
Peter thanked ACWECA for the trust shown to him and his team and he promised to do his best to deliver on what is recommended by the organization as a unique platform.
Participants felt that the process which brought them together from their different countries was a great opportunity for them to meet and share experiences after Covid-19 pandemic.
The meeting was represented by secretaries’ general from the seven countries except for Eritrea, Sudan, and Zimbabwe.
