By Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
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| Participants during the workshop |
A workshop on resource mobilization for religious and members of non-profit organizations that has brought together some 83 participants from 17 religious congregations and nine different non-profit organizations, has focused on accountability as a key highlight for any organization to successfully realize its goals.
“You have to hold yourself accountable for your actions and that’s how we are going to protect (and) make our organization a success,” facilitator for the two-day workshop Sr. Consolata Aloo told participants drawn from approximately over six different nationalities on Thursday, February 27.
“Today’s smart leaders or managers know that they are operating in a fishbowl, where everything they do is on display,” Sr. Aloo the Executive Secretary for Catholic Scholarship Programme for Kenya (CSPK) told participants referring to accountability that is required in leadership.
Sr. Margaret Mutiso, Program Coordinator of The Leaders Guild (TLG) a leadership programme under the Centre for Leadership and Management (CLM), Tangaza University College (TUC) responsible for the two-day workshop said the training on resource mobilization is of relevance “because of the donor fatigue and other factors (hence) organizations have to learn alternative ways of mobilizing resources for sustainability.”
“We hope that by the end of the workshop they (participants) will have mastered the skills and also know how to write winning proposals,” Sr. Mutiso a member of the Daughters of Sacred Heart said in an interview.
Explaining further the significance of accountability in an organization, Sr. Aloo a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Anna (FSSA) said, “Accountability requires giving evidence on performance which includes right documentation and pictures that need to be shared with the stakeholders.”
“Accountability should be periodical for the management monitoring of the project execution,” Sr. Aloo who worked for nine years as the financial administrator and doubled as the project coordinator for the congregation said in an interview and added, “ For accountability one must be transparent, factual, practical clear and non-theoretical.”
Besides, the facilitator highlighted organizational decision making for an institute to remain accountable and transparent but discouraged personal decision making.
Sharing her impressions about the workshop as a participant, Mary Santrina Tumusiime said “I have appreciated the input by an experienced facilitator. This workshop is important since congregations need to have members trained for stewardship, integrity and accountability as tools for effective evangelization in the different ministries, creating the desired impact, and achieving the goals set.”
“This training is an empowerment which will equip me with a know-how of matters surrounding writing project proposals, relating with donors, sourcing for funds and reporting,” Sr. Tumusiime a member of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary commonly known as Loreto Sisters said and continued, “In fact, I came to learn than even when sourcing for funds, we should bear in mind that one day the donors may not be there thus the need to work towards sustainability and self-reliance.”
“As religious, our vocation calls us to be ready for any mission in response to the needs of the time. Therefore, this workshop is a preparation for the mission, remembering that there were people before us and that we should also decide what we want to leave behind for those who will come after us,” Sr. Tumusiime concluded.
The conveners of the workshop will later on after the workshop organize a proposal writing competition and award winners.
“Our donor allows us to run a competition as a way to encourage participants master the skills acquired from the workshop. We usually have boot camps and a process of getting the proposals and give feedback to the participants. This gives them the confidence to submit proposals to other donors for funding. So far we have funded 12 projects,” Sr. Mutiso one of the organizers revealeled.