Sr. Helen Kasaka, LSMI
Speaking to the Superiors during their 63rdAnnual General Assembly at the Salesian Sisters Centre in Makeni, Lusaka - Zambia, Sr. Celestine Nasiali (OA), coordinator of Sisters Blended Value Project explained that by embracing the project, Sisters are helped to transform their Social Ministries into social entrepreneurial activities.
“In this project, Congregations are able to start their own social enterprises that express their charism but have revenue to become self – sustaining. She highlighted that the main goal of the project is for sisters to launch and grow social enterprises,” she said.
Sr. Nasiali encouraged the Major Superiors to embrace a businessapproachto serve the poor and protect Mother Earth.
Sr. Edna Himoonde and Sr. Juunza Mwangangi both from the Religious Sisters of the Holy Spirit (RSHS)the only Congregation implementing Sisters Blended Value Project in Zambia gave comprehensive and practical sharing of the journey they have gone through.
Sr Himoonde highlighted that, “the Charism/identity must be reflected in the project; the project must sustain the Sisters in the Congregation, and the project must sustain/support itself and the poor within the neighborhood,” she highlighted.
Sr. Juunza Mwangangi clarified that while using business skills and strategies, social enterprise focuses on social impact as a priority rather than seeking profit.
She highlighted that Sisters Blended Value Project would save the congregations from being dependent on foreign aids hence fostering human dignity and opening eyes to locally available resources within their reach. She praised integrated farming as a way to go to ensure that all is not wasted.
Sr. Juunza added that to make a difference in their entrepreneurship, they teach learners how to be ecologically sensitive entrepreneurs and prepare them to be successful in life.
The Superiors appreciated the presentations and expressed their desire to be enlightened more on leadership skills. They invited the Religious Sisters of the Holy Spirit to mentor their sisters as they give a trial to venture in social entrepreneurship.
ACWECA coordinator of Leadership for Mission, Sr. Christine Mwangi (SE), encouraged the superiors to be guided by the 18th ACWECA Plenary Assembly theme “Re-awaken the Prophetic role: A call for re-formation towards holistic transformation in the Region today”which is relevant to the current conversation on Synodality.
Sr. Christine Mwangi appreciated the step taken by the Major Superior of the Religious Sisters of the Holy Spirit, Mother Rosalia Sakayambo. “This is a remarkable response to the need of sustainability expressed by Superiors in the region”.
The Superiors were enlightened on the mission of Sisters Blended Value Project, that is, to provide practical hands-on Entrepreneurial skills that catalyze sustainable and scalable solution that alleviate poverty across religious congregations in the ACWECA region in reference to benefiting women and youth in the community. The project integrates all aspects of religious life in terms of sustainability such as, formation, leadership, environment, business, finance, human resource, discernment, among others.
The Sisters Blended Value Project (SBVP) was born out of the four thematic areas of ACWECA‘s strategic plan (2017 – 2022) and it is in line with the mission of ACWECA.
This became an urgent need after the third Vatican impact investment conference meeting held in Rome in which ACWECA participated. After the Conference, ACWECA Management brainstormed on the need to make sisters' ministries sustainable.
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