Women Religious Celebrated as “unsung heroes” as 20 in Uganda Graduate in Entrepreneurship Program

The Chairperson of the Interreligious Council of Uganda said that in the East African country, Catholic Sisters have distinguished themselves in advocating for human rights, social justice and dignity of marginalized.

The Catholic Sisters’ joy, Mons. Kasibante observed, is to serve the most vulnerable.

Credit: Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA)

Some 20 women Religious from various Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (ICLSAL) in Uganda graduated on September 4 after undergoing a three-month Social Entrepreneurship Program that was designed to equip them with entrepreneurial skills, to grow their networking skills, and expose them to sustainable funding models.

The training was part of the SBVP, a capacity building initiative in developing sustainable social enterprises under the auspices of the Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA) and Kenya-based Strathmore University. Realized in partnership with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the initiative benefits some 40 female ICLSAL in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.  

According to the implementers, SBVP aims to improve the capacities of women Religious, connect them to networks and provide them with information hubs, and robust financial services.

Credit: Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA)

This initiative comes after a survey that Hilton Foundation commissioned in early 2021 revealed challenges women Religious face in their ministries such as a lack of funding, inadequate leadership skills, and financial and organizational sustainability.

In his address, Mons. Kasibante hailed the SBVP, saying that the program would enhance the capacity of Catholic Sisters serving the most vulnerable communities in Uganda.

Credit: Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA)

“Social entrepreneurship offers a powerful framework for Catholic Sisters to leverage their expertise and spiritual values,” the Vicar overseeing Health in Kampala Archdiocese said, and added, “By embracing the entrepreneurial principles, Sisters can create scalable, impactful initiatives that address pressing social issues.”

In education, for instance, Mons. Kasibante said Sisters could boost their roles in developing innovative educational programs in areas such as vocational training.

Credit: Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA)

In healthcare access, Catholic Sisters can take a lead in establishing sustainable healthcare models, leveraging technology and strengthening community-based care, he said.

On environmental stewardship, he said Sisters can promote eco-friendly practices, sustainable agriculture and environmental education.

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Credit: Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA)

Mons. Kasibante said the role of Catholic Sisters in social justice and advocacy is amplifying the voices of the marginalized, addressing systematic inequalities, and advocating for policy changes.

Catholic Sisters running social enterprises face numerous challenges, Mons. Kasibante said, adding that some of the internal challenges that the Nuns face include limited financial resources, lack of business training, as well as difficulty balancing their spiritual and social mandate.

Credit: Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA)

He also highlighted external challenges to do with community perceptions and stereotypes, limited networks, cultural and language barriers, as well as competition for funding.

Other challenges are faith-based and structural, he said, and added, “Addressing these challenges requires capacity building, training, access to funding, advocacy and research.”

Mons. Kasibante noted that women Religious need support, resources and collaborative efforts to empower their social enterprise initiatives. We celebrate the success stories of Catholic Sisters, the Ugandan Catholic Priest said in his September 4 address.