The Superior General of the Daughters of the Most Blessed Trinity (FST Sisters), Rev. Sr. Anna Amoh, has affirmed the Catholic Church’s readiness to partner governments in the country and the rest of the world to bring development to the people irrespective of their religious, political and ethnic orientations.
She explained that the Church had over the years been partnering Development Agencies to provide the people with development initiatives to alleviate poverty and better their lives because the Church was not in any form of competition with any Church or agency in the country.
The Superior General recounted the various development and poverty alleviation initiatives and interventions the Church had brought to many citizens in the country in the past especially those who lived in deprived areas.
Sr. Amoh disclosed this at the official ceremony to welcome Dr. Kara Lemma, Programme Officer of Catholic Sisters Initiative of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, in the USA to Kumasi.
The two-day visit was to enable her have first-hand information on the state of projects and development of some graduates of the African Sisters Education Collaborative, a Non-Governmental Organization which seeks to enhance the education development of Catholic Sisters in Africa.
The Initiative which is an auxiliary of the Foundation, has since 2012 been providing financial support to African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC) for its programmes.
ASEC was established in 1999 by four Catholic Universities in America with the aim of facilitating access to education for Women Religious in Africa towards enhancement and expansion of the education, health, economic, social, environmental and spiritual services they provide.
Through the collaboration of the Initiative and ASEC, many Reverend Sisters in Ghana and other African countries like Nigeria, Cameroun, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Kenya, South Sudan, Malawi and Lesotho have been supported with various training skills.
Some of the Sisters have acquired training and skills in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Financial and Administrative Training to empower them to write project proposals for support on various development initiatives in their operational areas to alleviate poverty.
The Initiative with support from the Foundation, has instituted a Fund called ASEC Alumnae Grants to help the Sisters carry out the programmes.
Dr. Lemma commended the Sisters for their dedication and commitment towards the fight against the poverty and improving the lives of the people in their operational areas.
She also lauded the Catholic Church for its role in providing projects and support to many vulnerable people especially the rural folks.
Dr. Lemma urged the beneficiaries to put the training to good use for the benefit of others, especially women.
Rev. Sr. Francisca Damoah, Director of ASEC Ghana, commended the Catholic Sisters Initiative, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and other agencies which have been assisting the Sisters in diverse ways towards their capacity building as well as providing them with funds to undertake projects.
She appealed to other funding agencies to also come on board to support more of the sisters who mostly operate from rural and hard to reach areas.
From Felix A. Baidoo
