A total 12 leaders of Ministries in the Holy Spirit Region (HSR) participated in a Leadership Seminar held in Eswatini from 6 – 10 June 2021. The seminar aimed to equip HSR ministry leaders with much needed skills to successfully execute their leadership roles. It also aimed to provide a platform for the leaders to meet each other and establish important connections and relationships that are key for successful collaboration in the region. Participants were drawn from the St Mary Catholic Primary Hospital in Ethiopia, Cabrini Ministries Ethiopia, Heart Ministries in Uganda and Cabrini Ministries Eswatini. The seminar was officially opened by Sr. Diane, Regional Superior, who emphasized the
importance of Mission Integration and Ethical Leadership as we share God’s love with those in need, especially the excluded and disenfranchised. The meeting continued with heart-moving presentations from the regional ministries, all showing the positive impact of our work in the communities we serve. Sr. Gloria’s presentation of Heart Ministries in Uganda moved us to tears, as we learnt about the home visits they make each day to the excluded, the forgotten & the poor. She spoke eloquently of how they share the love of Christ with refugees & the local population on a daily basis; establishing much needed relationships with the community for fruitful collaboration. On the second day, we started with Leadership Training facilitated by Emmanuel Ndlangamandla, a well experienced leader in the NGO world. Having educated us on the different leadership styles, including the pros and cons, he challenged us to exercise the different leadership styles according to the challenges we face at a particular time. We concluded the day with a session on Ethical Leadership facilitated by Nicole Nieman, Chief of Staff, Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart.

On the third day, we all went for a team building experience at Maguga Lodge, with teams ‘Lime’ and ‘Orange’ competing with each other, as we learnt more on communication and other leadership disciplines through the activities. On the last day, we reflected further on Ethical Leadership, and concluded that promoting Mission Integration should be a priority for our ministries. We agreed to dig deeper into practical ways of promoting Mission Integration in our next Leadership seminar. Our time together concluded with an evaluation, which was positive on the success of the workshop in meeting our objectives. We all came out challenged, renewed and motivated to do more, as we continue to share the love of God through our ministries. Thanks to Sr. Diane for making the workshop come to fruition by funding it; Mzamo for successfully coordinating with the hotel for a comfortable stay; Sr. Laura for preparing and facilitating morning prayer, and all colleagues for fully participating. We look forward to the next meeting in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia, in August 2021.

Photo: Senait receiving her training certificate from Sr. Diane.

Thanks to Holy Spirit newsletter for this article

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