ASEC News

Sr. Janet reflects on the ripple effects of mentorship

African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC)

Sr. Janet uses her mentor to overcome real issues, mentors other sisters, and even has been mentored by a fellow mentee.

Group photo from Alumnae Meeting in Cameroon, 2016.

As the chain of mentoring in the ASEC/SLDI bulges, an unimaginable combination is drawn into the ASEC/SLDI web with amazing impacts in the aspects of evangelization and human capacity building.

MENTORED BY ASEC/SLDI TUTORS

As one of the supposed fortunate pioneers of the Administrative Track, the program through my tutors has empowered me with some life-building-skills. These were particularly in such fields as

  • Productive leadership
  • Improved competencies for dealing with people
  • Improved capacities for managing human and material resources
  • Strategies for effective planning
  • Skills for effective facilitation, proposal writing and much more
  • Basic ICT skills, of course, not left out.

The end of the first phase of the program launched me into a situation where implementation of Human Resource Management skills was highly needed. With all gusto, a blend of my residuals and newly- acquired was proferred. And, of course, some fulfillment accompanied such moments. Some of naturally – endowed skills in me had, before then, sought expression without success for want of courage. These, with the impact of ASEC/SLDI tutorials and a grounded touch by the Scholasticate Program of my religious family, eventually budded in readiness for bloom. One such aspects is the facilitation skill. My debut in this art met a success I never imagined. The compliments that flowed in astounded me.

As willed by God and being honoured with an invitation for more of this sort by my Congregation – The Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus – for an intensive and heavily-packed enrichment of some other dimension, all to the greater glory of God and gear ed towards a more fruitful ministry.

Group photo from the alumnae mentor/mentee workshop in Cameroon, 2016.

Group photo from the alumnae mentor/mentee workshop in Cameroon, 2016.

MENTORED AS AN ASEC/SLDI MENTEE

Just as a bee would often return to its source of nectar, so also did a coincidence of my need for a mentor on Finance issues meet with the need for a mentee on the part of an ASEC/SLDI participant. This need of mine which was a consequence of a drift into a familiar field of apostolate in a domain which adopts principles different from what I knew, created some anxieties. This was quelled by the mentoring activities which ensued. What more? The needed confidence was gained and our longings satisfied.

MENTORED BY A FELLOW MENTEE

The meeting of all mentors and mentees in January 2016 offered the opportunity of listening to the shared experiences of the mentees. This was really interesting as the mentees comprised a mixed group – Consecrated persons and lay faithful, catholics and non-catholics, male and female, lettered and unlettered. From the shared experiences, the impact was predominantly in the m oral, social and professional aspects. Much of the expressions from the mentees were that of appeciation. Closer interactions with some of the mentees opened up vistas for cross-fertilisation of more ideas and knowledge; hence furthering the mentoring activities on other pertinent issues. THE GLOBAL RESULTS By my reckoning, the chain of the ASEC/SLDI has been widening, the result s fruitful, the success immense. Glory be to God who inspired the idea of the ASEC/SLDI program in the mind of its initiators. A million thanks to the Sisters who offered their goodwill and resources for the g ood of others. And finally, kudos to all the ASEC/SLDI Coordinators wherever they may be.

LONG LIVE THE LORD!

LONG LIVE ASEC/SLDI!!

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Sr. Janet Aguorumba, HHCJ
Author
SLDI Alumna - Cameroon  

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