Sr. Clementina Obembe, OSF
HESA Alumna and former ASEC Regional Director for West Africa - Nigeria
My name is Catherine Oluyemisi Obembe (I have a Religious name as Sr. Clementina Obembe, OSF), I was given the name Clementina when I was received into the Novitiate many years ago. I belong to the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. Our Mother house is in Glasgow, Scotland but we have been in Nigeria since 1950 (66 years ago).
I was trained as a professional secretary before I entered Religious life, with proficiency in Shorthand and Typing, (being trained as a stenographer). As a young Sister, I served our Province as Secretary, and later became a Council member of the same province, doubling as the Secretary and Bursar to the province after my final profession.
As Chairperson of our Golden Jubilee Planning Committee in Nigeria in the year 2000, I organized a successful celebration and compiled the story of our existence in Nigeria which was published as a book to mark the occasion. I worked as the head of Women Empowerment and Youth Development in the Justice, Development and Peace of the Catholic Diocese of Osogbo for 10 years, as well as the HIV/AIDS Program Coordinator for those number of years. I also served as the Executive Secretary for the Ibadan Province for 5 years, all in Nigeria.
I obtained a BSc in Accounting from Ambrose Alli University, Edo State in Nigeria, and later, I did an online course on Conflicts and Management, with University of Amsterdam. Prior to that, I had a Diploma in Accountancy at Esa-Oke College of technology and a Certificate in Financial Studies in the same school, Osun State in Nigeria.
I am a Professional Computer Laboratory Coordinator, a skill I gained from studying at Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia and Marywood University, Scranton in 2006 sponsored by ASEC.
Presently, following a PGD course in Peace Study, Conflict Management and Resolution in the National Open University of Nigeria.
I started working with the African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC) as the West Africa Director of Sisters Leadership Development Initiative (SLDI) in 2007. I was the ASEC Regional Director for West Africa until January 2019.
My objective in life is to be of service to humanity especially among the poor and the down trodden without any reservation, this I have been doing over the years. I have enjoyed working with the Sisters “because if you teach a sister, you have thought a whole nation” Know that your effort can never be a waste.
Contributions
- Sisters Rise to the Top of the Class (Hero)
- Learning ways to address poverty in Africa through field trips (Author)
- HESA orientations take place in Nigeria (Author)
- First class of Nigerian HESA students graduate from Veritas University (Author)
- World Radio Day (Author)
- 2017 Alumnae-mentee networking workshops held in Africa (Author)
- Rosemont Online Orientation takes place in Cameroon, Ghana and Nigeria (Author)
- Visit to Medical Missionaries of Mary Clinic (Author)