The Ghana Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SSVP) was the host to a five-day leadership Training Meeting for National Leaders of the SSVP Africa 1 Leaders drawn from English speaking African countries aimed at sensitizing on Vincentian Spirituality, Effective Communication, Aggregation, Institution and Twinning Procedures; and Qualities of Good Leadership.
The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SSVP) is an international voluntary organization in the Catholic Church founded in 1833 to help impoverished people living in the slums of Paris, France.
The English Speaking African Vincentians who attended the March 12 to 16, 2020 training were from Ghana, Nigeria, Gambia, Liberia, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Kenya as well as selected National and International officers of the Society.
Speaking on effective Communication in leadership to about 30 participants including 16 National Presidents from English speaking countries of East, West and Southern African countries at the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Madam Ama Gaines, a Ghanaian Communications Specialists, urged the Vincentian leaders to see communication as an effective in their practice of leadership at their various National Conferences.
“As leaders of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (Vincentians), you should know that the foundation of all relationships and the successes of any relationship is effective communication,” she said.
Madam Gaines noted that “As leaders you have to know the fastest move in communication to lead your members,” adding “since communication is a process of exchanging meaningful message to establish and maintain relationship, as leaders you have to develop the act of speaking and listening, know your audience and be friendly.”
“You have to communicate your values, not personal ones but that of the Church and the Society, deeply hold on convictions that will propel the society and the people you are leading,” she added.
Madam Gaines, who is currently a Communication Lecturer at Wisconsin University in Ghana, called on the Vincentians to exude quality in their practice of leadership by respecting the views of members of their Conferences, saying that “effective communication is a plan process that must achieve a goal.”
She reminded them that the success of an effective communication process is to ensure that the audience get meaning from whatever information they are disseminating.
According to her, an effective leader must be forward-thinking and be a visionary person who will be able to transmit information at appropriate times and days for proper assimilation by those the information is intended for.
Advising that the success of the communication process depends on the leader and the effectiveness of it depends on the audience,” she said “We have a responsibility to transform those we lead in the society and the Church as a whole,” she added, saying that “As a Conference Presidents, you are the keeper of the fire, to lead your members to live an authentic life of service to the poor, to see and know the Lord.”
She was of the view that “Effective leaders make things happen and they see what needs to happen, plan a way to make it happen, and take steps to see that it does; they are an example to others, and they encourage and support the contribution of all people around them.”
Speaking also at the training on organizing effective meetings in SSVP, Dr. (Mrs.) Veronica N. Nwokoch, the Formation Training Coordinator of the SSVP Africa 1 Group from Nigeria, stressed on the need to “Make your meeting open enough for them to feel comfortable & able to bring to your attention those problems that may need some teasing; Many problems can be resolved across the table in a relaxed atmosphere.
“As a leader, we, therefore, need to be virtuous and inclusive,” Dr. Nwokoch said, calling on the Vincentians leaders to be “integrated and holistic, marked by harmony and balance, he added.
On his part, Fr. Andrew Campbell, SVD, the National Spiritual Advisor, Ghana, who spoke on Vincentian Spirituality on Saturday, March 14, said the motivation for the Members is found in the spirituality of the Society which involves both prayer and action.
He said as spiritual leaders, “We are called to reflect on the spirit and inspiration of St Vincent de Paul and living according to God’s will under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.”
The Inter-Territorial Vice President of the SSVP Africa Group 1, Patrick Ebhojie from Nigeria, who chaired the training Sessions, noted that the Vincentian leader must keep the flame alive through prayer and contemplation and being grounded in the lives of people who are poor or in need.
He reminded the African leaders that leadership was all about sacrifice, telling them that ‘As leaders you have to put in more effort in whatever you for the good of the society, adding that Vincentian leadership is not something we do, but the person we are.”
Lawyer Michael Xatse, the host Ghanaian SSVP President noted that the training Meeting focused on Effective leadership to help the African leaders appreciate the importance of spirituality, good leadership and effective communication and how they need to devote themselves as leaders to visiting the poor, the needy, the lonely, the sick and prisoners in their locations and provide for their particular needs.
