A five-day media training for twenty-one Religious Sisters from the Kumasi and Tamale Provinces has ended in Kumasi with the aim of helping and equipping Sisters to make the good activities of their various congregations known and visible to Ghanaians and the world at large.
The training which took place at the Centre for Spiritual Renewal at Santase in Kumasi from Monday, January 16 to 20, 2023 was organised by the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious, Ghana in collaboration with the Global NewsWatch Media and Communications Ghana.
The Sisters were drawn from the Sisters of Saint Louis (SSL), Sisters of St Joseph of Cluny (SJC), Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus (HHCJ), Daughters of the Most Holy Trinity (FST), Daughters of charity of St. Vincent de Paul (DC), Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy (DMMM), Daughters of St Paul (FSP), Congregation of the Sisters of St. Anne (CSSA), Sisters of the Incarnate Word (SVI), Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM), Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth (CSFN), Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus (HHCJ), Sisters of Mary Immaculate (SMI), and Congregation of Jesus Mary Joseph (JMJ).
The training, the second of its kind by the Conference, was organised to develop the writing skills of the Religious to tell their own stories on projects and programmes, to establish a continuous framework to update their knowledge in media and communication activities and to learn how to interview, avoid common mistakes, and focus on delivering key messages to the targeted audience.
The first was organised for 13 Sisters from the Accra and Cape Coast Provinces from December 19 to 23, 2022 at the SMA Provincial House, Oshiuman, Accra.
It was also organised to help Sisters to know about photography and videography as well as the effective use of Social Media and strategically ensure visibility of the Conference of Major Superiors to all its Stakeholders and Funding/Donor Partners.
The facilitators were Mr. Damian Avevor, Mr. Robert Dela Mawuenyegah and Mr. Benedictus Adzah, who took the Sisters through the introduction to journalism/mass communication, the basics of news writing, the structure of news story, writing of Leads, interviewing skills, public speaking and presentation skills, feature writing, media ethics, using social media for evangelisation, Facebook live streaming, photography, videography and how to use phones to take good photos and videos.
In closing the training, the Executive Secretary of the Conference of Major Superiors, Ghana, Sr. Theodora Adzayawo, SMMC, thanked the Superiors for availing their sisters for the training.
She commended the Sisters for exhibiting maturity in their conduct and encouraged them to get on board and make their work visible, saying “for he who knows his story, tells it best.”
Sr. Adzayawo thanked the facilitators for their availability and input and for their collaboration.
On behalf of the Conference, she presented certificates of participation to the Sisters.
Sr. Emmanuella Dakurah, HHCJ, on behalf of the participants thanked the facilitators for opening their doors to the church especially the Conference of Major Superiors to help religious Sisters to write their own stories.
On her part, Sr. Georgina Inkum, FST thanked Sr. Theodora, SMMC “for being with us throughout the programme and for your motherly love.”
A thanksgiving Mass which preceded the closing of the training was officiated by Fr. Timothty Baghrmwin a Jesuit Priest and Fr. Peter Laast, a Spiritan Priest, both working at the Centre for Spiritual Renewal, Santasi, Kumasi.
In a homily, Fr. Timothy admonished the Sisters to make use of what they had acquired and not to let waste the resources the Conference of Major Superiors, had invested into.
He asked the Sisters to cultivate the virtue of humility even as they start their new apostolates as communicators, urging them to practicalised all that they had learnt in their training.
By Sr. Emmanuella Dakurah, HHCJ and Sr. Maria Helen Fajardo Soliven, RVM, Sr. Joan Dzifa Bosro, SSL, Sr. Francisca Akogo, SJC, Naomi Addai Obour, HHCJ, Sr. Georgina Inkum, FST, Sr. Victoria Kotetane, DC, Sr. Agnes Michelle Ada Ogah, DMMM, Sr. Irene Mildred Onyekachi Anaeke, DMMM, Sr. Angela Kileo, FSP, Sr. Reena Pallathaty, CSSA, Sr. Esther Kutie, SVI, Sr. Maria Amanda Priscilla Nyame, RVM, Sr. Juliana Atuuna, SMI, Sr. Rebecca Asante, SVI, Sr. Angelina Anna Fafara, CSFN, Sr. Maria Goretti Onwuatuegwu, DC, Sr. Gloria Duongnaa, SMI, Sr. Angela Amaechi, FSP, Sr. Patricia Akoto, FST, Sr. Rosily Abraham, JMJ.
