Sisters Blended Value Project (SBVP) Kicks Off in Malawi with Training Needs Assessment Validation at AWRIM

Sisters Blended Value Project (SBVP) Kicks Off in Malawi with Training Needs Assessment Validation at AWRIM

Last week marked a significant milestone for SBVP at the Association of Women in Religious Institutes in Malawi (AWRIM). Catholic sisters from across the country gathered to validate information collected during the recent Training Needs Assessment (TNA) process conducted in April 2025. This event marks the official entry of Malawian Catholic Sisters into the Sisters Blended Value Project (SBVP). This project, which is currently implemented in four countries – Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia signals a new chapter in Malawi, to support Catholic sisters’ ministries through empowerment, innovation, and collaboration..

The validation workshop at AWRIM headquarters brought together key stakeholders, including sisters representing various congregations, Strathmore University Business School team members, and officials from the Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA). The session focused on reviewing and confirming the findings of the Training needs assessment exercise, which will inform the design of tailored capacity-building programs for congregations of Catholic Sisters in Malawi.

Speaking during the workshop, Sr. Agnes Magalasi, the Secretary General-AWRIM, emphasized the importance of contextualizing the findings to ensure that the support provided truly resonates with the lived experiences and challenges of religious women in Malawi. “We are excited to be part of a project that listens to our needs and is committed to building sustainable solutions through collaboration and innovation,” she said.

The Sisters Blended Value Project, now being implemented in Malawi, is a regional initiative led by Strathmore University Business School in partnership with ACWECA and funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. The SBVP goal is to transform social ministries run by Catholic sisters into sustainable social enterprises.

The project will focus on the following key objectives:

1. Capacity building for sustainability: Strengthening the capacity of Catholic sisters to develop and sustain innovative social enterprises that support their ministries and charisms in a practical and impactful way.
2. Fostering social Innovation and collaboration: Supporting the creation and diffusion of social innovation concepts and practices that encourage networking and collaboration between and among Catholic sisters and their social enterprises. This includes establishing a platform for sharing ideas and best practices and building a vibrant community of practice (CoP).
3. Access to financial resources: Facilitating access to affordable financing and related financial services through a Social Impact Fund designed to meet the unique needs of Catholic sisters and their enterprises.
4. Knowledge and impact sharing: Developing a robust knowledge system that gathers, documents, and shares information on project outcomes and success stories. This system aims to become a valuable resource and inspiration for congregations across Africa.

As the Sisters Blended Value Project continues its journey in Malawi, it invites Catholic sisters and their congregations to fully own this opportunity to grow, connect, innovate, and ultimately transform their communities. The validated TNA data is only the beginning of a strategic process that will shape the future of social enterprise development among religious women in the country.

This groundbreaking initiative promises to unlock the potential of Catholic sisters as social entrepreneurs and changemakers in Malawi and across the continent.

Article By Lucy Kuria