For decades now, the Franciscan Missionaries of Saint Joseph (FMSJ) have ministered in Kenya and Uganda, running primary and secondary educational programmes for the poorest and most vulnerable children, including those living on the streets. Still others are social workers and nurses who run mobile clinics in rural areas such as Salawa and Marigat.

Identifying an ever-growing level of need in their communities, the Sisters hoped to ensure that their education and health projects would be sustainable into the future by committing to capacity development for the organisation and staff. Key to this would be the establishment of a central Development Office with clearly stated objectives for effective governance and management. 

With Member Capacity Development funding from Misean Cara, the FMSJ set up a Development Office in Nairobi that coordinates activities of nine of their twelve development projects in Kenya and Uganda. The Development Office maintains an overview of all development activities taking place in their target communities and fosters learning between the projects in various locations. The Development Office also facilitates the development of shared policies and procedures including those for financial management, human resources, administration, and safeguarding.  

Ongoing training and mentoring for Project Coordinators in how to prepare proposals and reports, implement projects and monitor and evaluate has helped increase their capacity as well as their confidence as administrators. 

The Development Office also acts as a bridge between the projects and the leadership team by informing the regional leadership on a regular basis about developments and challenges in the projects. This increased understanding helps the leadership make better informed decisions for the benefit of the projects and beneficiaries alike. Stronger, more efficiently run projects are helping the Sisters attract new fundraising opportunities, further increasing the long-term sustainability of their projects.