Increasing SECAM and Caritas Africa’s “visibility in international policy spaces” and realizing “joint positioning and public statements in emergencies” were also agreed as communication strategies.
As part of their action planning in capacity building, the participants agreed to “provide advocacy mentoring and accompaniment for JPDC leadership” as well as the coordination of the “AU liaison efforts”.
They agreed to “support staff secondments to fill capacity gaps” and proposed the adoption of the “Caritas Nigeria model- 6-week training on formation of the heart.”
Mr. Richard Akurugu Nyaaba (right) and Ms. Lucy Esipila (left). Credit: SECAM/Caritas Africa
Assisting SECAM on “proposal writing and project implementation strategy” and exploring the possibility of “hiring consultants for project development and proposal management” were part of the action planning in capacity building.
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Other areas of consensus in the action planning included the need to “encourage national-level coordination in response and communications”, and exploring “development of an emergency response framework for SECAM.”
The SECAM and Caritas Africa engagement sessions saw participants deliberate on social justice, youth and women empowerment, as well as “internal renewal”.
In the report to ACI Africa, Ms. Esipila notes that they recognized the ongoing Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, which Pope Francis officially launched on the Eve of Christmas 2024, and highlighted “the need for healing and institutional reconciliation” as important.
Mr. Richard Akurugu Nyaaba. Credit: SECAM/Caritas Africa
They reflected on “questions around exclusion, financial burdens, and clericalism,” the Kenyan Togo-based Caritas official says in her report, adding that during their June 19-20 engagement in Ghana, “calls were made for internal reviews and more compassionate pastoral approaches.”
On women empowerment, “Caritas Africa shared findings from a policy brief on the experiences of women leaders” and participants in the engagement “emphasized the importance of fostering solidarity among women and creating space for their meaningful participation,” according to the report to ACI Africa.
In the meeting, Africa’s “youth voices were highlighted as critical to Church renewal, with attention to mentorship, vocational support, and mission-focused leadership opportunities.”
From left to right: Mr. Richard Akurugu Nyaaba, Fr. Alfred Bebodu, Ms. Lucy Esipila, Fr. Uchechukwu Obodoechina. Credit: SECAM/Caritas Africa
Still under youth empowerment, the report indicates that “concerns were raised about digital distractions and the need for accountability, team building, and work ethic development among young professionals.”
In his report to ACI Africa, the Director of SECAM’s JPDC, who was a participant in the meeting described the two-day sessions as enriching.
Fr. Uchechukwu Obodoechina says that representatives from the two Church institutions agreed that “where one partner faces challenges, the other can complement—together, we can be a stronger, unified voice for Africa.”
Fr. Uchechukwu Obodoechina. Credit: SECAM/Caritas Africa
In his report, the JPDC official, who also serves as Deputy Secretary General of SECAM says that looking to 2026, the two continental institutions are to collaborate on the celebration of the 20th anniversary of Deus Caritas Est (God is Love), the first Encyclical Letter of Pope Benedict XVI published on Christmas Day 2005.
The anniversary event is planned for March 2026 in Ivory Coast’s capital city, Abidjan.
Meanwhile, the Head of SECAM’s Commission for Evangelisation, Fr. Alfred Bebodu, has expressed optimism about the realized engagement between SECAM and Caritas Africa.
Fr. Alfred Bebodu. Credit: SECAM/Caritas Africa
“This renewed collaboration is a promising sign of our collective ability to face critical challenges such as debt, poverty, and ecological degradation,” Fr. Bebodu is quoted as saying.
In the two-day engagement in which “there was broad consensus that collaboration should not remain at the continental level alone, but cascade down to regional and national structures”, SECAM and Caritas Africa representatives agreed to “maintain quarterly coordination meetings, increase joint advocacy outputs and media visibility, strengthen coordination through zonal structures and shared platforms, and invest in leadership development across Church institutions.”
“This strategic engagement marked a turning point in the relationship between SECAM and Caritas Africa,” Ms. Esipila’s has affirmed in her report to ACI Africa.
From left to right: Mr. Richard Akurugu Nyaaba, Fr. Alfred Bebodu, Ms. Lucy Esipila, Fr. Uchechukwu Obodoechina. Credit: SECAM/Caritas Africa
She explains, “By aligning efforts, affirming shared responsibilities, and focusing on results-based collaboration, both institutions are better positioned to serve as a credible, united voice on the continent.”
“Moving forward, deepened partnership, accountability, and mutual support will be key to transforming this dialogue into action—ensuring that the Church in Africa remains a beacon of justice, mercy, and hope,” the Lomé-based Regional Executive Secretary of Caritas Africa says in her June 23 report to ACI Africa.
ACI Africa was founded in 2019. We provide free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Catholic Church in Africa, giving particular emphasis to the words of the Holy Father and happenings of the Holy See, to any person with access to the internet. ACI Africa is proud to offer free access to its news items to Catholic dioceses, parishes, and websites, in order to increase awareness of the activities of the universal Church and to foster a sense of Catholic thought and culture in the life of every Catholic.
Lucy Afandi Esipila. Credit: SECAM/Caritas Africa
Mr. Richard Akurugu Nyaaba (right) and Ms. Lucy Esipila (left). Credit: SECAM/Caritas Africa
Fr. Alfred Bebodu (left) and Fr. Uchechukwu Obodoechina (right). Credit: SECAM/Caritas Africa
