Abstract

Learning Outcomes

This case study explores the strategic and leadership challenges of managing a mission-driven educational institution facing declining enrollment. It aims to help students understand how to develop innovative strategies for sustainability in social enterprises. Students will analyze the impact of changing educational policies, such as the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), on boarding school enrollment and evaluate approaches to financial sustainability in response to revenue loss. They will also assess the role of governance and stakeholder engagement, particularly in addressing the spiritual, emotional, and academic development of students. Additionally, the case highlights the importance of strategic decision-making in balancing mission-driven goals with operational realities. 

Case overview

 Reverend Mother Josepha Angeline Atswene, the Mother Superior of the Sisters of Mary Congregation, Sr Helen and Sr Macline and the rest of the team of sisters who ran the St Mary’s hostel are seated in the boardroom office brainstorming on how to deliver quality and be able to engage the students in the hostels physically, emotionally and spiritually. The number of students in the hostels had dropped from 1,500 to 1,000 students in the last couple of years. The Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) was rolled out nationally and parent engagement in the learning process is considered essential to the learner’s growth and development. Due to the general roles to support the learning of their children in CBC, the numbers of parents bringing their children to the Mukumu Girls’ School and the St Mary’s hostels had gone down because the parents have opted to take their children to day schools. Sr Josepha asks the team “what is the way forward as concerns the structure in the hostels and the schedules and timetables, the sense of community and the human, spiritual and emotional formation. Most of all what can we do to be able to make up the revenue we have lost from 500 students leaving the school and the hostels,” She also wanted the team to deliberate further on how they will continue to assist the girls to “maintain academic excellence and growing independence. Sr Helen even wondered aloud “How can we continue to positively impact the remaining girls emotionally and spiritually in the face of the number of the students leaving the school and the hostels?”

Complexity academic level

The case is designed for a course in social entrepreneurship and may be taught to either an upper-level undergraduate and/or graduate audience. The teaching note has been thoughtfully designed to guide instructors through the available options in terms of learning objectives, discussion questions and suggested teaching activities. 

Supplementary Materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Keywords

Social entrepreneurship, strategy and leadership, governance and stakeholder management. 

Citation

Ndunge, A., Lubulellah, R., Njiraini, N. (2024). Forward Together! St Mary’s Hostel Mukumu - A Social Enterprise collaboration with the Diocese of Kakamega. In Strathmore Africa Case Center. Strathmore Africa Case Centre. https://doi.org/10.70268/sacc-10-24-39

Publisher: Strathmore Africa Case Centre

Copyright © 2024, Strathmore Africa Case Centre

Category : Case

Author : Roseline Lubulellah,Angela Ndunge,Nancy Njiraini

Publisher : Strathmore University

Document ID : SACC-10-24-39