Higher Education for Sisters in Africa
Sisters Leadership Development Initiative
Scholarships
Service Learning
Help us reach our goal of $50,000!
Help us provide scholarships to 25 women religious in Tanzania.
Brighten your inbox with stories of lives impacted by education.
Our Growth. Our Goal. Our Vision.
Of the 40,000 sisters in the region ASEC serves, 80 percent have no higher education credentials. We are changing that statistic.
We educate African sisters, improving their ability to impact communities.
While Africa is a continent of vast potential, it faces serious obstacles of poverty, chronic hunger, disease, ecological degradation and violence. Catholic sisters are a strong force in harnessing that potential, addressing these obstacles head-on and creating hope for a bright future.
By providing access to education, sisters are able to impact more people and make a difference in the lives of the most vulnerable and marginalized individuals in Africa. Sisters are improving healthcare, hunger and access to clean water. They give voices to people who are wrongly persecuted and silenced. They care for the young, the old and the forgotten. They mentor others, create jobs, strengthen congregations and unite communities.
African sisters are using their education to solve some of the biggest development challenges our world is facing today. The impact they are making in communities across Africa is both admirable and heroic. At ASEC, we've learned that if you give a sister the tools to succeed, she's going to change the world.
Our Programs
SLDI
Sisters Leadership Development Initiative (SLDI)
HESA
Higher Education for Sisters in Africa (HESA)
Scholarships
Support women religious in completion of high school or its equivalency.
Service Learning
International service learning opportunities for faculty, students and sisters.
Our Impact
Our statistics from educating sisters in 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa show the incredible impact1 that sisters are making on marginalized communities. Because of people like YOU, ASEC has already educated 5,300 sisters with INCREDIBLE results such as...
ASEC alumnae have served over 2 million people in poor, rural communities across Africa— where help is needed most.
Alumnae and their mentees have raised $13.7M in funding for community sustainability and improvement projects.
Educated sisters have mentored 6,000+ people, sharing the skills they've learned with other sisters and community members.
Alumnae projects initiated by sisters have created 3,300 jobs in under-served rural African communities.
1From 2012-2018, 311 SLDI alumnae and 2 HESA alumnae reported that they secured funds (incl. grants, monetary and in-kind donations) for needed social and/or human development projects; this is about 25% of the total SLDI graduates (N=1253) through 2015.
How educated sisters are making an impact
Going above and beyond to provide quality healthcare
Sr. Florence uses her nursing skills to care for her patients and her SLDI Finance training helps her to manage the clinic. Every single day she goes above and beyond to bring quality healthcare to the sick who need her.
Closing the loop with a recycling project
Sr. Yvette's closed loop recycling project increases food production, manages waste and lifts the economic burden from her school during times of crisis in Cameroon.
Recent News
This sawdust briquette recipe solves a common problem for women in rural Africa
13 hours ago: In the forests of Malawi, women walk long distances to find dry wood for cooking and heating their homes. But, Sr. Jane's innovative idea solves this common problem and ...
The challenges of consent and respect for all human life
last week: Sr. Olivia's faith in God, internal strength and education all play important roles in protecting and defending the lives of unborn children carried by young rape victims...