For over 20 years, ASEC has been lending support to the Bigwa Secondary School, a high school located in Morogoro, Tanzania.
Initially, this was a project intended to help the school advance from its “O-Level” status to that of “A-Level” (meaning that graduates were qualified to move on to the college or university level). To that end, ASEC helped to secure funding that allowed the school to make improvements in its facilities, curriculum, and faculty. In 2012, ASEC made the step to fund the education of a small group of women religious, creating the first cohort of what came to be ASEC’s Scholarship Program. From that premiere group of eleven women, the program has grown to more than fifty being supported during the 2024-2025 school year, including four girls from families who are not able to pay for their child’s education.
Sr. Florence Mkwizu, CICM, current Headmistress of Bigwa, shared her thoughts on the partnership between ASEC and the school. As an alumna of Bigwa herself, Sr. Florence has been able to witness the changes that have taken place over the years. Some of the most visible improvements have been to the school itself, including building a dining hall and dormitory as well as the construction of a new science laboratory consisting of well-equipped biology, physics, and chemistry labs. One particular benefit has been that the school now has improved food security, stemming both from having more funds to buy food and also from having been able to pursue projects that help them be more self-sufficient. These include installing a fish pond, better-quality gardening, and the tending of poultry, pigs, and cows.
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Students play netball at Bigwa in Tanzania.
Bigwa’s mission is “to serve the church and society with confidence, love, maturity, and professionalism,” and their continuous dedication to their students and their high academic standards has been recognized in their region. In 2019, the school was awarded Tanzania’s Best Academic Performance Award in the category of Most Improved Schools. This award recognizes schools that achieve high performance in national examinations. Sr. Florence also shared that, in addition to classwork, Bigwa has a number of extra-curricular activities, including sports and hand work. These opportunities, as she states, “help them to develop their talents and contribute positively both at school and in the society around Bigwa.”
“Many parents are attracted to bring their children to our school because they want them to have good discipline and learn other skills like working in the fish pond, gardening, poultry, and cooking.”
-Sr. Florence Mkwizu, CICM
What Sr. Florence talked about most was the school’s positive impact on the people of Bigwa. A number of the sisters who now work there were sponsored by ASEC, including the second mistress and the school accountant. The surrounding community also shares in Bigwa’s success, as the school employs many as cooks, matrons, gardeners, security guards, etc. Graduates from Bigwa, religious and lay women alike, go on to work in many different areas, including health care, social work, and as catechists, lawyers, etc. The school’s positive reputation has led to increases in enrollment. ASEC is proud to have been able to play a role in creating such a positive learning environment and is excited to see what the future may hold for Bigwa.
