From Scranton to sub-Saharan Africa, the first six months of 2025 have marked a season of growth, advocacy, and impact for the African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC). Based at Marywood University, the nonprofit continues its mission of education and service to Catholic sisters across 11 African countries, reaching more women religious and communities through education and partnerships while igniting hope in places where it’s needed most.
The year began with the Sisters Leadership Development Initiative (SLDI) Executive Secretaries Workshop, held in Uganda. This workshop brought together the Executive Secretaries and the chairpersons of national conferences of women religious from the 11 countries that ASEC serves, along with ASEC staff in Africa and the USA. The aim of the workshop was to provide attendees with greater knowledge about ASEC and its programs, create a space for sharing and learning about the next phase of SLDI, and to facilitate networking among national conferences. Participants of the workshop were engaged with various activities to encourage networking, discussion and shared experiences, and problem solving. Dr. Carol Zinn, Sisters of St. Joseph (SSJ), from the USA, was one of the main presenters at the workshop. A highlight of the Executive Secretaries Workshop was a Storytelling Event, where two ASEC alumnae and their beneficiaries shared touching accounts of the impact Catholic sisters have on the lives of those they serve. A highlight of the Executive Secretaries workshop, two ASEC alumnae, along with the beneficiaries of their programs shared stories of impact. After the conclusion of the workshop, ASEC staff continued their meeting and conducted site visits to the ministries of several ASEC program alumnae throughout Uganda. This marked the end of a successful workshop led by ASEC’s Executive Director and organized by the Programs unit and Africa Staff.
Read Rays of Hope
Learn more about Catholic Sisters transforming poor, rural communities across Africa in our FREE Rays of Hope ebook.
Read It Now »
Night of Storytelling attendees enjoy an exciting night of talks by Dr. Yerodin Lucas, Madi Grose, and James Sullivan, plus raffles and a 50/50 contest.
By early February, ASEC staff focused on professional development from both sides of the ocean. ASEC staff took part in an enriching Storytelling for Nonprofit Leadership and Culture workshop, to enable ASEC staff to improve how they write, share, and use data to tell the stories of impact unfolding across Africa. The storytelling workshop detailed the fundamentals of good storytelling and how to shape a story for a specific purpose. HESA orientation began in Zambia.
The month of March focused on building bridges, both in the United States and abroad. ASEC Executive Director Sr. Draru Mary Cecilia, LSMIG, traveled to Washington, D.C., to speak about the role of religious sisters in Africa during a public discussion on faith-based education and development. Her visit coincided with the installation Mass of the 8th Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, Cardinal Robert McElroy, held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, served as principal celebrant. Back in Pennsylvania, the 2025 Service Learning cohort gathered for the first time at DeSales University to prepare for the upcoming journey to Kenya. The Mission Advancement unit produced a Lenten Appeal highlighting the impactful work being done to help the Pygmy people in Cameroon. HESA Reflective Learning Workshops also began and ran through June.
From left to right, Sr. Nancy Kamau, LSOSF, Sr. Lina Wanjiku Ndugn’u, SE; Sr. Clarisse Remjika Jaiwo, SST; and Sr. Francisca Demoah, SIJ, talk to a student at the ASEC headquarters at Marywood University in Scranton, PA.
In April, ASEC hosted a string of events in Scranton. Starting with an Advisory Board Meeting, Appreciation Dinner, and Night of Storytelling, giving supporters an intimate look at the impact of sisters in Africa. The following day, ASEC held its Spring Board of Directors meeting and participated in Marywood University’s Research Day. The Board of Directors meeting included acknowledgements for ASEC U.S. and Africa staff members celebrating 10 years of service, including Sneh Akruvala, Sr. Clarisse Remjika Jaiwo, SST, Sr. Francisca Damoah, SIJ, Sr. Mary Germina Keneema, MSMMC, Sr. Hilaria Chombo, SBVM, Sr. Lina Wanjiku Ndung’u, SE, and Rosemary Shaver. Outgoing board members who were also recognized and thanked included Sr. Barbara Spears, SNJM, Sr. Florence Hee, OSF, Sr.Kathleen Lunsman, IHM, and Sr. Regina Zoot, MSN, BSN, RN, SHCJ. Phase VII of SLDI began.
Creating impact remained central in May. ASEC’s annual Service Learning Program brought students from Marywood University and Chestnut Hill to Africa from May into June. The group included four students making a return trip and working alongside sisters on community-based projects. Meanwhile, ASEC staff also traveled to the NAFSA Conference in San Diego, California, strengthening international ties with higher education leaders.
Nathan Cody Young, founder of StoryCulture Training and Consulting, guides ASEC staff on using storytelling to effectively communicate the impact of their work on beneficiaries and communities.
In June, ASEC staff and leadership remained active at major events across the globe. Sneh Akruvala attended the 7th Women and Leadership Conference by International Leadership Association (ILA) in Claremont, California. Dr. Tara Lopatofsky presented at the Conference on the History of Women Religious at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, while Sr. Draru spoke on global religious freedom at the Notre Dame Religious Liberty Summit in Dublin, Ireland, sharing ASEC’s mission during two Notre Dame events on different continents.
Most recently, in June and July, three ASEC Africa Staff Sr. Francisca Demoah, SIJ, Director West African and Director of Ghana, Sr. Clarisse Remjika Jaiwo, SST, SLDI Africa Coordinator and Director - Cameroon, and Sr. Lina Wanjiku Ndugn'u, SE, Regional Director - East and Central Africa, traveled across the United States on a mission awareness tour. Their journeys stretched from Maine to California, sharing the stories of the sisters they serve and the communities that still need support. Their visit included a return to Scranton and Marywood University, where they met with ASEC staff and students during Pacer Priorities Day. From the classroom to the community, their stories reminded all involved why this mission matters.
As summer continues, ASEC prepares for more programs and partnerships. But the first half of the year has already shown how education can transform lives. For ASEC, it’s about more than numbers. It’s about Igniting Hope, Building Bridges, and Creating Impact from Scranton to sub-Saharan Africa.
