The 4th Global International Research Network Symposium, hosted by the Centre for Research in Religious Life and Apostolate (CERRA-Africa) at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), was held June 10-12, 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya. Over 500 participants from Kenya, Cameroon, India, the United States, and Mexico attended the symposium. Hosted in collaboration with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the Centre for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), and institutions of women religious worldwide, the theme of the symposium was “Consecrated Women in Africa Creating Global Impact Through Sustainable Development.”
ASEC’s Country Office in Kenya was invited to help mobilize HESA alumnae and students to participate in the symposium. About 250 HESA alumnae and ongoing students were in attendance at the symposium. Sr. Germina Kenema, MSMMC, ASEC Country Director-Uganda and Sr. Juliana Zulu, RGS, ASEC Country Director-Zambia were also present.
The event showcased the often-overlooked contributions of Catholic sisters in Africa to integral sustainable human development. Scholars, practitioners, women religious, and Church leaders engaged in multidisciplinary dialogue on their spiritual, social, and developmental roles. Through research, testimonies, and thematic sessions on education, formation, care for the elderly, and ministry, the symposium highlighted sisters’ continued leadership and transformative impact in both faith-based and secular contexts.
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The United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, a global blueprint to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all.
Ahead of the symposium, CERRA-Africa called for papers examining the diverse roles and transformative impact of Catholic sisters. Submissions were to capture lived experiences, reveal the often “silent presence” of consecrated women religious, and assess their influence in education, evangelization, healing, and social justice. The aim was to “deepen appreciation for their tireless service, document their legacy, and highlight their overlooked contributions to sustainable development, fostering recognition of their enduring impact in Africa and across the world.”
ASEC staff, alumnae, and students presented a total of four research papers/articles at the symposium:
- Sr. Joyce Nyakwama, SSND, ASEC Country Director-Kenya: Reading the Signs of the Time in Africa: The Rise of Professional Catholic Sisters in Ministry
- Sr. Susan Kajuju Thiruaine, SFIC & Sr. Beatrice Akinyi Origa, FSJ, HESA Alumnae: The contribution of African Sisters Education Collaborative-Higher Education for Sisters in Africa (ASEC-HESA) to Quality Education of Sisters in Kenya
- Sr. Elizabeth Mbithe Muli, DSH, HESA Alum: Remarkable Impact of Consecrated Women Religious Through Education for Sustainable Development in Africa
- Sr. Rebecca Adhiambo Otieno, MI, SLDI Alum: Lived Experience: Finance Management in Ministry
- Sr. Agnes Olayode Eponge, HHCJ, HESA Alum: How can the Montessori Teaching Method be Applied in Handmaids Secondary Schools?
This is just one way ASEC alumnae are collaborating to utilize locally and globally their collective knowledge, experience, and expertise for innovative ministry. ASEC congratulates HESA alumnae and staff for providing such enlightening contributions to this research event!
