ASEC News & Reflections

ASEC is serving Catholic Sisters in 10 sub-Saharan African countries, providing access to educational opportunities. There is much to celebrate regarding the work of ASEC and the impact of Sisters who are benefiting from our programs.

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ASEC Program Director Sr. Juliana Zulu, RGS, shows the love and care of a sister to a little girl in Zambia.

COVID-19 Impact in Africa - ASEC Stakeholder Engagement Report

Aug 24, 2020: [USA] This impact study aims to understand ASEC stakeholders’ experiences and coping mechanisms during the COVID-19 pandemic so we can provide proactive response to their needs.

Sr. Aloysia Sebueng Makoae, SNJM, Lesotho, arrived at Georgetown on February 7, 2020 for a six month research fellowship.

6th Visiting Scholar Selected for CARA Research Fellowship

Feb 10, 2020: [Lesotho] Sr. Aloysia Sebueng Makoae, SNJM, Lesotho, arrives at Georgetown University for six month research fellowship with The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA).

Between 2012 and 2018, there has been a 19.5% increase in the number of women religious in the countries ASEC serves.

Number of Nuns on the Rise: Africa's Growing Sisterhood

Nov 18, 2019: [USA] The sisterhood is growing in Africa and ASEC strives to meet the educational needs of Catholic nuns who are serving Africa's poor and vulnerable.

“when we let ourselves be chosen by Jesus, it is to serve: to serve the people of God, to serve the poor, men and women who are outcasts, living on the fringes of society, to serve children and the elderly...Letting ourselves be chosen by Jesus means letting ourselves be chosen to serve, and not to be served.” -Pope Francis

The Link Between Servant Leadership and Higher Education: Women Religious in Sub-Saharan Africa

Oct 28, 2019: [Kenya, USA] Does participation in a post-secondary education program transform Kenyan sisters’ understanding of their lives as women religious?

Sr. Margaret Mary Dione Ajebe-Sone, SST, M.Ed. of Cameroon (standing, 2nd from left) visiting with ASEC staff at Marywood University. Sr. Margaret is the fifth Sister scholar accepted for a six month research fellowship with ASEC partner, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), Georgetown University.

5th Visiting Scholar Selected for CARA Research Fellowship

Sep 25, 2019: [Cameroon, USA] Sr. Margaret Dione Ajebe-Sone, SST, of Cameroon is the fifth Sister scholar accepted for a six month research fellowship to learn applied research skills in the apostolate at the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), Georgetown University.

As they develop skills in areas relevant to their ministries and congregations, participants of ASEC's Sisters Leadership Development Initiative (SLDI) program build their capacity to act as servant leaders and role models. Photo of SLDI Finance I workshop particpants in Uganda (July, 2018)

8 Characteristics of Servant Leaders (with examples and quotes)

Jul 10, 2019: [USA] The 8 characteristics of servant leaders and quotes from true servant leaders that emphasize the impact of education on servant leadership.

Sr. Hellen Bandiho, STH, Ph.D. of Tanzania is the fourth Sister scholar accepted for a six month research fellowship at the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), Georgetown University.

4th Visiting Scholar Selected for CARA Research Fellowship

Jun 24, 2019: [Tanzania, USA] Sr. Hellen Anthony Bandiho, STH, of Tanzania is the fourth Sister scholar accepted for a six month research fellowship to learn applied research skills in the apostolate at the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), Georgetown University.

Tara Lopatofsky, Ph.D., CCLS, successfully defends her doctoral dissertation research on March 28, 2019 at Marywood University, Scranton, PA.

Dr. Tara Lopatofsky, Awarded Ph.D. for Research on Catholic Sisters in Kenya

Apr 25, 2019: [Kenya, USA] ASEC HESA Evaluator Tara Lopatofsky, Ph.D., CCLS receives Doctorate in Administration and Leadership from Marywood University after successful defense of her research on the impact of post-secondary education on Catholic Sisters in Kenya.

a portion of the book cover for Transformative Partnerships: Role of Agencies, Foundations, Institutions in Promoting Strategic Social and Sustainable Change for Women Religious in Africa.

ASEC's Transformative Partnerships Book Launch Takes Place in Nairobi

Feb 1, 2019: [Kenya] Transformative Partnerships invites us into an emerging field of research on women religious in the Global South. The book launch took place Feb 2, 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Sr. Joan Chisala, CSJB, of Zambia, is the third African sister to be awarded a six-month fellowship to work as part of a research team at the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

3rd Visiting Scholar Selected for CARA Research Fellowship

Aug 21, 2018: [Zambia, USA] Sr. Joan Chisala, CSJB, of Zambia is the third sister scholar accepted for a six month research fellowship to learn applied research skills in the apostolate at the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), Georgetown University.