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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In June, 2018, ASEC staff also toured the Our Lady of Good Counsel (OLGC) farm where the sisters grow food and keep animals, like these pigs. An SLDI alumna, Sr. Mary Lilian Baitwakakye, was able to secure funding to begin a dairy farm, which supports both the congregation and the Boni Consilii Girls Vocational Secondary school.

Investing in Africa’s Small Farms Yields Big Outcomes

Sep 6, 2021: [Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia] Catholic sisters in Africa are using crop and animal farming to sustainably support their local communities.

ARCH serves individuals of all ages who are dealing with orthopedic and neurological problems. Children come to ARCH with paralyzed arms (caused by nerve damage due to childbirth), bow legs, knocked knees, club feet and other congenital conditions. Cerebral palsy is also very common. Adults are treated for conditions such as backaches, strokes, post-accident traumas, burns and more.

The Key To Success is Doing Ordinary Things Extraordinarily Well

Aug 30, 2021: [Cameroon] Sr. Leonarda has incorporated what she’s learned about leadership, finances and accountability into her ministry work to better serve the disabled and marginalized.

This Assumption Sisters dairy farming project at Thika Farms is directed by SLDI alumna Sr. Susan Wanjiru. Fifteen cows produce 15 liters of milk per day and the manure used to add nutrients into the soil.

A Sustainable Farm Run by Catholic Nuns Reducing Food Insecurity in Rural Kenya

Aug 9, 2021: [Kenya] Sr. Susan is using her education to feed her community through a successful, sustainable farm in rural Kenya.

Sisters are using computer and technology skills learned in ASEC's programs to streamline and enhance their service work to the poor and vulnerable across Africa. Pictured are sisters from ASEC's Higher Education from Sisters in Africa (HESA) program in Tanzania, receiving personal laptops to assist them in their studies (2020).

Tech-Savvy Sisters: Catholic Nuns Share How Technology Transforms Their Apostolates

Aug 2, 2021: [Cameroon, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia] How Catholic nuns translate computer and tech skills into enhanced social services for Africa’s poor and vulnerable.

A Society of Jesus (SIJ) sister teaches young students of Infant Jesus Preparatory school in Twifo Praso, Ghana.

Nun Provides Safety to 700+ Young Students in Ghana

Jul 19, 2021: [Ghana] Sr. Irene Christine Oparku’s leadership and grant-writing skills have changed the lives of her students in Ghana.

Sub-Saharan Africa hosts more than 26% of the world’s refugee population, with Cameroon among the highest of African nations.

Sisters Offering Refuge: How Training Catholic Sisters Provides Critical Help to Refugees

Jul 5, 2021: [Cameroon] Catholic nuns in Cameroon, Africa are using their financial and leadership training to help those displaced by war and violence.

The Virtual SLDI Partners Workshop took place from June 15-17, 2021, with attendees logging in from the USA and the 10 African countries ASEC serves.

ASEC Holds SLDI Virtual Partners Workshop In Preparation For Phase VI of the Program

Jun 23, 2021: [Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, SouthSudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, USA] A three-day virtual workshop enabled staff and partners to collaboratively prepare for Phase VI of ASEC’s largest program.

Because of the undeniable benefits of mentoring, as part of the SLDI program structure, ASEC alumnae are expected to mentor at least 3 other sisters. They're also encouraged to invite their mentees to attend the annual alumnae workshops so they can network with other sisters.

African Sisters Cultivate Meaningful Change Through Mentoring

Jun 7, 2021: [Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania] Nuns provide guidance, motivation and support in their critical role as mentors, bringing to life the many benefits of mentorship in Africa.

Sr. Faida is able to provide both stability and hope amidst the chaos of a war-torn nation thanks to the skills and confidence she gained through ASEC’s SLDI program.

One Sister’s Solutions to a War Torn South Sudan

May 24, 2021: [SouthSudan, Uganda] Sr. Faida noticed how difficult it was for her neighbors to obtain healthy food during lockdown. So, she and the sisters taught them how to plant vegetables using sacks and broken buckets on their veranda.

Highly trusted members of their communities, Catholic sisters are in a unique position of service, especially during times of crisis in Africa, when emergency response is needed.

Bringing Light to the Darkness: Catholic Sisters on the Front Lines in Africa

May 3, 2021: [Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia] Catholic sisters have become a critical component of emergency response among local African communities in crisis.

Sr. Astridah recognized that most public health messages regarding the pandemic were only being transmitted in English, which made the information inaccessible to many Zambian citizens. So, she invited other sisters on her radio program in order to translate critical pandemic information to local dialects.

Nun's Radio Show Disseminates COVID-19 Info to Zambians in Multiple Languages

Apr 20, 2021: [Zambia] Sr. Astridah is using the leadership skills she learned in ASEC's SLDI program to share critical health information about COVID-19 pandemic to 1.5 million Zambians via a multilingual radio show.

Through ASEC's SLDI program, sisters are learning to be effective leaders, articulate the needs of their communities and find the pathway to successfully fulfilling those needs.

Following the Ripples - How Educating One Person Can Benefit Hundreds in Need

Apr 19, 2021: [Zambia] The stories of four African women who used their education to change the lives of hundreds of people they serve.

Using the leadership, technology and finance training she gained through SLDI, Sr. Norah (left) she secured a grant to build the new Baringo Maternity Wing specifically to reduce and prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS.

Reducing the Spread and Stigma of HIV/AIDS in Kenya

Apr 12, 2021: [Kenya] Sr. Norah is saving lives by providing preventative care and support services that reduce the spread and stigma of HIV/AIDS in Kenya.

Catholic Sisters are implementing safety and protection measures for youth using the education and skills they gained through ASEC-sponsored programs. In Cameroon, SLDI alumna Sr. Ayumbi’s leadership skills were put to the test when she spearheaded a team that liberated 20 kidnapped children.

Catholic Sisters Create a Safer World by Protecting Africa’s Children

Apr 5, 2021: [Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia] Catholic sisters are creating and running programs to protect the children who are the most at-risk among Africa’s rapidly growing population.

Many Catholic sisters in Africa dedicate their lives to ensuring the safety and protection of vulnerable children.

Meet 3 Sisters Behind Programs & Policies that Protect African Children

Mar 29, 2021: [Ghana, Kenya, Zambia] ASEC alumnae implement programs and policies that protect and promote the welfare of children in Kenya, Ghana and Zambia.

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