—these are the unwavering characteristics of the people of sub-Saharan Africa, and among them we find our friends from the African Sisters Education Collaborative. At the twenty-five-year mark of the founding of ASEC, one of life’s greatest mysteries has revealed itself once again. The Founders and those who followed in their footsteps have received far more than they have given to the good people of Africa.

The Founders of ASEC believed in the power of education and the impact it might have in the lives of African women religious and their people for years, decades, and perhaps centuries to come.

The desire to empower the group’s unknown friends in the southern hemisphere was a significant driver in early conversations, limitless requests for funding, and hours of strategic preparation. Only 25 years later, an insignificant amount of time for the building of a great organization, thousands of sisters have been educated in ASEC’s programs.

One key concept in the minds of the founders as they advanced these programs was the idea that the development of skilled, competent, and humane leaders would result in the eventual flourishing of a people struggling with challenges such as access to clean water, energy shortages, unemployment, poverty, and the need for sufficient healthcare and better education, among many others. In a short time, with the immense help of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and other generous donors, sisters in 10 sub-Saharan countries became confident as they discovered their inherent gifts and put them to use in the service of others. One example of such progress is the St. Francis Community Hospital-Kasarani, Nairobi, Kenya. There, Sr. Esther Wairimu Mwangi, LSOSF, a HESA graduate, has successfully taken on a leadership role and turned a failing ministry into a viable healthcare setting for the local people. In the accompanying photo, Sr. Esther is seated at her desk (a rare occurrence) at St. Francis Hospital. As she passes through the corridors of the hospital, patients smile and wave as she addresses them by name and assures them that they will receive the care and attention they need.

This hospital is one example among many where ASEC program alumnae take leadership roles in schools, clinics, counseling centers, and social service agencies, where people are served every day of the year and their lives are improved. In turn, ASEC leaders mentor others into leadership roles and the cycle of empowerment stretches far into the future and inspires hope to all in its path.

All initiatives come with unintended, yet often amazing consequences. It is an intangible characteristic, but hope now lives in the lives of those who have been the recipients of ASEC’s meaningful work and vibrant leadership. Where there is hope, people thrive. In 25 short years, selfless leadership has ignited hope in a people who will one day pass it to new generations of African people, ASEC’s friends forever.