Malawi alumnae plant trees in efforts to conserve the environment
African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC)
Executive members of the ASEC Alumnae Association in Malawi planting a tree.
Tue, Feb 21, 2017
Malawi alumnae plant trees with the view of conserving the environment, contradicting popular perceptions about the work of religious sisters.
From the chapel to the field ‘Malawi alumnae contradicts peoples’ perceptions
Peoples’ perception has been that the place of a religious sister is the chapel. However, today Malawi alumnae planted trees with the view of conserving the environment which really surprised a lot of people.
This is in line with the call from Pope Francis to conservation the environment which is a response to God’s call. Again the action chosen to mitigate the effects of environmental degradation is in tandem with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The Pope says that, the time has come when religion has to talk with science. The Pope invites us to read Biblical texts ‘till’ and ‘keep’ the garden of the world (cf. Gen 2:15). Where tilling refers to cultivating, plowing or working while keeping means caring, protecting, overseeing and preserving.
In their message to the Malawi nation the sisters are inviting the Malawians and the world at large to seriously look at the way we are losing our forest cover, which is leading to catastrophic soil erosion, drying up of rivers or lakes. There is need to place more emphasis on conservation farming.
It is the duty of human being to protect the earth and ensure its fruitfulness for coming generations, as such human beings are placed with the responsibility to understand the mystery of creation and lead all creation back to God. (#67). We are therefore called to examine we live in harmony with the rest of the created order; how we use and share the goods of the earth and finally what we pass on to the future generation.
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ASEC Sr. Program Manager Dr. Rosemary Shaver and Finance Manager Betsy Hartshorn were grateful for the opportunity to visit Kenya and see first-hand how ASEC sisters are transforming their communities.
In 2019, Sr. Magdalena Laurent Izengo started her courses through ASEC's SLDI program in Tanzania. Since then, she has used her knowledge and skills to secure funding for projects that keep children in her community safe. Read about it in her own words.
Sr. Maria N. Isaya, a religious woman of the Institute of the Little Sisters of St. Francis in Tanzania, started her journey with ASEC in 2016 through the Higher Education for Sisters in Africa (HESA). Since then she has brought transformation to her community by using her skills to provide education to those in poverty, improving their overall quality of life.
