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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Clockwise from top left: Sr. Kathryn Clauss, IHM, presents at ASEC’s Night of Storytelling, Sr. Draru Mary Cecilia, LSMIG, networks at ACCU Annual Meeting, ASEC staff visits the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Mission Advancement 2023 Year in Review

Jan 1, 2024: [USA] In 2023, ASEC continued to empower Catholic sisters in Africa through training and education while expanding its outreach and preparing for its 25th Anniversary amid global challenges.

2023 Service Learning participants at service sites in Ghana.

A Return to Africa

Jan 1, 2024: [Ghana] The ASEC Service Learning Program resumed in 2023, with students from Chestnut Hill College and Marywood University traveling to Ghana for three weeks, where they engaged in volunteer work, cultural immersion, and academic study.

Clockwise from the top left: Sr. Innocentia Ndikum, SOM, at poultry raising project in Cameroon, Sr. Immaculator Rugumila, FDCC, with scout children at Canossa Primary School in Tanzania, Sr. Harriet Baker, IHMR, cares for patient in Uganda.

ASEC's Path to Sustainability

Jan 1, 2024: [USA] ASEC empowers Catholic sisters in Africa to transform marginalized communities through education and leadership, with its Path to Sustainability Initiative securing future support via a matching challenge grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

ASEC nurtures multi-layered partnerships that further its mission in accordance with the gospel call to unity and solidarity. Recognizing the shared goal of furthering educational opportunities for women religious in Africa, ASEC works together with partners in the spirit of global sisterhood to support the personal and spiritual growth of sisters in Africa.

Partnerships Rooted in Collaboration

Jan 1, 2024: [Kenya, USA] Collaboration is central to ASEC's mission, exemplified by partnerships with educational institutions and national conferences of religious across ten African countries, all aimed at empowering Catholic sisters through education, as highlighted in the 2023 HESA Partners Conference.

Sr. Josephine Kwenga wins People's Choice Award for Project on Sustainable Human Development

Oct 10, 2023: [Kenya] On September 27, 2023 ASEC participant Sr. Josephine Muthoni Kwenga, SJT won a People's Choice Award for her Sustainable Agriculture Project in Kenya.

HESA Partners Conference takes place in Nairobi

Jun 16, 2023: [Kenya] The 2023 HESA Partners Conference took place in Nairobi, Kenya from June 13-17th.

Sr. Mini visiting ASEC's Headquarters in Scranton, PA from May 8-11, 2023. She is the first CARA-ASEC Visiting Scholar to be selected from India and the 9th scholar to enter the fellowship. While touring Scranton during her visit with ASEC, staff took Sr. Mini to the tulip fields at Brown Hill Farms in Tunkhannock, PA.

9th Visiting Scholar Selected for CARA Research Fellowship

Jun 6, 2023: [USA] Sr. Mini Joseph, JMJ, India, is the 9th scholar selected for six month research fellowship with The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) Georgetown University.

ASEC to host inaugural fundraiser: "A Night of Storytelling"

Mar 24, 2023: [USA] African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC) is hosting the inaugural fundraising event, A Night of Storytelling, on Wednesday, April 26th, 2023, in Marywood University’s Fireplace Lounge in Nazareth Hall from 6:30-8 pm.

Top left: Sr. Angela Chinaenye Ibe of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; top right: Sr. Kiden Christine Janet, Missionary Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary; bottom left: Sr. Grace Akunna John-Emezi of the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus; bottom right: Sr. Bi Eveline Ambe, Sisters of St. Ann

How can we measure the impact of education?

Mar 2, 2023: [Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, SouthSudan] We measure the impact of education through qualitative data by interviewing ASEC sisters, both those current students and alumnae. Through learning their stories, we can connect the dots between education and transformation, both within the sisters and their communities.

Members from ASEC US headquarters and faculty from DMI-St. Eugene meet via Zoom to sign partnership agreement.

ASEC signs new partnership with DMI-St. Eugene in Zambia

Feb 22, 2023: [Zambia, USA] DMI-St. Eugene University in Zambia is the first partner university in Africa to have been founded by religious women.

ASEC alumnae learn to make liquid soap at a workshop in Tanzania in January of 2023.

Sisters gather for alumnae workshop, use agriculture to feed communities in Tanzania

Feb 21, 2023: [Tanzania] Women religious go where the need is greatest and do everything they can to fulfill it, including increasing the availability of opportunities for agricultural growth in Tanzania.

ASEC Sisters teach children how to dance at St. Peter Clavery School in Mikumi, Tanzania

Dance in African Christianity and Culture as Explained by an ASEC Sister

Feb 16, 2023: [Kenya, Zambia, USA] After being with ASEC for a year, I’ve had the opportunity to learn so much about Catholic sisters, African culture, and some of the unique and beautiful traditions of Catholicism in Africa. One thing that I’ve noticed is the power of incorporating dance into graduations, mass and religious celebrations in Africa. I wanted to know more.

Staff members pose with the DISC assessment chart after the team development conference on February 2, 2023.

ASEC US Staff Learn About Work Styles in Development Training

Feb 7, 2023: [USA] The Collective 180, a consulting group that helps foster positive workplace relationships and environments through assessment-based training and development, spent two days with US ASEC staff recently. This is what we learned.

SLDI alumna Sr. Elizabeth Wambui in charge of the counseling services offered at the Reuben Center in Mukuru, Kenya.

ASEC Staff Visit Kenya for Convening, Graduation and Site Visits

Jan 13, 2023: [Kenya] 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.

On the left: Sr. Magdalena showcases the manuals she has been able to write for her congregation as a result of her education. On the right: Sr. Magdalena mentors youth on basic technology skills.

In Her Words: A Heart that Appreciates 'Mother ASEC'

Jan 3, 2023: [Tanzania] 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.

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