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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The virtue of charitable giving enables ASEC to be a blessing and a bridge for the women religious in Africa who receive training and education and, in turn, become shining Rays of Hope to the people they serve in their societies.

Catholic Sisters: Building Virtue Bridges

Nov 22, 2021: [USA] Although the challenges of the pandemic continue to impact development efforts, ASEC continues to build virtue bridges for women religious in Africa with many positive outcomes in 2020-21.

ASEC's last two service trips to Africa have been postponed due to COVID-19, but staff are continuously working to improve the program experience. We remain eager to resume the program once it's safe to do so.

ASEC Plans to Resume Service Learning Program "As Soon as Possible"

Nov 15, 2021: [USA] Although 2020 and 2021 service trips to Africa were cancelled, ASEC continues to build infrastructure and partnerships to enhance the service trip experience when it's safe to do so.

Through the Research Initiative, ASEC strives to increase the academic literature available on Catholic women religious in Africa and develop sisters as critical investigators.

Catholic Sisters: Critical Investigators and Capable Researchers for Africa

Nov 8, 2021: [Ghana, Uganda, USA] In 2021, the ASEC Research Initiative saw tremendous growth in the areas of academic publication and research-related webinars. Learn how ASEC is supporting African sisters' in their scholarly research.

ASEC Executive Director Sr. Draru Mary Cecilia, LMSIG, speaks to students of NativityMiguel on October 15, 2021 at the Marian Chapel in the Swartz Center for Spiritual Life on Marywood University's campus in Scranton, PA. Many thanks to Mr. Tim Casey, Principal of NativtyMiguel, for sharing photos from the discussion.

ASEC Executive Director Speaks to Students of NativityMiguel School of Scranton

Nov 3, 2021: [Uganda, USA] ASEC Executive Director Sr. Draru Mary Cecilia, LSMIG, speaks to students about her life, journey and experience as a religious sister from Uganda.

Sr. M. Tryphina Burchard, STH, ASEC Country Director (center), with two ASEC scholarship recipients during the 2021 Scholarship program orientation workshop in Tanzania.

Scholarship Program 2021: Bridging the Gap to Higher Education for Sisters in Africa

Nov 1, 2021: [Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia] A year in review of ASEC's Scholarship Program for women religious in Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Ghana, Kenya and Lesotho. Read about the program growth, celebrations and achievements as 2021 comes to an end.

Left: The newly blessed a sanctuary for the Holy Child Jesus in the Cathedral. Right: Sr. Nancy Kamau (Director of Development, ASEC), Jayson Boyers (President, Rosemont College) and Sr. Draru Mary Cecilia (Executive Director, ASEC) in front of the Joseph Sinnott Mansion is the Main Building at Rosemont College. The property was purchased for $250,000 by the Sisters of the Holy Child of Jesus in 1921 and later sold for $1 to Rosemont College in 1927.

ASEC Joins in Celebration of the 175th Anniversary of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus

Oct 29, 2021: [USA] On October 16-17, 2021, representatives from ASEC traveled to Philadelphia, PA, to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, one of ASEC’s founding congregations.

Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco in Kenya provide support to their community during COVID-19.

ASEC Call for Universal Vaccination

Oct 26, 2021: [USA] ASEC calls for universal vaccination as a necessity and a human right for every individual across the globe.

HESA best-in-class graduates from Veritas University in Nigeria at the ASEC graduation celebration (2021).

Higher Education for Sisters in Africa (HESA) Program, 2021 Year in Review

Oct 25, 2021: [Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, SouthSudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, USA] A year in review of the Higher Education for Sisters in Africa (HESA) program. Read HESA news, graduation announcements, student achievements and program growth.

Sr. Judith Atukwatse, OLGC, used the skills she learned in SLDI to start a vegetable and poultry project for her community in Uganda.

Sisters Leadership Development Initiative (SLDI) Program, 2021 Year in Review

Oct 18, 2021: [Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, SouthSudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia] A year in review of the Sisters Leadership Development Initiative (SLDI) program. Read about milestones, news and experiences from 2021.

Reverence As Our North Star

Oct 11, 2021: [USA] ASEC Executive Director Sr. Draru Mary Cecilia, LMSIG reflects on the core value of Reverence and how ASEC used reverence as a north star to guide the organization through the challenges faced in 2020-21.

Armed with an education and technology training, Catholic sisters are unleashing their creativity across sub-Saharan Africa to implement innovative and creative solutions to real world problems. Pictured above, sisters Odette and Cecilia explore technology on a cell phone.

A Sister’s Seed of Imagination Grows a Field of Hope

Oct 4, 2021: [Cameroon, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia] Catholic sisters in Africa are using their education to dream up creative human development projects that help their local communities.

Sr. Lucy proves that with an education you can achieve absolutely anything you dream of. She's using what she's learned to reach out to those in need. Here, she's leading the

Blessed, Empowered and Happy: How Education Has Helped Fuel a Nun’s Life Work

Sep 13, 2021: [Kenya] For Sr. Lucy, education has been the key to realizing the vision she had and fulling the mission of her Kenyan community.

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.

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