Guided by ASEC connections and inspired leadership, Sr. Caroline Ngati, ASE, transformed barren land in Kenya into the thriving Dorothea Rescue Center, offering safety, education, and hope to vulnerable girls while enriching ASEC’s Service Learning experiences.
Imagine a barren piece of land transformed into a thriving sanctuary for young girls, a place for them to feel loved, cherished, and secure—this is the Dorothea Rescue Center.
In 2024 and 2025, ASEC Service Learning participants had the opportunity to conduct service activities at the Dorothea Rescue Center in Tala, Kenya. Both years the participants were comprised of students, faculty mentors, and religious sisters from Marywood University and Chestnut Hill College. Sr. Caroline Ngati, ASE, the center’s director, became a vital part of the program—inspiring others to imagine a world were it is good for all to be.
Since arriving at the center in 2021, Sr. Caroline has overseen incredible growth in the service the center is able to provide. The word “imagine” became her powerful mantra, encapsulating the remarkable progress and success achieved. In dedication to Sr. Caroline’s infectious spirit, “Imagine!” also became the slogan of the 2025 Service Learning experience. Through Sr. Caroline’s tireless efforts, the rescue center went from desolate land to a vibrant community, complete with a school, health center, and home for young girls from the street. She inspires everyone to envision what is possible and to diligently work towards achieving those goals.
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Hosting Service Learning groups in 2024 and 2025, Sr. Caroline observed first-hand the students’ exceptional commitment and ability to seamlessly integrate with the local team in Kenya, feeling more like family than visitors or participants.
A mentee of an SLDI alum herself, Sr. Caroline understands ASEC’s commitment to providing educational opportunities and the importance of building bonds with the community. She credits the strong relationship formed between her team and ASEC staff for the success of the trips. Sr. Caroline made a point to engage as much as possible with the students, even taking on the role of their driver to other service sites. This level of involvement fostered a warm, congenial atmosphere, with everyone—from the staff at various sites to the girls at the center—viewing the trip participants as extensions of their own families. Although next year’s trip will not be returning to Kenya, she warmly invites Service Learning alumni to visit whenever they wish.
Since 2008, ASEC’s Service Learning Program has engaged 154 individuals and completed 9 successful trips to either Tanzania, Ghana, or Kenya. The program provides students, sisters, and mentors in the United States with authentic cultural immersion experiences in order to build cross-cultural awareness and mutual respect. Program participants provide a variety of service while on their trips including tutoring young children, participating in food distributions, and providing social services support, among others.
In 2025, Service Learning participants provided service at six different sites, all assisted by their inspiring site host, Sr. Caroline. As the program looks towards next year’s trip to a new ASEC country, Sr. Caroline encourages future site hosts to cultivate and maintain close ties. Through her leadership and commitment, Sr. Caroline has demonstrated how strong relationships and community engagement can enhance the Service Learning experience, leaving a profound and enduring impact on all involved.
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Through ASEC’s programs, sisters gain the leadership and training needed to build schools, shelters, health centers, and life-changing initiatives for vulnerable children and families. Your support empowers more sisters across Africa to imagine what is possible—and then make it real for the communities they serve.
This article is addressing the following UN Sustainable Development Goal(s):
