ASEC Staff in USA
The mission of African Sisters Education Collaborative, or ASEC (AYE-sek), is to educate Catholic women religious in Africa to strengthen their leadership capacity to provide services that address local and global challenges.
Our vision is to be a sustainable organization with a proven capacity to collaborate, develop and deliver educational programs that strengthen the capacity of women religious in Africa.
Core Values
Transformation
ASEC provides educational opportunities for women religious in Africa in order to facilitate attainment of their human potential, as well as that of the people in the communities and societies they serve, with special concern for persons most in need.
Collaboration
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.
Leadership
ASEC fosters the leadership capacity of women religious in Africa to leverage their strengths and those of their sisters, staff, students, and others they influence, to achieve common goals while developing their individual gifts and talents.
Service
ASEC cultivates an environment of service among its stakeholders by promoting social responsibility and community engagement to meet the needs of society. ASEC recognizes that women religious in Africa devote their lives to service in a spirit of compassion, humility, love, and protection for all of God’s creation.
Capacity- Building
ASEC is committed to strengthening skills, competencies, and credentials of women religious in Africa, by transferring capacity of experts through training to increase their ability to build sustainable programs and organizations that address the social, human and spiritual needs of their societies.
Reverence
ASEC respects the special value, unique talents and gifts of each person created and sustained by God. To revere life, is to act and respond with deep respect and compassion for the dignity and diversity inherent in humanity. ASEC extends services across multiple cultures and communities, to the global north and south, operating with an appreciation for the uniqueness of people and their worldviews; and with empathy by listening, reflecting, and promoting communication that is meaningful, honest and inclusive.
Catholic Sisters dedicate their lives to service. They work tirelessly to improve the conditions of their congregations and communities. But, many African Sisters simply don’t have the opportunity to learn new skills. They lack the education and resources to carry out their important work. In fact, of the 40,000 Sisters in the region ASEC serves, 48% have no higher education credentials.
We are changing that statistic.
The African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC) was established in 1999 by four Catholic universities in the U.S. and their congregations:
- the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Philadelphia (Chestnut Hill College)
- the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Scranton (Marywood University)
- the Sisters of Saint Francis of Philadelphia (Neumann University)
- the Society of the Holy Child Jesus (Rosemont College)
We received 501(c)(3) nonprofit approval in 2006, with a goal to increase African Sisters’ access to education and professional training. That same year, ASEC set up computer labs and began providing technology workshops to African Sisters in five pilot countries: Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. ASEC now serves 11 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
ASEC Staff in Africa
Educated Sisters are key players in overcoming many of Africa’s development challenges
We’ve learned that educating a Sister can result in rippling, far-reaching impacts. From improving healthcare and access to clean water, to building infrastructure and initiating income generating projects, ASEC alumnae are transforming communities.
To date, ASEC has served over 10,060 Sisters through its programs, and that number continues to grow.