Who We Are
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
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 10,700 Sisters through its programs, and that number continues to grow.