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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Sr. Mary Persico talking with an ASEC-sponsored CUEA graduate in Nairobi, Kenya (October, 2019).

On the Other Side of Reverence

last month: [Kenya, USA] Sr. Mary Persico, IHM, Ed.D., President, Marywood University; ASEC Board of Directors Founding Member, reflects on her 2019 trip to Kenya, Africa, humbled and grateful for her experience of reverence.

Educated sisters are creating ripple effects by helping marginalized individuals in their communities.

Ripple Effects: Sisters Serving Individuals in Need

last month: [Cameroon, Malawi, Nigeria, SouthSudan] Catholic sisters in Africa see how using their education to help just one person can have an exponential positive effect on their communities.

Photos from Mama Kevina Hope Center for Children with Disabilities in Tanzania, provided by Sr. Swai (pictured left).

Getting the Right Education for Children with Disabilities

last month: [Tanzania, Uganda] Equipped with confidence, skills and a psychology degree, Sr. Swai is helping physically and mentally disabled children in Africa get the early intervention services they need.

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

3 months ago: [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.

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

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

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

4 months ago: [Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia] Catholic sisters in Africa are using crop and animal farming to sustainably support their local communities.

Sisters are using computer and technology skills learned in ASEC's programs to streamline and enhance their service work to the poor and vulnerable across Africa. Pictured are sisters from ASEC's Higher Education from Sisters in Africa (HESA) program in Tanzania, receiving personal laptops to assist them in their studies (2020).

Tech-Savvy Sisters: Catholic Nuns Share How Technology Transforms Their Apostolates

5 months ago: [Cameroon, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia] How Catholic nuns translate computer and tech skills into enhanced social services for Africa’s poor and vulnerable.

Many improvements at St. Matia Primary School can be attributed to Sr. Betty’s leadership as head teacher. And Sr. Betty credits the education she has received through HESA for her success. Photo by Blair Harmon, Unsplash.com.

Ugandan Nun Makes Huge Improvements at Rural Primary School

7 months ago: [Uganda] As head teacher, Sr. Betty is using her HESA program education to provide a stable yet constantly improving learning environment for kids in Uganda.

Sr. Faida is able to provide both stability and hope amidst the chaos of a war-torn nation thanks to the skills and confidence she gained through ASEC’s SLDI program.

One Sister’s Solutions to a War Torn South Sudan

8 months ago: [SouthSudan, Uganda] Sr. Faida noticed how difficult it was for her neighbors to obtain healthy food during lockdown. So, she and the sisters taught them how to plant vegetables using sacks and broken buckets on their veranda.

Malawian sisters who graduate from ASEC's programs are invited to annual Alumnae and Reflective Learning Workshops. This enables sisters to continue networking and continue their education through presentations and discussions on relevant topics and emerging issues. Pictured: Participants of ASEC Alumnae Workshop in Malawi (February, 2020).

ASEC Forming Effective, Collaborative Agents of Change in Malawi

8 months ago: [Malawi] "ASEC programs need to be commended and encouraged," says Rev. Fr. Dr. Alfred Chaima. "We pray that the sponsors continue to invest in these programs."

After an internal evaluation of their finances, it was discovered that the congregation utilized a great deal of funds to supply electricity that heated the water in their Provincial House (Riruta, Nairobi). Sr. Susan was able to use her education to write a successful grant allowing her congregation to convert their hot water heating system to solar. This resulted in a a truly renewable energy source that's less expensive for the sisters to maintain.

Using Solar Energy to Support Kenyan Sisters in their Missions

8 months ago: [Kenya] The Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood in Kenya and Nairobi now have reliable, renewable energy thanks Sr. Susan’s grantmaking skills.

Highly trusted members of their communities, Catholic sisters are in a unique position of service, especially during times of crisis in Africa, when emergency response is needed.

Bringing Light to the Darkness: Catholic Sisters on the Front Lines in Africa

8 months ago: [Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia] Catholic sisters have become a critical component of emergency response among local African communities in crisis.

Using the leadership, technology and finance training she gained through SLDI, Sr. Norah (left) she secured a grant to build the new Baringo Maternity Wing specifically to reduce and prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS.

Reducing the Spread and Stigma of HIV/AIDS in Kenya

9 months ago: [Kenya] Sr. Norah is saving lives by providing preventative care and support services that reduce the spread and stigma of HIV/AIDS in Kenya.

Catholic Sisters are implementing safety and protection measures for youth using the education and skills they gained through ASEC-sponsored programs. In Cameroon, SLDI alumna Sr. Ayumbi’s leadership skills were put to the test when she spearheaded a team that liberated 20 kidnapped children.

Catholic Sisters Create a Safer World by Protecting Africa’s Children

9 months ago: [Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia] Catholic sisters are creating and running programs to protect the children who are the most at-risk among Africa’s rapidly growing population.

Many Catholic sisters in Africa dedicate their lives to ensuring the safety and protection of vulnerable children.

Meet 3 Sisters Behind Programs & Policies that Protect African Children

9 months ago: [Ghana, Kenya, Zambia] ASEC alumnae implement programs and policies that protect and promote the welfare of children in Kenya, Ghana and Zambia.

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