African Sisters Education Collaborative

History of ASEC

In 2002, ASEC was awarded a $20,000 Planning Grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Fund for Sisters. This grant provided funds for three American religious to spend time in the West African countries of Nigeria and Ghana, and in the East African countries of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to research educational requirements; the priorities of the leaders of the African congregations; availability of technology, housing and transportation; as well as other resources for advancing the education of the sisters. Reports on the sites visits presented to ASEC in November 2002 pointed out some differences in the priorities expressed by the religious leaders in East and West Africa. ASEC has detailed information indicating the number of sisters who are in need of primary, secondary and university education, professional formation and the costs involved with various educational programs. While West Africa established higher education as a top priority, secondary education was the priority emphasized by East African leaders. ASEC is currently working toward addressing these priorities.

In June 2003 ASEC received a second $20,000 grant from the Hilton Fund for Sisters to provide partial support for a United States project coordinator and four coordinators from the African countries identified in the first phase of the project. Sister Anne Munley, a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Scranton, director of programs and social mission at the International Union of Superiors General in Rome, served as the US project coordinator. She visited Tanzania in November 2003 to identify potential participants in an education project.

In September, 2004, ASEC hosted a conference in Philadelphia for 18 African sisters in leadership positions and from the education community in the African countries participating in this project. ASEC wishes to work in partnership with the African women religious so that the project will be fully collaborative.

In the summer of 2005, educational projects were conducted in Nairobi, Kenya, and Cape Coast, Ghana. Sisters from all five African counties involved in the project received training in basic computer skills.

In the summer of 2006, ASEC sponsored computer maintenance and use workshop at Chestnut Hill College and Marywood University for African religious. This was followed by the establishment of computer labs in each of the five countries. Each summa, workshops are belch in the labs to upgrade the computer skills of the sisters.

In 2007, a 3-year grant from the Conrad Hilton Foundation to Marywood University in collaboration with ASEC focused on training for leadership skills of women in leadership positions in religious life.