Society of the Holy Child Jesus
Rosemont, PA

Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Scranton, PA

Sisters of St. Francis
Philadelphia, PA

Sisters of St. Joseph
Philadelphia, PA

Chestnut Hill College
Philadelphia, PA

Marywood University
Scranton, PA

Neumann College
Aston, PA

Rosemont College
Rosemont, PA

ASEC Projects

Project Bigwa School

The women religious in the East African countries of Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya stressed an urgent need for secondary and professional education. Many sisters entered religious congregations having completed primary education and then spent time in initial formation and in ministry before starting secondary education. Specific recommendations have been made to meet the needs of the sisters in each of these countries. As a first step, ASEC is committed to supporting the Bigwa Sisters' Secondary School in Tanzania in order to help provide secondary education for several hundred sisters from 22 different religious congregations. When these sisters complete secondary study they will be eligible for higher education.

Because the Tanzanian educational system is modeled on that of the British, it is necessary to provide the means for the sisters to advance from the "O" (ordinary) level to the "A" (advanced diploma) level of education in order to gain access to colleges and universities. It is imperative as well that the sisters have access to the "A" level in order to minister competently and confidently. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to construct laboratories for physics, chemistry and biology and to procure appropriate equipment and instructors. The estimated cost for construction of a science building is $50,000. The annual cost of educating a sister at Bigwa is $450.

Fund-raising efforts are on-going for the facilities and for programming at the Bigwa School.

The Bigwa initiative is small in relationship to the overall educational needs of the continent but, if successful, will be a hopeful step forward for the religious women of Africa and for the people with whom they minister.

For more information on the ASEC project, please contact
Jacquelyn Ernster, OSB, Ph.D.
ASEC Executive Director
Marywood University
2300 Adams Ave
Scranton, PA 18509
570-961-4700
jernster@marywood.edu