Category Archives: Women with Women

Sr. Elisabeth Herkommer (in the pink cardigan) taught women to produce a precise and beautiful work in kabyl embroidery.   Sr. Franceline Hien from the community of Hydra/Algiers, visited Sr Elisabeth in Larbaa-Nath Iraten   The presence of the White Sisters in Kabylia has had a positive impact on the population who still value our presence, as a congregation, at their side. For around twenty years our sister Elisabeth has remained alone in Larbaa-Nath Iraten where she started this Berber embroidery and sewing training center. Training at the time lasted three years, to obtain a diploma as craftsman or instructor. Several women benefited from quality training which offered them work. Currently, the center operates with 14 women (Artisans and Instructors) Sunday April 21, I went to visit the center with the intention of writing this article in honor of our sister Elisabeth without realizing that shortly afterwards she was going…

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MSOLA SMNDA missionary sisters Africa sœurs missionnaires Afrique

  Sr Agathe Ngendakumana shares her celebration of International Women’s Day in Gumo, Ghana   It was a first in Gumo! For several months, I had dreamed of going to see the women of Gumo, to get to know them and celebrate their international day. Questions came to me from the bottom of my heart: Agathe, is this possible in Gumo? Agathe, are you ready to take a step? To risk? The answer was “Yes, Courage!” He is with you who sends you.” After a time of observation, listening and meditation, I informed my community of this project. Then I informed the women of our Christian community. They received the news very well. One of them volunteered to continue the reflection with me and find two Muslim women who would help us inform groups or small associations here in the village. I also informed Mr. James, the leader of the…

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Schoolgirls in Tchad   At the Notre Dame de la Trinité school, where two of our sisters work, there was a soccer match between the girls of this school and those of another neighboring school in preparation for the International Women’s Day. On the very day of this beautiful celebration, our students demonstrated their talents through songs, poems and sketches. It was a good opportunity for women to express their desire to collaborate with men in the administration as they recognize that most people in the public service are men.  This is because there are many who still have the mentality that women should be at home taking care of children and doing housework. Here is the coordinator’s message on behalf of all the women of Deli: “As a result, women were once neglected by their husbands, their brothers, their parents and even the State in decision-making, in the workplace,…

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  Sunday September 17, 2023, Spéciosa, Celina and Cécile left early in the morning for a 195 km drive. This little one-day trip was born first of all from the desire to share with Celina what our community experiences with Muslim women in the city of Kef. Also, we felt certain about something, without really knowing why and what awaited us: the certainty was that it was God who called us to take this path. Driven by this inner conviction shared as a community, we hit the road. We entrusted it to Mary through hymns and prayers, then we listened to this text: “Transformation involves listening to our deepest longings and greatest aspirations to create a new vision for the future. It requires letting go of what is no longer true, real or life-giving and listening to God’s call to new life. It is an organic, emergent, and continually itinerant…

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MSOLA SMNDA Africa Afrique missionary sisters sœurs missionnaires

  Sr. Theopista Nakamya Mbabazi, in the community of Nairobi South B, Kenya, shares her experience in the slums of Nairobi: in two encounters with women she shares how the transforming love of the Risen Lord called her to be humble and little in order to raise others up… Clementine, from Rwanda, found herself in a stressful situation in Kenya after being tricked by a stranger. She was brought to Kenya in 2017 and she has three daughters: one she left in Rwanda, another she came with to Kenya and another she gave birth to while in Kenya. Clementine had been approached by someone in her village with the offer to take her to Kenya and marry her to a well-to-do man. She agreed and once in Kenya, she was taken to Nyeri (Othaya) and joined a man in a cohabitation relationship. The man spoke a foreign language which she did…

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By Sr. Sylviane Rouamba, community of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania   As our Founder said, “To learn the language and culture of a people is to belong to that people”. This invitation from Cardinal Charles Lavigerie gives me the courage to learn Swahili with joy and love.   I am delighted to share with you my experience of learning Swahili in Tanzania, in our community of Dar Es Salaam. This experience has filled my heart with happiness because it has helped me feel part of this country as if I were in my own country.   I started learning Swahili on January 9, 2023. I started by learning the basics, i.e. greetings such as “Tumsifu Yesu Kristu”, the greeting used by Tanzanian Catholic Christians, “Habari za asubuhi” (good morning), “Habari za jioni” (good evening). Then I learned verbs, grammar and vocabulary. Little by little, I was able to speak, follow the conversation…

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On January 31, 2023, Sister Vickness N. Muleya, in charge of the Delwendé Center in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, was decorated for her commitment and dedication in the apostolate with vulnerable women. The Burkinabé State thus wanted to express its gratitude to the Church for its participation in the development of the country and the Burkinabé people. Sr Vickness was made a ‘Knight of the Order of the Stallion’. The ceremony took place at the Grand Chancellery in the presence of His Eminence Cardinal Philippe Ouedraogo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Ouagadougou. The decoration was presented by the Chancellor. The Cardinal thanked the State and all its collaborators for having recognized the effort of the Church throughout the history of the country. He is grateful to the daughters and sons of Lavigerie for their role in the evangelization of the Burkinabe people: he recalled that it is thanks to them that the Church…

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  This important aspect of our charism makes us attentive to everything that affects women in general, and African women in particular. Thus, in 2022, thanks to the aid received for apostolic activities, our Congregation supported the Spanish association: “Karibu – Friends of African Peoples” which tries to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable immigrants and refugees from sub-Saharan Africa. The activity of this association is in the field of humanitarian aid and integration assistance. It also carries out actions in favor of the recognition of fundamental rights of immigrants and refugees. By supporting Karibu, we encourage social entrepreneurship led by women. We strengthen their various professions and their creativity by providing development spaces, events and markets where they can promote their products. We encourage the creation of projects and businesses, and support their ideas.   In 2022 through training for employment and promotion of entrepreneurship for sub-Saharan…

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  Sister Nicole Robion in the community of Sceaux, France, shares her apostolate with migrant women. In 2012, the CORREF (Religious Conference of France) was looking for volunteers for the “Champs de Booz” Association, created in 2003 to support and accompany single women, seeking asylum. It really touched my heart because I was looking for an activity on my final return to France and half of the women contacting the Champs de Booz come from sub-Saharan Africa. No greater happiness than staying in close contact with Africa! In 2017, the chapter specified that one of the apostolic orientations is the accompaniment of migrants. This made me feel joy and confirmation of the call perceived on my arrival in France. Bearer of Hope, the Lord gives this to me and the women tell me this with their faces all lit up when I greet them in their language: Dioula or Fulani!…

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  “Bearers of hope…” we allowed ourselves to be guided by the Spirit to discern in community, sent to Nairobi South C/South B, to bear witness to the Love of God among us in order to share it with those we meet in our daily life. We live in a multicultural and multireligious context surrounded by believers in Islam, Buddhism and Christianity. A neighborhood where distrust reigns in hearts, thus affecting human relations, provoking attitudes of isolation, tribalist grouping and self-protection. “Listening to the voice of the Spirit…” we have chosen: encounter, human fraternity and dialogue and to get close to our neighbours, to greet them when we meet them and on the occasion of the holidays, e.g., Christmas and New Year, invite the neighbours, the guardians of the entrance gates into the city, for mutual knowledge and a way of breaking down religious barriers as well as social classes.…

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