CARA and the Church in Africa
In September 2016 CARA and the African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC) initiated a collaborative project of Visiting Scholars at CARA thanks to the generous support of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. ASEC assists in identifying Catholic Sisters from among ten nations of Africa as candidates for the Visiting Scholar program at CARA. The selected Sister Visiting Scholar comes to the CARA offices in Washington, DC for six months where she will join the CARA research team and develop her skills in applied research.
The Sister Visiting Scholars regularly work on the annual CARA studies on who is entering religious life each year, who is making final profession in religious life each year, and who is being ordained to the priesthood each year. Additionally, they are contributing to many of the Parish Life Surveys that CARA conducts, and they initiate a Parish Life Survey in a parish of the home city. Over the six months each Sister is usually a co-investigator on six or more CARA research projects.
On her return to her home country each Sister will initiate and complete several applied research projects that serve the needs of her Religious Institute or the national conference of Sisters in her nation. CARA continues to offer mentorship and research support to the Sister Visiting Scholar after her return home. This includes complimentary research projects leading to the development of joint academic presentations and papers.
African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC)
The mission of African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC) is to facilitate access to education for women religious in Africa that leads to enhancement and expansion of the education, health, economic, social, environmental and spiritual services they provide. For more information on ASEC visit their website: http://asec-sldi.org/
ASEC Executive Director Sr. Draru Mary Cecilia, LSMIG, Ph.D.
CARA Sister Visiting Scholars
Sister Bibiana Ngundo, LSOSF
Sister Bibiana is a member of the Congregation of the Little Sisters of St. Francis (LSOSF). She is a senior lecturer and Head of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. Her area of specialization is African Traditional Culture and Religion. Other than teaching, she has a keen interest in research for the purpose of gaining and sharing innovative knowledge.
Sister Florence Emurayeveya, EHJ
Sister Florence is a member of the Sisters of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus. She is the Project Coordinator/Manager for her community in Lagos, Nigeria. She completed graduate studies in Educational Management and served in supervisory roles in her community’s ministries. In recent years she has overseen the construction of new facilities to better serve her community’s mission.
Sister Joan Chisala, CSJB
Sister Joan is a member of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist. She was the Principal of the Tarcisia Floriana Convent Secondary School in Solwezi, Zambia. Over the years her ministry has been in elementary and secondary school teaching and administration.
Sister Hellen Bandiho, STH
Sister Hellen is a member of the Sisters of St. Theresa and came to CARA from St. Augustine University in Arusha, Tanzania. She has been teaching at St. Augustine University for a number of years.
Sister Margaret Ajebe-Sone Dione, SST
Sister Margaret belongs to the international congregation of the Sisters of St. Therese of the Child Jesus of Buea and is from Cameroon, West Africa. She received her bachelor’s degree in Curriculum Studies/English in 2002 and her masters degree in Educational Foundations and Administration in 2016 both from the University of Buea, Cameroon, and her diploma in Spiritual Theology from Angelicum, Rome in 2010. She is the Principal of Schools at Regina Coeli College Tombel, Cameroon.
Sister Aloysia Sebueng Makoae, SNJM
Sister Aloysia belongs to the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM) congregation in Lesotho. She holds a Ph.D. in African Languages from the University of Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. Sr. Aloysia has taught numerous courses on language, literature, communication, teaching methodology, Lesotho culture and research methods. She lectures at the Lesotho College of Education in the Department of African Languages and Literature. Sr. Aloysia also has over 25 years experience teaching at both the secondary and primary levels and has served as school principal at two institutions.
Sister Victorine Dorkenoo, SMMC
Sister Victorine is a member of the Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Church and is from Ghana.
Sister Lucy Dora Akello, LSMIG
Sister Lucy is a member of the Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate of Gulu and is from Uganda.
Sister Mini Joseph, JMJ
Sister Mini is a member of the Congregation of Sisters of Jesus Mary Joseph and is from Kerala, India.
Sister Gloria Maluwasa, SBVM
Sister Gloria is a member of the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary and is from Malawi.
Sister Lavina Rodrigues, AC
Sister Lavina is a member of the Apostolic Carmel Sisters and lives in Karnataka, India.
Church in Africa Reports
Visiting Scholars Research Reports – Africa
Survey of the Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on English-Speaking Catholic Parishes in Cameroon. Sister Margaret Mary Ajebe-Sone Dione, SST, M.Ed.Jonathon L. Wiggins, Ph.D.
Surveys of the Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Catholic Parishes in Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Survey of the Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Catholic Parishes in Nigeria. Sr. Florence Emurayeveya, EHJ, February 2021.
Survey on the Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Catholic Parishes in Zambia. Sr. Joan Chisala, CSJB, March 2021.
Survey of the Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Catholic Parishes in Kenya. Sr. Bibiana Ngundo, LSOSF, February 2021.
Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Parishes in Tanzania. Sr. Hellen Bandiho, STH, November 2020.
St. John Paul II Parish (Rwamishenye), Bukoba Diocese, Tanzania. Sister Hellen A. Bandiho, STH, Ed.D. and Jonathon Wiggins, Ph.D.
Women Religious in Africa. Sister Bibiana M. Ngundo, LSOSF and Jonathon Wiggins. Ph.D.
Women and Men Entering Religious Life: The Entrance Class of 2017 in Kenya. Bibiana M. Ngundo, L.S.O.S.F, Ph.D., Mary L. Gautier, Ph.D.
International Women Religious Living in Kenya in 2017. Bibiana M. Ngundo, Ph. D., Mary L. Gautier, Ph.D.
Parish Life Survey, Divine Mercy Chaplaincy Parish, Ikorodu, Lagos, Nigeria. Florence Emurayeveya, E.H.J., M.A. Jonathon L. Wiggins, Ph.D.
Sisters Leadership Development Initiative/ Higher Education for Sisters in Africa: Survey of Alumnae. Florence Emurayeveya, EHJ, M.S. Mary L. Gautier, Ph.D.
Parish Life Survey St. Francis Church of St. Clare Parish Nairobi-Kenya. Bibiana M. Ngundo, Ph.D. Jonathon L. Wiggins, Ph.D.
Parish Life Survey Saint Dominic Church of Saint Clare Parish Nairobi-Kenya. Bibiana M. Ngundo, Ph.D. Jonathon L. Wiggins, Ph.D.
Visiting Scholar Research Reports – USA
Findings from Five Countries on the Role of Science and Religion in Seminaries’ Curriculum. Michal Kramarek, PhD | Sr. Bibiana Ngundo, PhD, Mary Gautier, PhD
Science and Religion in Catholic High Schools. Sr. Florence Emurayeveya, EHJ, M.A., Mark M. Gray, Ph.D.
Parish Life Survey All Saints Parish, Evansville, Indiana. Jonathon L. Wiggins, Ph.D., Florence Emurayeveya, E.H.J., M.A.
Parish Life Survey Saint Benedict Parish Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Jonathon L. Wiggins, Ph.D., Sr. Joan Chisala, CSJB
Parish Life Survey Saint John the Baptist Parish, Newburgh, Indiana. Jonathon L. Wiggins, Ph.D., Florence Emurayeveya, EHJ, M.A.
Parish Life Survey Saint Jude Thaddeus Parish, Beaumont, Texas. Jonathon L. Wiggins, Ph.D., Fr. Michael Niba, Ph.D.
Parish Life Survey Saint Monica Parish, Dallas, Texas. Jonathon L. Wiggins, Ph.D., Sr. Joan Chisala, CSJB
Parish Life Survey Saint Paul Parish, Macomb, Illinois. Jonathon L. Wiggins, Ph.D., Florence Emurayeveya, EHJ, M.A.