Welcome to our province ...
The province of West Africa includes Sierra Leone, Gambia and Ghana. In 2015, the sisters celebrated 25 years in Ghana, and in 2016 they celebrated 150 years in Sierra Leone.
Our foundress, Anne-Marie Javouhey, visited Sierra Leone and The Gambia in 1822, but no community was established there at that time. The first sisters to arrive after her visit were French, followed later by Irish sisters, who took over the mission in Sierra Leone in 1866 and in Gambia in 1883.
Sierra Leone
6 communities
29 sisters
founded in 1866
Gambia
3 communities
9 sisters
founded in 1883
Ghana
3 communities
13 sisters
founded in 1990
Let's share love and hope with our world ...
We are blessed to have a vibrant and active province, where young sisters and older sisters walk together.
Even in retirement, our older sisters continue to give of themselves, whether in pastoral ministry, education or simply through their caring presence.
Each, in her own way, brings a ray of love and hope to those around her.
By sharing who we are and what we believe, we bring a little light into our world. Together, we help hope to grow.
Today ...
The sisters in West Africa are involved in :
- Education (teaching at various levels)
- Healthcare (nurses and local medical services)
- Religious formation (pre-postulancy, postulancy and novitiate)
- Pastoral care (community commitments and faith-based activities)
We also carry out various social and missionary activities, including :
- A school for hearing-impaired children in Sierra Leone, offering essential education and appropriate support.
- Protein-enriched feeding programmes for malnourished children in our health centres, where parents also receive training in proper nutrition.
Formation and academic pursuits
There are pre-postulants in all three countries, while the postulancy and novitiate are in Sierra Leone. Four novices made their first profession in November 2024.
Several sisters are currently pursuing higher education:
- Teaching: 3 in Ghana and 4 in Sierra Leone.
- Nursing: 3 sisters.
Developments and future plans
- The Anne-Marie Javouhey Academy in Brusubi, Gambia, is in its fifth phase of development, with plans to build a science block including laboratories for domestic science, computing, physics, chemistry and biology.
- Plans are underway to create a retirement community within the province, as the current facilities are not adapted to the needs of the elderly sisters.
- In Sierra Leone, schools have fully recovered from the Ebola crisis, and school calendars have now been normalised.
Leadership
Sister Angela Bangura has served as Provincial of the Province of West Africa since 2021.
Missionary disciples ... to this call from God, we respond with total availability, ready to leave our country to go where God calls us to serve our brothers and sisters.