Daughters of Josephine Bakhita — The Bakhita Initiative for African Women

Josephine Bakhita Women Empowerment Foundation, Namibia

Daughters of St. Josephine Bakhita, Namibia

The journey of African women comes in many colors, shades and hues. There is joy and hope; pain and anguish. Yet, like our Patron Saint Josephine Bakhita, African women remain hopeful, resolute, and resilient – always confident that their light will overcome all forms of darkness. This spirit defines the vision and the mission of Daughters of St. Josephine Bakhita. The dreams and yearnings of African women form the core of our Bakhita Project. Our vision is three-pronged:

· We support the desires of African women who express interest in religious life. They have found a deep calling in their hearts to give their lives in service to others, just like St. Bakhita. The Bakhita Project journeys with and accompanies them in their discernment and quest for God’s will in their lives.

· We support African women who are struggling to find a foothold in their lives – women who desire to benefit from opportunities to receive an empowering education and/or learn a trade. The Bakhita Project provides opportunities for quality education in a variety of fields so that women can take charge of their lives. In the past, to achieve this goal, the Bakhita Project facilitated the legal relocation of African women to various parts of the global North. To date, thanks to the vision and effort of the Bakhita Project, all these women are leading dignified, safe, and flourishing lives in Europe and North America, and contributing to their respective societies. They are trained and qualified in a variety of fields and disciplines and they are also giving back in kind and financial support to women in Africa.

· Going forward, rather than train and form our women in the global North, we have initiated a different model based on the experience in The Gambia. The Bakhita Project will create communities of hope and dreams for African women in Namibia. In such communities, African women can live and pursue their dreams as a community of Ubuntu – of mutual sharing, learning, and support, so that all can achieve their goals and flourish as women of dignity. In these communities, some will learn a trade or a vocation; others will deepen and pursue their call to religious life. Yet others will pursue the entrepreneurial path to greater success. Each woman’s path will be unique and graced by the Spirit who gives gifts in diversity and abundance.

The empowerment of women is the paramount dream and desire of the Bakhita Project. If you find this vision and path of life attractive and compelling, reach out to us to explore further the options available to you.

The initial stages of our work with women in Namibia has undergone several transitions, particularly in regard to our personnel. Mary and Christopher Idemudia, who were instrumental to the success of the Bakhita House in the Gambia, have moved to Namibia, as they seek to realize their personal pursuits in Europe. We are especially grateful to them for their work to empower women and protect them from sex trafficking. Two women who had expressed interest in religious life – Blessing from Nigeria and Precious from Zimbabwe – came for short periods of time to assist with the establishment of the Bakhita Project. Both Blessing and Precious have returned to their respective countries, having decided that now is not the time for them to become reverend sisters. In the meantime, Mary and Chistopher are volunteering to assist Miranda and Jackson in identifying poor young women in the ghettos and registering them in a variety of programs. Having done their part to establish the Bakhita Project, both couples look forward to pursuing other horizons in the future and finding more stable situations for their family lives. In keeping with our objectives, the Bakhita Project will continue to assist women in funding their development through nursing, cosmetology and fashion design. Fortunately, many Namibians, especially the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, have expressed interest in the Bakhita Project, and have indicated their willingness to assist with its further development.