St. Francis Girls Secondary School
Kiptere, Kenya — St. Francis Girls Secondary School was started in the year 1999, under the Catholic Diocese of Kericho. The School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) founded the school, and have ministered in the school since its inception.
The school serves young women ranging from ages twelve to twenty years and the sisters offer their services through formal education according to the Kenyan Education System. SSND serve the community in different capacities. One of the ways the SSND ensures that the charism of Mother Theresa is alive is through the ministry of administration. The congregation has provided the personnel for administration throughout the life of the school. The sisters who are in the ministry as administrators ensure that the girls are enabled to reach the fullness of their potential by explaining the mission and charism of SSND to the teaching staff, so that they are imbued with it, and pass it on to the students.
Apart from the administration, sisters are part of the teaching staff and teach with a vision of transformative education. The girls appreciate so much the presence of the sisters and they attribute so much of their success to the commitment and love the sisters have for them. This dedication nurtures their innate giftedness and brings out the best in them.
The sisters have empowered the girls through teaching Life Skills, a subject which enables students to face life’s problems and overcome life’s challenges in a healthy way. In addition, the sisters offer guidance and counseling to the students through scheduled programs throughout the year. They also give one-on-one individualized guidance and counseling, in which the sisters take time to listen to students’ unique life stories, and they guide and counsel them appropriately. This individual interaction has contributed so much to character formation.
Sisters are also involved in spiritual formation and spiritual growth through catechesis, chaplaincy and teaching of Catholic doctrine. They also prepare students for sacraments and liturgy.