Positively influenced by SSND
For us, education means enabling persons to reach the fullness of their potential as individuals created in God's image and assisting them to direct their gifts toward building the earth.
You Are Sent, C 22
The School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) live and minister in five countries on the African continent: Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.
Alumni, colleagues and friends share their personal stories of how SSND have impacted their lives.
Muhammad Lamin Ceesay | Dorcas Ahile | Medrine Rono | Josephine Ugba | Theresa Bebaaku Dery, PhD
By Muhammad Lamin Ceesay - The Gambia
I am Muhammad Lamin Ceesay, an Islamic teacher in Notre Dame School in Soma, The Gambia. I have been working with the sisters since 2013 to date. I have good relationship with the sisters because of their expression of mutual respect. Indeed, we live as brothers and sisters.
In the school, I am referred to as the grandfather and the sisters seek my counsel especially in matters concerning the Islamic religion since most of the students are Muslims. Apart from teaching, I also help with some repairs in the school especially the electrical maintenance. I enjoy working with the sisters and I appreciate the deep relationship we share which is not deterred by distance such that even after they have been transferred to a different country, we still keep in touch.
The government wanted to transfer me to another school as a senior teacher but I choose to stay and work with the sisters because of their kindness and good attitude. Also I like the respect they render to us as brothers and sisters and not labourers. We also receive our salaries on time without delays.
As an Islamic teacher, I hope to continue teaching the students to know their religion better and worship Allah. Also, I teach those good values and respecting other people of different religions. The Christian students respect me too. Some of the values I admire in the sisters which they pass unto the students is their faithfulness to their religion, respect for other faith especially Islam and their commitment to their work. Together with the sisters, I always encourage the students to be kind, generous and loving to each other. I am happy working with the School Sisters of Notre Dame.
By Dorcas Ahile - Nigeria
I am Dorcas Ahile and I was taught by the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) for six years while I attended Notre Dame Secondary School Mkar, Gboko Benue State Nigeria. I graduated in the year 2003.
SSND have positively impacted my life right from my admission year until today. One of my earliest memories or interaction with SSND was during interview for admission into high school. Sister Peg Malone was the principal; I naively avoided her for fear that I may not understand when she speaks to me especially because I was unfamiliar with non-Africans at that time.
I cherish the discipline and holistic formation I received and I did not want my daughter to miss it thus, I enrolled her in my alma mater where she graduated in 2022. SSND Mkar community have journeyed with me over the years and have taught me through our encounters what it means to live the gospel by one’s very being. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be taught by SSND because I was properly guided in both character and academics thus I have become an enabled woman, fully living into my potential as we sing in the school anthem.
Grateful for how SSND have contributed a lot to the woman I am today, as an old student of the noble Notre Dame Secondary School, Mkar; I render my assistance in ways necessary and promise to remain loyal and good ambassador of the school.
By Medrine Rono - Kenya
I am an alumna of St. Francis Girls High School in Kiptere, Kenya. When I look back at the years I spent at St. Francis, I cherish every moment. Not only did I excel academically, but I also grew up to be a well-rounded girl physically, socially, psychologically and spiritually. The values taught from our school motto, mission and vision kept me striving to become a better person in society.
Learning about myself and my abilities and talents was, and still is, the greatest gift I received. I treasured the mentorship through our interactions with the sisters, especially during life skills lessons, which empowered me as a young girl. The sisters’ (especially Sisters Jacinta Kanini, Magdalene Akpan, Sarah Chepkorir and Millicent Awuor) understanding and welcoming nature always motivated me to learn from them, and they were always present to us, ready to guide and challenge us in a loving way. Through their example, I learned to work hard, collaborate with others, reach out to those in need and the importance of prayerfulness. I can’t forget our school mother “Mati Caro” who played a big role as our parent challenging us to be responsible women wherever we would go.
Today I am a fourth-year student at the Tomboya University in Homa Bay studying biology and chemistry to become a teacher. I am where I am today thanks to the SSND at St. Francis Girls High School.
By Josephine Ugba - Nigeria
I am a recent graduate of Notre Dame Secondary School (NDSS) in Mkar, Gboko, Benue State, Nigeria. As a freshman in secondary school, I was timid and afraid. NDSS was a very new environment with unfamiliar people, but because of the kindness, love and attentiveness of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, it eventually felt like home.
My fears born out of stories I heard about boarding schools vanished. Everything was done in an orderly fashion and on time. It was a bit of a challenge to adjust at first, but now I am more apt. Our school encourages us to join societies and clubs, which I did, and it has had a positive impact on me. One of my favorite SSND is Sister Uzoamaka. She was our form teacher and religion instructor. She was our mother, sister and friend. As a little freshman, Sister Uzoamaka taught me politeness, obedience and good manners among other characteristics. I enjoyed listening to her stories and advice. When she left NDSS for a new ministry, I felt sad but was consoled by the fact that all she taught me is a part of who I am now, and I honor her by living it out.
Living among the SSND over the last six years has made me a more civilized, modest, polite and courageous woman, ready to join in making a positive difference in the world, sharing the wholistic education I have received from the SSND.
By Theresa Bebaaku Dery, PhD - Ghana
I was born in the historic city of Cape Coast, Ghana – the heartland of the missionaries’ three Cs – Christianity, Commerce and Civilization. God graciously brought Sister Mary Ann Matachinskas (Sister Ann) to both mediate and complement my parents’ effort in giving me a good education.
Currently, I am a medical physicist, research scientist at the Radiological and Medical Sciences Research (RAMSRI) of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), lecturer at the School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences (SNAS), University of Ghana and a married woman. My life may have taken a different trajectory without the critical role played by Sister Ann. I registered my first and earliest encounter with her when I enrolled at the Mary Queen of Peace Catholic School for my basic education. Since that historic meeting, Sister Ann’s influence over my life has been not only indelible but also transmissible to the next generation.
She became my academic mentor, counselor, religious educator, cheerleader and inspiration – all seamlessly fitting the indexes of a life coach. She had a mothering spirit embodied in her faultless sense of empathy toward my multiple childhood vulnerabilities. At secondary school, she ensured that my spiritual life never wavered. Thus, while resident in Cape Coast, Sister Ann committed me to the care and guidance of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. The SSND nourished and consolidated my faith in Christ against the turbulence of early adolescent life.
In sum, Sister Mary Ann Matachinskas was an altruistic and selfless friend who embodied Proverbs 18:24. We all need a Sister Ann who complements her mentee’s flourishing.