About Us
Our Journey in Zambia
We are Sisters of Saint John the Baptist also known as Baptistines, founded by Saint. Alfonso Maria Fusco, an Italian Diocesan Priest of Angri – South Italy in 1878, with the intention to educate the children and youth especially the vulnerable and at risk since there were many street kids at that time. The Congregation has grown over the years and is spread in South, Central and North America, in Asia, in Europe and here in Africa including Madagascar.
God in his providential love willed that the Congregation of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist known as Baptistines may touch the African soil. In October 1947 three American Sisters stepped foot on the then Northern Rhodesian soil now known as Zambia. The three Sisters as they were called Sr. Alberta Stango, Sr. Alfonsina Selecchia and Sr. Augusta Strano arrived in St. Joseph’s Mission – Kalumbwa a Mission run by the Franciscan Conventual Fathers. A few months later two Italian Sisters came to join the new Community Sr. Cornelia Morrone and Angela Antonelli both from the District of Campobasso. The Sisters dedicated themselves to caring for the many sick people of the mission in the Clinic and in the villages around, visiting and bringing the word of God and medicines to the people who could not come to the Centre.
The lepers were also cared for. The many babies who otherwise would have been thrown away or drowned due to some cultural beliefs were brought to the Convent and the Sisters quickly addressed this need by starting an orphanage/ a home for the abandoned children. Later on they started teaching the children and youth, and carrying out some human promotion programs for young mothers so that they could improve on the basics of caring for their children and their homes. As the need arose, they were engaged in the care for the Hearing impaired children who now come from all parts of Zambia. From this humble beginning developed all the activities which we have today. We are over one hundred indigenous (Zambian/African) Sisters serving in four African Countries – Zambia, Republic of South Africa, Malawi and Cameroon. Eight are serving as Missionaries in Italy, USA and Canada.
Our main Apostolate is Education. We have Pre-Schools, Primary Schools, Secondary Schools and a College. One of these fully fledged Schools is for the hearing impaired. We also render our services in three Rural Health Centres and are involved in various outreach programs.
The physically challenged children are also taken care of in three well established Cheshire Homes. In these homes the children are helped to build confidence in themselves and to become self sufficient/self reliant. While they undergo a series of operations for their rehabilitation they continue with their studies.