Religious women across the globe have long been the backbone of essential community services, running schools, clinics, guest houses, and agricultural projects. Their lives are immersed in service, often offering refuge, education, healing, and dignity where society may have failed. But in a room full of hope, vision, and conviction, Sr. Georgette stands with quiet authority. Her voice gently inspires hearts and awakens the minds of hundreds of Religious Women from different religious institutes across Kenya. Her message is clear but profound: ‘‘our social enterprises must not only serve, but also survive.’’ And for them to survive, they must be sustainable economically, environmentally, and socially.
Sr. Georgette Sawadogo Addressing the Religious Women on Sustainability of Religious-Run Social Enterprises
Religious women follow the training on sustainability of religious-run social enterprises at Roussel House, Karen – Nairobi
As a juniour professed sister, she was missioned to Kenya. From France, she arrived in Nairobi 25 years ago, no language, no culture, but just 50 dollars. To set up a mission. That, she recalls, amounted to only Ksh. 4500. What can that possibly do? But with determination, she chose to dare with the limited available resources. She began farming, planting vegetables and supplying them to neighbours who needed them at a fee. To cut the long story short, the 50 dollars gave rise to what is now one of the most prominent guest houses in Nairobi – The Roussel House. Besides that, a vocational school – St. Therese, which is now supporting more than 100 less privileged young women from the community. So, she speaks out of experience.
THE ROUSSEL HOUSE IN KAREN, NAIROBI -KENYA
Sr. Georgette reminds everyone of the unspoken burden: the elephant in the room, that is, the weight that comes with running these social enterprises.
“People do not want to pay for services in our schools, our centres. Just because it is a guest house for religious women, people want it cheap! But they want the best services. That is the elephant we are carrying.”
This “elephant,” she says, manifests not just in operational strain, but in the bodies of the sisters through stress, fatigue, diabetes, high blood pressure. This is more than a financial issue. It is a call for healing, for reimagining how mission and sustainability can coexist without compromise.
The Three Pillars of Sustainability (3p’s) religious women should consider
Religious Women attending the sustainability training at Roussel House Nairobi
Sr. Georgette offers a compelling way forward using what she calls the Three P’s of Sustainability: People, Planet, and Profit.
As religious women, the “People” part is ingrained in our vocation. We live our faith by serving communities, promoting justice, and uplifting human dignity starting with ourselves and our fellow sisters.
The “Planet” is not separate from our mission. We are stewards of creation. Sr. Georgette poses a vital question, ‘‘What are we doing with the land we have?’’ She envisions a future where every congregation has a biodigester providing free gas, power, and water for farming. “From the little land we have,” she said, “we can do much.”
And then comes the often-uncomfortable third pillar among religious – Profit. But profit is not an indecent word. Profit sustains. Profit empowers. Profit, Sr. Georgette argues, is what enables missions to thrive and multiply.
“Running our houses professionally does not reduce our commitment to our charity,” she notes. When she was missioned as a junior professed, her superior simply said: “The Holy Spirit will tell you what to do.” And so, it did. Why not with us?
Charity with Dignity: Reshaping the Narrative among religious women
For too long, religious-run enterprises have been labelled “charitable,” and thus expected to offer world-class service at a fraction of the cost. But Sr. Georgette calls for a shift in mindset:
“Whatever you are giving – money, service, or goods is a business. We can call it different things, but it’s still a business.”
She calls for dignity among religious women encouraging them to serve people at their level.
Religious Women at Roussel House learning how to use the limited resources they have to grow vegetables
Sisters Supporting Sisters
Moved by Sr. Georgette’s presentation, one Sr. Consolata inquires on the possibility of having a similar fair for sisters to showcase what they do to one another in a bid to support one another.
If one sister breeds eggs, and another runs a school that needs them, why not build that value chain internally? Why outsource what the community can provide itself?
This vision sparks the proposal of another uplift workshop on sustainability to accommodate more religious women, supported by partners like Ecobank, a platform where sisters can showcase their goods and services, from hospitality and education to fashion, legal expertise, and more.
This will be more than just an exhibition. It will be a movement, creating a self-sustaining economy within the religious network.
Sr. Georgette reminds everyone: sustainability is not just about money or environment. It is about the sisters themselves. The workshop is set to include wellness experts, mental health professionals, among other professionals offering holistic support to the very women who support so many people in the community.
Sr. Georgette’s discourse is not just a lecture; it is a roadmap. She acknowledges the burden but refuses to let it crush religious women. Instead, she offers a vision of empowered, sustainable, mission-driven sisterhood.
She leaves everyone with a simple but transformative reminder: “Trust the little you are given.” With faith, community, and vision, even a mission born from $50 can grow into a movement that uplifts nations. In the end, sustainability is not about doing less. It is about building more with wisdom, courage, and togetherness.