The Sophia/Bakhita Institute for Women Empowerment in Namibia

Welcome to the Bakhita Initiative for African Women – an interfaith project under the patronage of St. Josephine Bakhita, the enslaved African girl who became a saint and universal symbol of the Church’s commitment against slavery.

The Bakhita Initiative is motivated by our shared love, faith, and hope as seekers, disciples, and pilgrims in the journey of life inspired by the Spirit of the Risen Christ.

The purpose of the SOPHIA/BAKHITA INSTITUTE for WOMEN EMPOWERMENT is to foster education and mutual support, inviting women from diverse backgrounds to join hands and uplift one another, enabling each woman to embrace her life’s purpose.

The organization will engage in the following activities:

Supporting and contributing to the work of the Sophia Institute for Theological Studies and Spiritual Formation.
Addressing and financially enhancing the educational needs of women and girls, with a focus on those from impoverished and underserved communities.
Providing courses and formation programs for women and girls to promote their spiritual, emotional, and intellectual development.
Contributing to the creation of sustainable communities by equipping women and girls with skills for participation and leadership

The Vision of Bakhita Initiative

To transform the lives of vulnerable girls and young women in deprived communities across Africa through holistic training programs, entrepreneurial skills, mentoring, and dignifying employment

To empower and reclaim the dignity and beauty of African Women Religious and their communities through creative and contextualized theological reflection, formation, and renewal.

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.