Berkley Center

Background: Sister Ann Kamene Musyoka, ASN, is a member of Georgetown University’s Women Faith Leaders Fellowship 2024-25 cohort. A member of the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi, Sr. Musyoka has extensive experience in social work and community development, with a focus on supporting vulnerable groups, including women, youth, the elderly, people with disabilities, and women living with HIV/AIDS. Sr. Musyoka is a passionate advocate for women’s empowerment, working to reduce barriers for women and girls in education, leadership, and employment.

Sr. Ann spoke with Luisa Banchoff via Zoom on September 3, 2025. In their conversation, she discussed her childhood in rural Kenya and her path to becoming an Assumption Sister of Nairobi. She also reflected on the deep-seated challenges to gender equality in Kenyan society today, her WFLF capstone project that focused on empowering Catholic women leaders in rural Kenya, and her aspirations to build upon the project and reach more women and girls.

Biography: Sister Ann Kamene Musyoka is a social worker, advocate for women’s rights, administrator, and member of the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi. Born and raised in rural Kenya, she has a passion for empowering rural women and girls, providing them with leadership and vocational skills in order to strengthen themselves, their families, and their communities. In her decade and a half of experience, Sr Musyoka has ministered to numerous vulnerable groups, including women living with HIV/AIDS, people with disabilities, elderly people, and children and youth. She holds a bachelor’s degree in development studies from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, where she is also currently pursuing a master’s degree in strategic management in business administration.

To begin, can you tell me a bit about yourself?

My name is Sister Ann Kamene Musyoka. I'm a perpetually vowed member of the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi, living and serving in Kenya. It’s been 15 years since I made my first vows. My journey has been interesting; fulfilling and challenging at the same time.

I was born in the eastern region of Kenya, in an area that is today known as Machakos County. I grew up in a rural area, quite far in the interior. I’m the fourth-born of six children. I have three brothers and two sisters. My parents separated at some point, so I grew up under the care of my mother. She brought us up as a single mom. My mother is quite elderly now. My siblings and I thank God for her and support her as much as we can.

Were you raised Catholic?

Yes. Both of my parents were Catholic, and all of my family members grew up Catholic. Growing up Catholic in a rural area, the church experience was not like it is today. Now, in most areas, you’ll find a parish every five to ten kilometers with a priest and probably some sisters. But when I was growing up, we used to see a sister or a priest only once every three months. There were few priests at that time, and they were missionaries. I remember the priest who used to come to our church was a white missionary. Every three months he would offer Mass, and he would come with sisters. After Mass, the sisters would divide themselves; some would meet with the youth, others with the women, and others with the children.

When did you realize you wanted to be a sister?

My primary school was affiliated with the Salvation Army, so members of the Salvation Army would come and do a lot of pastoral work. They would preach, baptize and convert. I kept on asking myself why the Catholic faith wasn’t being promoted the way they were promoting their faith. But it never dawned on me that I could be an agent for promoting the faith.

When the sisters visited my church every three or four months, I saw in them a sense of holiness and reverence. I wanted to be as holy as them. I wanted to do what they were doing for the youth, with the women, with the children. I wished they could come to our school and do what the Salvation Army was doing. But as a child, I never had the audacity or the courage to talk to them, though I admired them a lot. At the same time, my family was poor and not quite stable. Because of this, I told myself I could never be like them, and I quickly dismissed any thoughts of becoming a sister. But of course, I kept on going back and forth in my thoughts, though I didn’t talk to anyone about it. I must have been around eleven. As I grew, the desire would go and come back again.

By the time I was in secondary school, I had a better understanding. I knew that if I wanted to be a sister, I would have to work hard. It's not about my family background, it's about being disciplined, working hard in school, and keeping my Catholic faith. When I was in my second year of high school, I talked to a priest who was the school chaplain. He encouraged me to concentrate on my studies, because if I didn’t perform well, there was no way I was going to become a sister.

I also joined the Catholic movement at my school, the YCS (Young Catholic Students). I remember an encounter I had with twin girls who had a sister who was a Catholic nun. As a joke, one of them said, “You know you could become a sister? I'm going to tell my sister to pray for you.” That sent a very strong message. For me, it was like God was confirming my desire. 

The moment I finished secondary education, I told my family I wanted to be a sister. They were shocked because they had never known I had such a desire. My mom said, "Pray about it and we’ll see what God says.” So, I continued praying about it as I went on with my life.

I joined the local church youth group, which really helped me to grow in my faith. The church hosted seminars where we were taught on a variety of topics ranging from vocation to morality and to career guidance. That is where I got an opportunity to converse with a sister. We talked at length. I told her about my experience, my family, my desires and my fears. From our conversation, I got a lot of clarity about religious life. 

How did you get to know your congregation, the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi?

The sister I spoke with at the seminar gave me contacts to other congregations and vocational promoters. I wrote to them and some would invite me for seminars. I wrote a letter to the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi. It was an off-peak time outside the usual April to August seminar schedule, so they invited me to their formation house for a weekend.

When I visited other congregations, I would notice how they were dressing. Many congregations wear a full dress habit. I thought that sometimes that would be too hot. I visited another congregation, and we had to wake up at four in the morning. No, I said, I'm not signing up for this. Sometimes I’d even look at the food. I would think that I can't be eating this kind of food for my entire life. I would disqualify congregations for petty things. Of course, my level of exposure to the congregations and my capacity to think concretely about issues was quite limited. But God works in His own ways.
When I visited the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi, the first thing I noticed was the habit: a skirt suit. I was very comfortable with it. I also looked at the meals that they were sharing, and the food was quite local, the kind of food I was used to at home. I was ticking these boxes. In the morning, I noticed that they were waking up at relatively the same time I was used to. So again, I ticked a box. 

Beyond those small details, I truly felt at home with the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi. I enjoyed getting to know what they do, experiencing their life in the community and their prayer life. I felt there was a lot of equality among the sisters. It was like a family setup. I was also able to identify with them, because they were Kenyan women serving Kenyan people.

I also learned about the work the sisters do, from education to health to agriculture to canon and civil law to pastoral and social care. I knew if I joined this congregation and I didn't become a teacher, I could be a social worker. If I didn't become a social worker, I could be a nurse. At the same time, these were options I had been thinking about studying if my family had had the funds to send me to university. I knew that, given a chance, I would be able to fit in well with the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi.

I stayed with the sisters for a weekend; then I was invited t a seminar. At the end, I was given a letter for admission and joined the congregation in 2008.

Tell me more about the history of the Assumption Sisters and the work you do.

The Assumption Sisters of Nairobi were founded in 1955 by Archbishop John Joseph McCarthy. He was an Irish priest of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (also known as the Holy Ghost Fathers). He was the Archbishop of the Nairobi Archdiocese, a vast archdiocese that extended as far as Dar es Salaam in Tanzania at the time. He founded the congregation shortly after Pope Pius XII declared the Dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1950. This is where the name of the congregation comes from.

Bishop McCarthy looked at the challenges that the local people were facing, especially women, and realized that he needed a home-grown solution. He believed that if he brought sisters from Ireland to support the local people, they wouldn't be able to fit in. He felt the need to start a congregation of local women who would understand the language, culture, traditional issues, who would know the appropriate methods to help the community grow. That is how he came up with the idea to establish the congregation of the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi.

The charism of the congregation calls on its sisters to immerse themselves in the lives of the people in order to understand their needs and uplift their dignity. He felt that we can only do that through love, service, and self-sacrifice. These are our three guiding pillars to this day. As an Assumption Sister of Nairobi, I have to be willing to love unconditionally and to serve selflessly.

We were founded not to focus on one particular area or ministry, because Bishop McCarthy wanted the sisters to be open to the needs of the time. We started with education and healthcare. If there was a need, he would train the sisters to serve in that particular field. Eventually, we had various ministries: health, education, agriculture, social services, pastoral work, civil law, and canon law. We are a congregation that is quite open: we will basically embrace any ministry as long as that service provides solutions to the community and uplifts the dignity of the people we serve. 

Currently, we are in 12 dioceses in Kenya. We also have a community in Tanzania, two communities in Jamaica, and three communities in Canada. The idea of being a local congregation has changed with time out of an openness to respond to the needs of the times.

Can you speak about your early days in the congregation and your educational background?

I joined the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi in 2008. I was a postulant for one year, and then a novice for two years. I professed my first vows in 2010. After that, I obtained a diploma in social work. From there, began living with the sisters in the community and integrating my religious life with an active apostolate as a social worker. I’ve worked in different ministries that have exposed me to various situations, various experiences, and various challenges facing communities. It's also given me an opportunity to learn, to expand my thinking, and to innovate ways of handling challenges. It has been a fulfilling and beautiful journey, and I thank God for every experience.

I worked for three years as a social worker on a project that was supporting the elderly and people living with HIV/AIDS. After that, I had the opportunity to study again. I did a bachelor's degree in development studies at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Nairobi. That widened my horizons and opened up an opportunity for me to take on an administrative role. 

After I graduated, I was given a role as an administrator working with girls living with disabilities. I was teaching them vocational skills and soft skills to enable them to live a better life. After that, I worked on two other projects as an administrator, and then I went back to social work. I was working with people, most of them women, living with HIV.

Right now, I'm pursuing a master's in strategic management in business administration at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. At the same time, I’m working as a social worker in a hospital. Much of the work oscillates between social work and community development and administration. I’m integrating my two backgrounds in social work and development studies.

What made you pursue social work?

The young sisters are guided by the superiors, who recognize their potential and their gifts as well as the needs of the community. Together they dialogue and come to an understanding of what best suits the person while also responding to the needs of the mission. I felt that social work would give me an opportunity to understand community and social problems, interact with the community, and serve God’s people directly. I have a passion for working and living directly with other people, which I trace back to when I was in school. I was always in church groups, journeying with people. For me, community means a lot, so I wanted to pursue a field where I could work directly with the local community to support them to overcome their challenges. So, when the opportunity arose, I grabbed it.

What are some skills you’ve gained and lessons you’ve learned in your years of ministry?

My journey in ministry has been quite thought-provoking. When you're working with vulnerable people, there is a tendency to want to come off as an expert. But with time, I’ve learned that people know their own problems and have their own solutions. I'm expected to facilitate and implement the solutions they have for their problems. 

I have also come to realize that in order to create any lasting positive change, there’s a need for collaboration. Even if you are an expert, you will not be able to maneuver without the collaboration of the local people. Sometimes you plan a project ahead, but when you go to the community, you realize it won’t work. It doesn’t fit because you’re importing an idea that is not sustainable. Maybe it is something the community cannot accept because it goes against their traditions. So, you must collaborate in order to bring in change. 

Thirdly, I have learned the power of empathy: the capacity to journey with another person and see their potential, even in the worst-case scenario. I’ve learned the power of walking together with community members and pushing them, even when they don't think they can do it, to help them identify a problem and determine what needs to be done to address it.

Throughout the years, I've learned to communicate with different people. How I approach the youth is not the same way I approach the elderly. How I communicate with children is not how I communicate with their mothers. How I communicate with people who are differently abled is not how I communicate with college students. The dynamics change. My experiences have challenged me to diversify my perspective and outgrow some of my attitudes. I’ve also learned to facilitate workshops and seminars. When I compare where I started to where I am today, I find that I’m a completely different person. I am growing and learning every day. 

My ministries have also made me a mentor. I have journeyed with people who are very broken. You have to journey with that person, to accompany them one day after another. By the time you're getting to the fifth or sixth session, the person is so happy and talking confidently. I remember the case of a pregnant woman who had been diagnosed with HIV. She came to me wanting to abort the child. She didn’t want to go back to her family because she didn’t want to face her husband. She was completely broken. And of course, because of that diagnosis, she had forgotten to take care of herself. I sat the woman down, and we talked. After some time, I watched that woman standing up and sharing her story in a support group. And I thought, this is empowerment. Though she's HIV positive, she's not a victim. She's been able to overcome the victim mentality. I watched her encouraging other people, and I felt so proud. 

I am glad that I was able to do what I did in these projects. It has been quite a challenging journey, but I also thank God that it has been a fulfilling journey with a lot of learning.

You’re very passionate about empowering women. What do you see as the challenges facing Kenyan women today?

We live in a society that is very patriarchal, a society that favors men. It is a society that says women must depend on men, women need to be controlled, that their place is in the kitchen. People have been culturally conditioned to believe that women are lesser than men, so women’s empowerment is seen as a threat. When you’re trying to empower women, there is a lot of backlash. People think you are empowering them so that you can break up families.

There are challenges for women accessing education, for example. When some girls are on their menses, they cannot go to school because they cannot afford sanitary pads. Some girls will not go to school because they feel like it’s a bad thing to be bleeding. Others in boarding school will spend four or five days sleeping in the dormitories because they are on their periods. Lack of awareness and stigma towards reproductive health limit girls’ access to education.

Leadership for women is also an issue. Here in Kenya, the constitution says that two-thirds of leadership posts should be held by women. But in practice, it doesn't happen. Even when women are vying for leadership positions, many women would rather vote for a man than a fellow woman. They still hold traditional beliefs that women should stay in the background. There is a lot that we need to challenge. 

Some of the churches are part of the problem. In some churches, women have to dress and behave in a particular way, yet men are free to do what they want. Some churches teach that women should not give birth in hospitals but at home with traditional birth attendants, which endangers their lives and those of the unborn children. When you challenge such kinds of thinking, you are met with a lot of opposition. Even the women will say, “this is what our faith tells us to do.” 

In the health sector, women do not have access to affordable health care. Currently, we have a vibrant debate about Universal Health Care in Kenya. The government phased out the National Health Insurance Fund and introduced Universal Health Care. The experience of many Kenyans in accessing health care under the new scheme is that they still have to rely on out-of-pocket means to access services. It remains more of a political slogan than a lived reality. Women suffer most when health systems are ineffective; when hospitals lack basic supplies, or when the insurance scheme does not cover reproductive health needs like maternity fees.

In the transport sector, the narrative is the same. In Kenya, especially in rural and peri-urban areas, we use motorbikes as a means of transport. Women passengers are at risk of injuries or death due to speeding, reckless driving, lack of helmets, and poor road conditions. Pregnant women and mothers with babies are prone to falls and injuries. Young girls and children using motorbikes for transport to school are exposed to sexual relationships and exploitation, leading to early pregnancies and adolescent marriages.

Women have been sidelined in development efforts, particularly when it comes to funding. It is generally easier to mobilize local resource for other projects, such as children’s initiatives, than for women’s empowerment. This is largely because many people are comfortable with the status quo. In addition, women’s initiatives tend to be fragmented, small, and isolated projects working in silos rather than in collaboration. A united consortium would not only strengthen women’s voices but also create a greater, more sustainable impact. 

Many women themselves are very comfortable with the situation as it is. They don't want to engage in advocacy initiatives because they don't want to risk their marriages or their reputations. They don't know what is going to happen after they have been empowered; there is the fear of the unknown. Much effort needs to be focused on changing the mentality of the women themselves, even before we start challenging the structures. Because even if we challenge the structures, if the women do not change their mindset, we have to go back to the drawing board.

Overall, the experience of working with women has been challenging because there are so many hurdles you have to jump through. You have to challenge systems, structures, and even the women themselves. In my experience, the priority should be on the women. We need to let them realize that there's no harm in coming out of the bondage they’ve been put in by society. We tend to start with structures and only then move to focus on people. When we do that, most of the time there is no impact because you have not worked to change minds. My recommendation would be to begin with the person before structures and systems.

Can you tell me about a project you have implemented to empower women?

The focus of my ministries is to empower women as much as possible. I've encouraged women to start village savings and loans schemes. These groups give the women a sense of security for the income they get through soft loans. In these groups, women build solidarity: they meet and share their challenges, experiences, and achievements, and they provide support for one another.

Through the loans schemes, they are able to build the asset base of their households. They save and get a small loan and then acquire something. The rule in these groups is that once you get a loan, you have to do something with it that members can verify. You can buy something that you need in your home, something that gives you pride. The women might buy some bedding for their families or a uniform for their children. The pride and fulfillment that comes with that is immense. Others take small loans to start micro enterprises that bring in continuous income. With this income comes a lighter household burden, increased food security, a sense of peace and fulfillment. 

I have seen these small initiatives bearing fruit. When women feel supported and happy, that happiness translates to their families. They’re able to take care of their families better. This actually builds the family up. A lot of good comes out of women’s empowerment, but the majority of society still sees it as a threat.

Do you find that being a Catholic sister influences how people perceive you and your ministry?

As a Catholic sister, especially one who wears a habit and veil, I am highly visible. I cannot hide my identity; I stand out in a crowd. Even people who are not Catholic will come and ask me, “Are you a nun by any chance?”

As a Catholic sister, especially one who lives and works in the community, I have a certain advantage. People in the community trust sisters. They will share their deep thoughts, and they want to associate with me. They want me to listen to them and provide solutions. As sisters, we have a moral authority and a lot of trust in the community. Because we are working with the community on the ground, we have firsthand information about issues in the community, and we know what the community wants. So, yes, there are moments where people have opted to come to me simply because I'm a sister.
Another advantage is that we have no personal interest in our work. People know that whatever sisters do is for the benefit of the community.

Sisters also win the trust of donors. Once donors invest their money in a project run by sisters, they know it is going to be well spent and benefit the community. As a sister, I have a competitive advantage.

On the other hand, there are moments when it is challenging to carry the identity of a sister. At times, even when I know what needs to be done and try to address a situation, I am dismissed with comments like, “Stay in church; that’s where you belong.” There is a misconception that sisters are not capable of handling certain situations or making certain decisions.

Advocacy work is especially complex for sisters. Our congregations are apprehensive because advocacy works places us in the public eye. As we go about our daily activities, we carry the identity of our congregations and the universal church. When we publicly take a stand, church authorities may question, “What is happening in this congregation?” This apprehension causes us to hold back. Therefore, our identity can end up limiting our involvement in advocacy initiatives. We may retreat to safeguard the image of the congregation and the church.

There are other situations where being a sister is especially difficult, particularly when dealing with civil authorities like the police. Often, they either try to avoid us or make the process so unbearable that we are tempted to give up. I recall a case involving two young girls who had been abused by their wealthy father. Although we had engaged the Department of Children Services, we feared the officer handling the case had been compromised. We therefore went directly to the police to file a report. From the beginning, it was clear they did not want to engage with us. As sisters, we carry a certain moral authority, and this unsettles them because it exposes their deviation from policies and guidelines. In their attempt to protect perpetrators, they know they are acting unjustly, and our presence challenges their conscience. As a result, they would rather avoid us altogether. At times, to ensure justice is pursued, we are forced to spend large sums of money, involve third parties, or bring a lawyer on board.

Tell me about your capstone project for the Women Faith Leadership Fellowship.

My capstone project is called “Grace and Growth: Empowering Women in Leadership.” It is focused on empowering rural women leaders. I have a group of around 45 Catholic women leaders from Nakuru Diocese, a rural part of Kenya.

In my pastoral engagement, I found that there were many conflicts within women’s church groups. I had an experience of a women’s church group where the chairlady of the group was also acting as the treasurer and the secretary: she would chair the meeting, collect the money, and take minutes! When I gently said, “We appreciate your gifts, but leadership is meant to be shared,” she responded, “It’s fine, I can manage. I’ve been doing it for the past year.” While she may have felt capable, this approach weakened the group. Their purpose was lost; they were no longer supporting each other, and conflicts began to emerge. Women stopped talking to one another, and because they were from the same village, personal issues became weapons in their disputes. Arguments escalated into hurtful exchanges, with insults like, “You should not even speak because your husband is a drunkard.” Such conflicts not only disrupted the group’s mission but also strained community relationships.

I worked with this group; I journeyed with them. We did a series of workshops and one-on-one meetings. I brought in a mentor to empower the women. Eventually, there was visible joy and the fulfillment of growth. By the time we were doing the last report, there was improved confidence, communication among members, respect, role differentiation, and greater cohesion within the group.

After the capstone, I realized there’s a bigger need coming from the younger generation. If the women who are leaders today had someone to mentor them when they were young girls, teenagers, or earlier on in their marriage, they would have confidence and a stronger voice today. I shifted my focus to young girls and young women who have the potential to become leaders. I plan to empower teenage girls and young women, supporting them to become better people and communicators, grow in self-awareness and confidence, access opportunities for financial growth, and participate actively in advocacy. When women are supported at a young age, they become confident to face the society. They'll participate in decision-making and leadership roles in the community and become agents of change.

My vision is to expand the capstone into a structured women’s empowerment program that equips young women to rise as transformative leaders and catalysts for change. This program will be known as the “SheLeads Initiative.”

It sounds like you have very exciting things ahead. Is there anything you'd like to add?
Despite the many challenges in women’s empowerment work, there is also great hope because we have witnessed the fruits of our efforts. We cannot give up; much remains to be done. We will continue striving to ensure that women have a voice. As religious, we too must strengthen ourselves to remain effective agents of change, because if we do not, the potential of countless women may be lost. 

My prayer and appeal are that people of goodwill and funding organizations will support sisters in advancing this mission. Supporting sisters is ultimately supporting women’s empowerment. And when one woman is empowered, the impact ripples through her family and in turn transforms the wider society. By empowering women, we are building stronger, more resilient communities.