Good Shepherd International Foundation

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Good Shepherd International Foundation

Supporting the missions of the Good Shepherd Sisters by working in partnership with women and girls

The Good Shepherd International Foundation promotes projects run by the global network of Good Shepherd sisters and partners based in the developing countries. We assess the needs of the local communities and plan our initiatives accordingly, fundraise for our local partners and apply for international grants from public funding agencies, private sponsors and NGOs, organize visits and promote the

results of our projects to guarantee full accountability and transparency to our partners. United in global solidarity with girls, women and children wounded by poverty, injustice and violence we support local communities in promoting peace, women and children's dignity and human rights through sustainable and inclusive development.

05/06/2026

𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 🎨

A teacher liked it so much that she took it home, far beyond anything Alexa had imagined when she first filled that page with colour.

Not long ago, Alexa was working on the street in Ecuador with her family. She remembers the heat, the rain, and wishing for simple things: food, friends, and a place where she could just play like other children.

Then she discovered 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐭 - 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞 𝐥𝐚 𝐍𝐢ñ𝐞𝐳 𝐲 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚, run by the Good shepherd sisters and local partners . What she found slowly changed her days: a space where she could learn, paint, talk with friends, and be surrounded by other children. A place where her drawings are no longer just something she keeps to herself; they are seen, appreciated, and valued.

Alexa is still drawing. But now, she is also growing up in a place where her childhood has room to exist, where learning, play, and creativity are part of her every day.

Because every child has the right to learn, play, and develop their talents. With the right support, those rights become real.

CENIT Ecuador
Congregación de NSC del Buen Pastor - Ecuador
Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd

04/06/2026

138 million children are in child labour today. Not because it's inevitable. Because of poverty, inequality, and systems that fail to protect the most vulnerable.

Through our program “Children, Not Workers”, GSIF supports children involved in child labour and brings them back to school. We work with local partners, communities, and families to make sure they can build a future free from exploitation and poverty.

🧡 Stand with us: https://www.gsif.it/children-not-workers/

29/05/2026

“To make ends meet, I worked for a long time as a housekeeper and nanny. Until the day I met the Good Shepherd sisters who helped me with their program to complete professional training as a preschool teacher.” — Solange

In Senegal, the Good Shepherd sisters, in partnership with GSIF, are supporting women in vulnerable situations through the socio-economic empowerment program “JIGGEN JOGGAL – “FEMME LÈVE-TOI!”. Through economic support, micro-credit groups, vocational training, and new working opportunities, 50 women gained new pathways toward financial independence and dignity and found their rightful place in society.

Among the programme participants is Solange, whose life has been profoundly transformed. After leaving school at a young age, she struggled for years to support herself and her daughter through precarious domestic work. With the support of the program, she earned a recognized diploma in preschool education, opening the door to stable employment and a future – for herself and her daughter – she can truly believe in.

Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd

22/05/2026

𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚.

At least 1 in 3 women in the region has experienced gender-based violence in her lifetime. Beyond these numbers are millions of women facing trauma, fear and isolation everyday.

At GSIF, we believe that recovery goes beyond psychosocial support alone. Long-term healing requires emotional support, trusted relationships, shared experiences and a strong sense of community.

That is why, through programs across Latin America, we support a community-based approach, by putting in place Women’s Support Groups (GAMs): safe spaces where women can come together, share their experiences and begin to rebuild their lives, side by side. With the guidance of trained facilitators, participants are accompanied in restoring their well-being, regaining self-worth, and progressing toward greater economic independence.

Developed by our partner Catholic Relief Services, this model is designed to be sustainable by helping participants to become facilitators themselves. By sharing their lived experience and recovery journeys, they become powerful source of hope for other women, while strengthening a virtuous circle of care within their communities.

Because real impact happens when healing becomes collective and survivors become leaders of change.

Fundación Internacional del Buen Pastor América Latina Congregación de Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Buen Pastor

12/05/2026

“My first field mission with GSIF took me to Kolwezi, in the heart of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the province of Lualaba - a city sitting on one of the world’s largest cobalt reserves, yet where more than 70% of families live on less than $2 a day.

15 days. Dozens of meetings. And images that stay with you.

Women like Marie-Claire, who until recently worked in quarries, and who today manage their own savings groups, finance their children’s secondary education, and speak about their future with a pride that cannot be faked. Children - who once worked in the mines - now sitting in classrooms. A mother of four, a graduate of the Bon Pasteur Kolwezi literacy program, told me: “Before, my children could not go to school. Today they study and have a future.”

What struck me most was this: our partners at Bon Pasteur do not provide resources, they build capacity. They do not create dependency, they generate autonomy. And this changes everything. One participant put it simply: “Our activities continue even after support has ended. We have truly made what we learned our own .”

However, it is important to remember that the road ahead is still long. The challenges are real: fragile infrastructure, limited resources, and a difficult context. But the determination of the women, the staff of Bon Pasteur Kolwezi, and the communities I met convinced me of one thing: change is already underway. Our role is to support it, with humility and commitment.

Proud to have carried out this first mission alongside Bon Pasteur Kolwezi. Looking forward to what comes next”.

🇨🇩 Field visit journal from Congo
Moussa Faye, GSIF Africa Program Coordinator

Sisters of the Good Shepherd ECAP Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd

10/05/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to the women whose love builds homes, strengthens communities, and shapes generations ❤💐

Today we celebrate mothers not only for the care and love they give, but also for the courage they carry every single day.

At GSIF, we believe that empowering mothers means empowering entire communities. When women are supported and given opportunities to thrive, children are safer, families are stronger and hope is restored.

This Mother’s Day, we honor every mother, caregiver, mentor who continues to pour love into others despite life’s challenges. Your strength is sacred, your impact is lasting, and your voice matters.

29/04/2026

At only 18, Mala had lost her zest for life. After enduring years of domestic violence and neglect, she fled to the city of Pokhara, only to find herself trapped in a life marked by loneliness and grueling work. She had stopped dreaming or imagining the future. She was simply existing.

Everything changed when she encountered our local partner Opportunity Village Nepal. Through compassionate support, Mala entered a safe space for healing, where, for the first time, she felt heard and seen. Thanks to counseling and life-skills training, she didn’t just process her past, she reclaimed her agency.

Her journey reminds us that when a woman is truly heard, she finds the strength to lead her own life.

Read Mala’s full story here: https://www.gsif.it/storiesofchange/mala-nepal/

📩 This story was part of our latest newsletter! Subscribe to receive more inspiring stories and updates on our impact across the world https://www.gsif.it/subscribe/

Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd GSIF Nepal शुभ अवसर ग्राम नेपाल

24/04/2026

Happy Feast Day of Saint Mary Euphrasia! 🕊️

Today we honour the life and legacy of Saint Mary Euphrasia Pelletier, the foundress of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd. With zeal, deep love and compassion, she dedicated her life to empowering women and girls experiencing marginalization, exploitation and inequality - leading with vision, heart and courage.

Her mission continues today through the programs of the Good Shepherd sisters and their partners, supported by GSIF, who work to empower the lives and uphold the rights of women, girls and children living in the most vulnerable conditions, offering protection, dignity and a real opportunity to start again.

As St Mary Euphrasia reminds us: “One person is of more value than the whole word”. Her words have become our guiding principles, pointing toward human dignity and tender compassion, and they hold true for every child, girl and woman we are walking alongside in the communities we serve together with sisters and partners across the world.

Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd

22/04/2026

🌱𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲, 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱.

In Congo, alongside local communities, sisters and partners supported change that protects both people and the planet. Through training in natural resources management, over 425 families embraced sustainable farming practices, while reducing the use of chemicals, improving soil health, and strengthening food security.

Together, communities planted 1200 trees, and created new green spaces, including a community mini-forest in Kanina cared for by schools and youth environmental clubs.

At household level, 120 families started producing eco-friendly briquettes from agricultural waste, lowering indoor smoke, reducing fuel expenses and creating new opportunities for green income generation.

Because protecting the Earth also means protecting rights, health and dignity.

These are not just results, they are the foundations of a more just and sustainable tomorrow.

Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd
Sisters of the Good Shepherd ECAP

17/04/2026

Gladys didn’t wait for a better future, she took action to build it ✨

Meet Gladys, a woman from Peru whose life was transformed through access to training and strong community support. Her journey shows how the right opportunities can help overcome vulnerability and open the door to independence.

At GSIF, we believe everyone has the power to drive change. With training in culinary arts and continuous support from the sisters, Gladys didn’t just gain practical skills: she built confidence, created stability for her family, and stepped into a more secure and hopeful future.

Today, her story stands as a strong reminder of what’s possible when training and community support come together to empower lasting change.

Read her full story here: https://www.gsif.it/storiesofchange/gladys-peru/

📩 This story was part of our latest newsletter! Subscribe to receive more inspiring stories and updates on our impact across the world https://www.gsif.it/subscribe/

Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd
Congregación Buen Pastor Perú

Indirizzo

20 Via Raffaello Sardiello
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