Sister Justina – Omagba Onitsha (Nigeria)
PROJECT 5 of 72
MISSION
Location
Diocese
Omagba Onitsha
Country
Nigeria
Continent
Africa
GPS coordinates
6.13218 6.79192
Time zone
UTC+1
CONGREGATION
Congregation
Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus
Motherhouse
Ikot Ekpene, Nigeria
Diocese
Onitsha
Country
Nigeria
Continent
Africa
Congregation feast day
On the Feast of the Annunciation
GPS coordinates
5.17553 7.72157
Time zone
UTC+1
Contact person
Sister Justina
Mother General
Sister Germaine Ocansey
Website
TRAINING ORGANISATION
Name
Misericordia Castelnuovo Garfagnana
Location
Castelnuovo Garfagnana – Lucca
Country
Italy
Continent
Europe
GPS coordinates
44.10383 10.40485
Time zone
UTC+1
Start date
11/01/2021
End date
November 2021
Tutor
Olivetta
REAL SPACE
Project manager
Sister Justina
Start date
22 2022
Type
Pane di Misericordia
From the outset, Sister Justina was determined to undertake fish-farming activities, a choice also driven by the extensive experience she had gained in this field in the Nigerian community where she lived before coming to Italy for the project. Despite her strong motivation, the project encountered several implementation difficulties due to local conditions, both in sourcing materials and in maintaining regular communication. On 11 March 2021, drawing also on the knowledge acquired during her training in Italy, Sister Justina revived the market in the Nigerian town, enabling local people to resume small-scale trading activities to support themselves. Nevertheless, through consistency and perseverance, Sister Justina established the fish-farming social enterprise with financial support from spazio + spadoni. The enterprise moved with her to Sister Justina’s new community. Sister Justina belongs to the Congregation of the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus. After completing eight months of training at the Misericordia di Castelnuovo Garfagnana (LU), she returned to Nunya, Nigeria, in the Diocese of Okigwe.
Four other sisters live with her and engage in farming and livestock rearing despite the difficulty of obtaining water. They also run a school attended by about 300 children. In 2023, Sister Justina was transferred to a new community at Omagba Onitsha Parish in Anambra State, Nigeria, where more water is available for fish farming.
After the possibility of building a well was assessed, it proved unfeasible because of the difficult terrain. Sister Justina launched the social enterprise in the final months of 2022, with water supplied through a connection to a private water network.
In 2023, the sister was transferred to another community, and the growing fish-farming project moved with her.
Find out more After HIC SUM, a beautiful journey in the Misericordia The life story of Mother Mary Charles Magdalen Walker Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus
Timeline
2020
19.08 | Start of the relationship
The collaboration begins between Spazio Spadoni and the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus
2021
11.01 | Sister’s arrival
Sister Justina is accompanied to the Misericordia di Castelnuovo Garfagnana and, a few days after arriving, begins studying Italian with the volunteers
23.07 | Training
6-11.09 | Convention Fare Spazio alla Reciprocità
Sister Justina takes part in the Spazio Spadoni Convention held at the Convent of San Cerbone (LU)
21.10 | Project training
The training took place at the Convent of San Cerbone (LU)
10.11 | Sister’s departure
Sister Justina returns to Nunya, Nigeria
2022
22.02 | First funding disbursed
The funding is intended to cover the cost of assessing the land for the construction of a well and the subsequent launch of fish farming. The tanks, fish and feed were also purchased
2023
01 | Start of production
About 3,000 fingerlings are placed in the tanks
14.04 | Apostolate
27.04 | Second funding disbursed
The funding is intended to connect the water supply to the nearby well, since it was not possible to build one on the sisters’ property because of the unsuitable terrain
07 | Start of sales
Sister Justina begins selling fresh and dried fish
25.08 | Transfer
Sister Justina is transferred to the H.H.C.J Holy Spirit Parish Convent in Omagba Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria
27.09 | Third funding disbursed
The funding was used to purchase bags of feed, pay workers’ wages and buy fuel to operate the water pump
2024
05.02 | Transfer
03.10 | Fourth funding disbursed
The funding was disbursed upon completion of spazio + spadoni’s financial commitment to ensure the continuity of the social enterprise
Project assessments
January 2021 | The project Sister Justina
wants to develop upon returning to her community in Nigeria is fish farming
March 2023 | Monitoring
of the activity
April 2023 | Analysis of the
local market
July 2023 | Analysis of
sales performance
September 2023
Monitoring
September 2024 | Financial
report
January 2025 | Financial
report
Photos and videos
