The current world-wide technological revolution, also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, will not escape Africa. According to a recent briefing by the World Economic Forum, (WEF) Sub-Saharan Africa has yet to optimise its use of human capital in this regard. One of the WEF’s recommendations is that of “investing in digital fluency and IT literacy skills” (1).
At our Street Children Apprenticeship Project (SCAP) in Ghana, we are committed to giving students this opportunity. In partnership with the Sefax Computer Training Centre, we are able to offer a software/networking course, as well as a software/graphic design course.
One of our graphic design graduates, Prince Praise Gbeku, who now runs a successful photography business from home, describes how “my knowledge in IT has helped me in using the new technology in photography”.
Another graduate, Bright Dagadu, previously struggled to fend for himself as a casual labourer. With the aid of AE supporters, however, Bright has been able to complete his IT training and has now secured permanent employment with a company in Tema. He expressed that “I am very happy and very grateful to God for the opportunity offered me to learn IT. This has helped me tremendously to acquire a job because I am now IT literate.”
Reference:
Foxfires in Kenya.
The 2020 Foxfires Kenya Team are excited for a year which will greatly impact the youth of Kenya, and also enrich their lives individually. During their orientation, they were encouraged from 1 Timothy 4:13 to set an example of excellence, that the world might testify of God’s goodness.
Already, the 2020 Kenyan Foxfires have become a strong team and have added value to Nairobi Chapel Karen, the church where they will be based this year. As well as serving in the church and engaging in youth outreaches during the year, the Foxfires team will receive training in theology, leadership and practical life skills.
During the month of February, last year’s Foxfires returned to mentor the new team and assist them with their first outreaches. Testimony to the success of the program, is news of last year’s Foxfires, concerning the impact they are having within their respective spheres of influence since graduating from the program
Testimony from Rwandan prison.
The 6th of April 1994 was a fateful day in the history of Rwanda, to be remembered as the day that the genocide began. In the devastating 100 days that followed, an estimated 800 000 Rwandans were killed. Most of those killed belonged to the ethnic minority group, the Tutsi’s.
Today, Karuanda prison in the Huye district of Rwanda is home to many genocide perpetrators. During the Huye mission, Evangelist Albert Mabasi, AE Rwanda Mission Director, went to this prison to follow up with some inmates who had responded to the Gospel earlier in the week. Himself a genocide survivor, Albert was shaken by the experience:
“I am a genocidal survivor, and for sure it is my first time going in there… I immediately think of my family that I lost during the genocide against the Tutsi’s in 1994. I was so scared standing in front of them, imagining if they all wanted to tear me to pieces! But within that scary mood, I felt that compassion that Jesus had when he saw weary people, and the Holy Spirit told me to love them like Jesus. I took a breath and felt the spirit of love in me towards them, because they also needed the Gospel to set them free even though they were enclosed in prison. I thought of the scripture found in Matthew.9:36. ‘but when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd’. Therefore, I started preaching to them freely with much compassion but surely it was not easy.”
At AE, we are so grateful that Christ died to save sinners, and we are humbled by the willingness of evangelists like Albert to carry His love into the most difficult of places. Praise be to God that He “uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere” (2 Corinthians 2:14).
