“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed” (Proverbs 19:17).
Through your recent gifts, you have shown God’s love in action amongst communities that are reliant on a hand-up in difficult times. Through you we were able to send emergency funds to each of our teams in Africa as a part of a local community led response to ensure sustainable approach to Covid-19 prevention. These funds were much needed as poverty-stricken communities were in urgent need of food and hygiene supplies as they continue to develop much needed vocational skills to support their families in a healthy way.
Below follows a short update of what you have helped make possible through the work of our various teams to address community needs during this crisis period.
AE DRC have worked hard to give hope through TV engagements, and distributing sanitation stations to 96 communities which included a bucket, soap, sanitiser and reusable facemasks and food hampers.
AE Ethiopia have given out 300 facemasks, food hampers and hygiene and sanitation products to date.
AE Ghana have distributed food to 5,000 families with the assistance of the women’s training project in Akropong, Akuapem and their successful Cassava plantation.
Our Soweto Kayole Clinic at AE Kenya has given medical assistance to 1252 patients so far. The team has also distributed 1345 food hampers and 700 facemasks. In addition to this, the team is working hard to give messages of hope and educating people through TV, radio and social media on COVID awareness and prevention. They have reached 6907 people through media engagements so far.
AE Malawi have distributed 110 facemasks and hygiene and sanitation items to families in need. The team has also donated blood which is such a great gesture during this time of need. They have reached 3000 households through media engagements and continue with training pastors and home based evangelism for their upcoming mission in September.
Initially AE Tanzania had challenges due to government regulations. They have only recently been authorised to start distributing food and other supplies. So far they have provided 3 schools with hand soap and buckets and they have also distributed sanitiser and facemasks to bus and boda (taxi) drivers.
AE Rwanda has been very blessed and very busy, distributing 23 560 food hampers, 1000 facemasks and 3200 hygiene and sanitation items. They have also been able to reach 98 000 people through media engagements.
The Ngezandla Zethu Sewing project run by AE South Africa are currently busy sewing 2500 reusable facemasks for distribution. The AE team have also given out 4956 hampers with food and hygiene and sanitation products. They have distributed 300 facemasks so far and have reached 68 000 people through media engagements.
AE Zambia distributed water buckets, soap and hand sanitiser to a local school and have also given out 300 facemasks in Kaunda Square.
AE Zimbabwe have distributed 150 facemasks and 5000 hygiene and sanitation items. They have also given out food hampers and sanitation items to people with albinism who were in dire need of such provisions.
Thank you for partnering with us to help those in need in Africa and show the love of Jesus in word and deed. Please continue to pray for our teams as they carefully and faithfully serve in their communities in the desperate time of need. Our teams in Africa are so grateful for your love and support.
Prayer is such an important part of supporting African Enterprise. It’s one of the gifts you can give Africa – your time in prayer. And Africa needs your prayers now more than ever.
A couple of months ago when we compiled our Prayer Diary for May, June and July, we did not know the challenges that we would be facing. As always we look at our calendar and prepare the prayer points around the mission activities happening during that month. This time however, what we planned three months ago has changed enormously from what we are currently facing. The number of coronavirus infections are increasing drastically daily in Africa and more than ever we need to pray for our teams and the people in Africa.
As our CEO, Ben Campbell mentioned in the Prayer Diary:
“Please pray especially for the vulnerable refugee populations, and other marginalised communities, that have less access to help. In all things, our hope and confidence remain firmly in the Lord! As Isaiah 40:31 (NIV) says: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” May God bless, strengthen and encourage you today, as you continue to pray for the salvation and healing of people in Africa. “
Throughout June and July, please join with us in prayer for all of our AE Teams. They are all facing unprecedented times. We will keep you up to date with all the latest articles and responses from our teams as far as possible on our website and facebook page.
Updated prayer requests will also be uploaded to the PrayerMate App.
We are also in the last few days of our Prayer and Fasting Season ending on Pentecost Sunday with a Global Day of Prayer.
Additionally, let us know if you are interested in starting or joining a prayer group. It can be among you and your friends, families, colleagues or members of your church. You can meet face to face or online and as frequent as you want. Let’s gather in the name of Jesus and pray for Africa. Please send an email directly to ae@aeint.org if you would like to be part of or to start a prayer group.
Thank you for spending time in prayer for African Enterprise.
This article was originally published in Christian Today.
In the vast urban sprawl within Sub-Saharan Africa, Celeste lives in a tiny space between two buildings with her three children. A single mum, she finds it hard to make ends meet whilst her children play in the narrow alleyway and mud street, streams and rubbish within the slum.
I met Celeste whilst on mission in Kampala, Uganda, and was invited by her neighbour Eugene, an unemployed university graduate, to see how they are living side by side in the slum.
Accompanied by the AE Ugandan team leader Paul, who translated for me, I was struck by the hopelessness of the situation in the slum, and at the same time the hope that Celeste had in God to see her and her children pull through. In her 3 metre by 3 metre accommodation nook, no bigger than a small walk-in wardrobe, she had posters on the wall testifying to her faith.
“I love God” she said, bringing a lump into our throats. “He will see me through”. In the meantime, her young neighbour Eugene also attended to some of the practicalities of ensuring this small family’s survival through food and meagre money that he managed to obtain.
Photo – Ben Campbell in Celeste’s house with Eugune and Paul, the team leader.
I met both these people during the AE mission in Kampala in September 2018, both of whom were volunteering to clean up the only grassy play area for children, which was rapidly becoming a dumping ground for rubbish.
Eugene said that the state of affairs in the slum was such that only AE was capable of being able to coordinate such a clean-up, independently of the politics within the slum, and set an example of Christ’s love to care for the children and widows in distress.
In the course of our visit, we became aware of an overflowing pit latrine that had served the community for a number of years, but now was unusable. Helping the community to determine how they will address the health and sanitation of their community became an important part of our mission focus.
Sanitation issues continue to be a leading cause of illness and death amongst the poor urban communities of Africa, particularly affecting the young people who are out playing in their only environment, as kids do. The only difference is the state of the environment they are playing in.
Photo – The big clean up.
Christian organisations – Doctors and Dentists
It is these types of situations that have galvanised many Christian organisations to assist, and in the case of African Enterprise, we aim to express the love of Christ through practical assistance as well as uniting churches for mission in the cities of Africa.
It was an aspect of mission Africa that I recently brought to the attention of the Fellowship of Christian Doctors and Dentists in Canberra on the past long weekend, and the importance of the involvement of the medical community to help address these needs.
Accompanied by a South African medical practitioner Dr Jacobs, now studying health management in Australia, we jointly presented on the various aspects of health outreach AE is involved with, in particular the medical clinics AE is running in Nairobi (Soweto Kayole) and Kampala (Milne clinic).
With the assistance of the medical fraternity and the wider evangelical community, our aim is to build an obstetric unit to reduce the infant mortality rate running much higher than UN standards.
As you reflect on God’s role for your life, and how you are witnessing to Christ’s love today, where is God calling you to make a difference today? Is it in the far flung regions of Africa, 20 hours flight from Australia, or is it next door to you? How is God calling you to love your neighbour today.
Link to the original article: https://christiantoday.com.au/news/fellowship-of-christian-doctors-and-dentists-listen-to-ae.html
Feature image: Celeste at home with her children in the Kampala slums
