NIGERIA – World Renew Nigeria offers knowledge and support to individuals and communities that desire to be agents of change in their country. This rewarding process requires patience, mutual trust, and passion for justice and mercy.
We are witnessing communities in Nigeria increasingly demonstrate God’s love and care for His creation, as they participate in and take control of development where they live.
Your generous giving, prayers, encouraging letters, visits, and calls continue to motivate and advance the ministry of World Renew in Nigeria. We cannot thank you enough for your valuable partnership in ministry. Below are a few examples of how God used your gifts and prayers to advance His kingdom in Nigeria in 2018.
Economic Empowerment
In collaboration with our partner organizations here, World Renew supports economic advancement in Nigeria by increasing employment prospects via enhanced business and management skills. Some program participants have opened their own businesses which are doing well; some are struggling but trusting God for improvement. As our economic empowerment program continues to evolve, participants have been introduced to savings and loan associations. Members create their own groups and establish their own membership by-laws, interest rates, and meeting and saving goals, allowing people denied traditional financial services the opportunity to save, borrow, and experience the power of working together to achieve goals.
In the image above, Helen Paul, a participant in the economic development program, notes that her business training with World Renew partner Beacon of Hope Initiative changed her worldview. “I did not realize that there were opportunities in my community to help me and others,” she says. Through her fruit-selling business, Helen now happily takes care of her basic needs and has started saving toward her further education.
Local business initiatives in the communities of Andaha and Agyaragu are positively impacting participants and their larger communities. Laraba Jonathan’s grain sales are thriving after she received basic training and startup capital through World Renew.
Grace (right) and her mother (center) Laraba (in blue top) thrives in grains business
Grace Ishaku’s widowed mother gives thanks to God saying, “I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for us. With your support, we are raising pigs and birds, and our small backyard farm is doing very well. My daughter Grace is going back to school at the end of this month because we can sell one pig to pay her school fees.”
Project participants in Agyaragu processing melon seeds to sell
One project participant in Agyaragu says that her weekly sales of melon seeds are so impressive that she has standing orders from people willing to pay the full amount at product delivery.
Modeling Entrepreneurship
Rhoda Joseph is powerfully modelling entrepreneurship. After dropping out of school because of her family’s financial difficulties, Rhoda was selected by the women’s fellowship in her church to participate in the World Renew economic and leadership development project. She was enthusiastic to learn the biblical principles of business and be mentored in hairdressing by a volunteer in her community. After successful training and mentorship, Rhoda earned matching startup capital from World Renew of about $128 US and now owns a hairdressing business. She has used profit from her business venture to begin selling used clothes in the same location. “I thank God for helping me, through this program, to see life from a different perspective,” says Rhoda. “I am happy I can earn good money on my own and also support others in my family and church.”
Rhoda attending to a customer in her shop Rhoda in front of her connecting shop
Prayer Items
- Thank God for the opportunity to minister to many who are hurting.
- Thank God that the Benue and Taraba states’ top political and traditional leaders met in Wukari to discuss insurgency in the region and pray that the meeting will yield positive results.
- As political campaigns and preparations for elections in Nigeria continue, pray for fair and free elections in February and March 2019.
- According to the Population Reference Bureau 2018 World Population Data Sheet, Nigeria is the seventh most populous country in the world with an estimated population of 195.9 million. By the year 2050, estimates predict that Nigeria will be the third most populous country in the world with a population of 411 million. Pray for faithful and visionary political, traditional, religious, and non-governmental organizational leaders to plan and prepare Nigeria for this growth. Pray especially for foresight for the church and faith-based development groups to be proactive in addressing the ministry and development needs associated with this rapid population growth.