Thursday was our last full day in Kenya. We visited the Baptist Children’s Center in Nairobi, passing the Kibira Slum, the largest slum in the world with over 1 million in habitants. The BCC was founded in 1989 by the Kenya Baptist Association on 13.5 acres of land. Today the BCC has become part of Buckner Kenya in cooperation with the Kenya Baptist Association. The BCC features an orphanage with a capacity of 48 children, a vocational school, a primary school feature grades 3 through 6 years with a capacity of 57 children, medical clinic services and run by a staff of 20.
I was intrigued by the vocational school that trains Kenyan young ladies to learn how to sew. This provides the young women an opportunity to learn a skill and prepare them for a vocational career in the garment making industry. Tony Wenani is the Director of the BCC. His vision is for the young ladies to gain an internship for two months in a local company that may, in turn, hire graduates from the BCC in garment making positions. The cost of these internships is about $250 for two months with all expenses paid. Several of the graduates are living at home because they were not able to access an internship. Tony’s vision is to send 5 graduates a time to be introduced into a local company. That would cost about $1250. What does it take to launch a career in the garment making industry for 5 young women? Only $1250. Would you be willing to provide an internship for one young lady at a cost of $250?
Today our team is flying to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to visit Buckner ministry through Bright Hope, a ministry affiliated with Buckner Children and Family Services. We arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and met with Ghetahun Tessema, the Director of Bright Hope. Besides his work with Buckner, Ghetahun also serves another ministry reaching about 350,000 people in over 350 congregations. He is responsible for theological training of future church planters. I had the privilege of addressing the class today. What do you think I spoke to them about? Leadership, of course!
Ethiopia is very different from Kenya. Approximately 80% of the population of Ethiopia lives in the countryside. The population of Ethiopia is 72 million, 16 million of which claim Evangelical Christianity. We arrived at the Bishoftu Community Development Center in Debrezette and met some of the students in vocational and social work training. About 52 students are enrolled in this program of learning how to transform their communities. We also met students at the Nazrett Community Based Training and Rehabilitation Center where students who are physically challenged are trained in leather-crafts, wood-craft and carpentry, wood-cutting, and welding. Participants in this program also receive social services, physical rehab, and medical services. Social service ministry related to Bright Hope is found in ten different locations in Ethiopia. We have only begun to scratch the surface of the ministry here. The work is as diverse as the needs are. I am very impressed with the Buckner ministry here in Ethiopia. We are involved in redeeming lives for the Kingdom of God. Some of the youth involved in our ministry here have literally been pulled off the streets for a second chance at life.
I have two more days in Ethiopia, Saturday and Sunday so I plan to do some blogging on my experiences in the next two days on Monday and Tuesday of next week. I also plan to provide some suggestions for how you might be involved in extending the kingdom here in Africa next week. In the meantime, please keep those who are traveling with me in your prayers. Leave a comment or a question. I have really enjoyed hearing from you. It is late Friday night so I am signing off for now. Stay tuned next week for my final African entries.
Today we have been a part of bringing good news to the poor, providing sight to the blind, freedom for the prisoners, and liberty to the oppressed. Does this mission of Jesus resonate with you?
This blog is a bullshit, go and learn more about Ethiopia, Evangelicals are not more than 5 or 6 million while Orthodox are about 15 million and muslims are over 60% of the total number, please go and review again...i was born there and been to every single states in Ethiopia....please do not post whatever some one told you if you are not Ethiopian, if you are Ethiopian twisting the truth that means you are Evangelical whom are known of their lies!
Posted by: Semayawi | June 24, 2009 at 12:26 AM