Have you ever experienced that sense of relief that comes after you’ve helped a loved one find their way out of debt, unemployment, or poverty? Maybe you felt it after your son or daughter graduated from college and got employed; finally, you didn’t have to worry about tuition anymore! Maybe you experienced it when a friend, who had lost his job and depended on you for a time, found work again. In addition to relief, you also experienced a sense of satisfaction for giving that loved one time to attain the skills needed to work with dignity.
People in the remote, rural villages of southern Nigeria suffer from economic hardship because of lack of opportunity, no affordable education, and poor health services. They know their dignity as God’s children, but they also know, with the right tools and support, their dignity would be enhanced greatly through their own productive work.
While the Mother Enabler Compassionate Home School strives to address these economic problems, we still depend on local friends and core HEAL supporters for basic operating necessities such as food, fuel for electricity, medical and other supplies, etc. Our HEAL vision, however, must not be blurred by this intolerable status quo as we work to serve the spiritual, educational, and material well being of the widows and orphans in our charge.
Our widows and orphans come from an agricultural setting, where planting small gardens and raising a few livestock are a way of life. Out of this context, we envision the establishment of a poultry farm as a means for us to generate income to pay for the operating expenses of the Home School. In this way, you, HEAL co-missionaries, can help our widows and orphans learn valuable skills for life and contribute to the sustenance of the institution caring for them!
Imagine the satisfaction you will feel when such a venture is launched and, because of you, orphaned children are engaging in productive work within their own experience. It will remind you of that time you helped that family member or struggling friend. And, it will fulfill Jesus’ command to all of us to serve the least of His brothers and sisters (Matt 25:40) in the spirit of self-emptying sacrifice (Phil 2:6), which He modeled for us!
