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Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission is a “family gathering” of African, North American, and European Anabaptists working together to become an answer to Jesus’ prayer: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. We seek to nurture and partner with the church in empowering ways in ongoing ministries of witness and service in Angola, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, and South Africa.
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New Praise & PrayerAfrica Inter-Mennonite Mission: Building a global family of faithABCD at Kalonda Bible Institute
Rev. Bercie Mundedi gave the motivational meditation at the ABCD training for the Kalonda Bible Institute.
After attending the Assets Based Community Development (ABCD) training that AIMM had facilitated at the Kandale congregation, Rev. Bercie Mundedi came to AIMM with the request that we provide the same training for the Kalonda Bible Institute students. AIMM was pleased to say YES!
The Assets Based Community Development (ABCD) method uses a community’s own assets and resources as the basis of development, empowering people by encouraging them to use what they already have instead of immediately looking to outside sources for assistance. Bercie is convinced that the method would be useful for the Bible Institute, its students, and even for the wider church. As they start their pastoral ministries, they will need to be able to assess the local resources of their communities and create opportunities for sustainable progress, in their churches and for their own livelihoods. Below there are two videos which show Kalonda Bible Institute students participating in an exercise of building a fire together. This exercise illustrates the importance of relationships as social capital. The first video shows how a community can produce more than an individual can when everybody brings their contribution with all of their assets and talents. The second video shows how the collection effort fails when people withdraw their contribution.
The take-away from ABCD training is the following...
Resources come from the community: Start with what you have, and build with what you know. Thanks to all AIMM donors who made this training possible for Rev. Bercie Mundedi and the students at the Kalonda Bible Institute! Angola's Semente Menonita Project Harvests BeansAngolan Mennonites’ livelihood depends largely on their ability to cultivate the land and on God’s provision through plentiful harvests. Because their lives have been upended by civil war and migration for a generation, our Angolan brothers and sisters have experienced significant displacement, diminished agricultural production--all of which has resulted in endemic poverty. During the war, many Angolans were forced to flee to the DR Congo, where some were introduced to the Mennonite faith. After the war these new Mennonites returned to their country to resettle and rebuild their lives. When the Mennonite Community of Churches in Angola, one of the Angolan Mennonite groups, came to AIMM asking for help to increase the capacity of its members in agricultural production, we assisted the church by helping families attain a sustainable livelihood through farming.
The church creation of a farming cooperative called “Semente Menonita,” which means “Mennonite Seed.” The cooperative has helped families to pool their knowledge and increase production. Semente Menonita just had a successful bean harvest, as shown in the pictures above. Even more could be achieved with better seeds, appropriate fertilizers, additional marketing opportunities, and more crop storage capacity, so we are seeking additional donations to help people in the cooperative meet their goals. |
New Africa Journal
OHE Orphanage Begins Farm-to-table Project
OHE residents working on the farmland on the Batéké Plateau
The Oeuvre Humanitaire Emmanuel (OHE) Orphanage was created in 2000 in Kinshasa, the capital city of the DR Congo. The motto of the orphanage is "without love all is vanity" drawn in 1 Cor.: 13:1-8. The words from James 1:27 were also a strong encouragement for the creation of this orphanage.
The orphanage is currently caring for 37 orphans (14 girls and 23 boys) ranging in age from 3 to 25 years old. To enable them to be useful to the community and happy people when they adults, the orphanage provides support their education, schooling, and teaches them the word of God for their growth and development. They get education from primary school to university, and some attend vocational schools. In order to supplement the funding OHE receives from AIMM donors, OHE is planting vegetables on some farmland that will be used to supplement the food the orphanage buys. By farming, OHE is hopeful they will teach their residents new skills and the orphanage will become more self-sustaining. Planting & BuildingBellarmé Ngalula and his wife Mimie Kanku are planting the new Trois Rivieres CEM (Evangelical Mennonite) congregation in Bandundu Ville, DRC. Meanwhile, they are also working on construction for their first congregation, The Lord’s Reserve. AIMM is supporting this work through the “African Missionary Support” project.
The Evangelical Mennonite Church of the Congo (CEM) is supporting the construction work at the Matendo local church.
Leadership Coaching in KalondaThe Congo Leadership Coaching Network team recently returned from a transformational seminar at the Kalonda Bible Institute.
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