Sunday, August 13, 2006
Urban Ministry
Urban Ministry was started in 1994 by the CRWRC in the city of Jos. Its goal was to create cooperative groups through the churches in Jos. These groups would then be trained in business management skills and receive specific skills training so that they could start their own small businesses. With the assistance of small loans, many members of these cooperative groups were able to start successful small businesses ranging from knitting, to farming, to cookshops to buying/selling of produce for the market. By giving the loans to a group rather than an individual, it is hoped that the people will learn to be accountable to each other and to work together to empower their group to be an example in the community. The Urban Ministry Office also works with these cooperative groups to provide health training and literacy training.
Now that these groups have become more empowered through increased literacy, more awareness of health concerns and how to live lives that are more clean and disease free, and through
increased income, they are now more able to work in their communities to encourage their neighbours and to share with them what God has done in their lives.
Jos started by receiving grants from CRWRC in order to implement this work. They have now become self-sufficient! Through the interest they collect on the loan repayments they are able to keep loans circulating throughout their cooperatives and pay the salaries of over ten staff. Since 1994, Urban Ministry has also opened up sites in the cities of Lagos, Abuja and Makurdi. These three cities still receive grants from CRWRC, but are working to also become self-sufficient. As a long-time member of the Christian Reformed Church, it was amazing to see first hand what some of the money that is given to CRWRC is used for and how much it has influenced many of the poor families of Nigeria.
To assess the Urban Ministry program, Rosemarie and I visited with each of the leaders of the four city sites, as well as meeting with a few cooperative groups from those cities. During these visits, our primary objective was to ensure that the offices were not putting all their emphasis on income generation, as this is what is the most appealing aspect of the program to its clients. We wanted to ensure that health and literacy training were being offered and that the cooperative groups were aware and participating in these trainings. We also wanted to ensure that the groups were meeting in Bible Study and prayer, working together to ensure that they were running their businesses with Christian Ethics and that they were inviting their non-Christian neighbours to participate in the health and literacy trainings offered, so that the entire community could benefit from these workshops.
Through this experience, Rosemarie and I were able to meet many families in Nigeria and see first-hand what a struggle it is to make an income in a nation where jobs are very hard to come by. We also were so blessed by the success stories we heard from many members about how Urban Ministry has changed their lives. With the added income, they have been able to pay their children’s school fees, provide better clothes and food for their childen, and what was most important to many of them - tithe to their church. With literacy training many can now write their names and keep better business records. Many also expressed how happy they were to be able to help their children with homework. With health training, many have now received education on how to keep their homes and businesses clear of diseases as well as AIDS/HIV education. Many of them share what they learn from these trainings with their neighbours.
Urban Ministry is truly working to alleviate poverty among Nigeria’s cities and CRWRC should be proud of what it has accomplished through this ministry. Of course, there is always room for improvements, but for Rosemarie and I, we were blessed to see how even a small loan (less than $100) can help a family so much.
Success Stories
“Today, my business has grown because of the training that I have received. It has taught me how to maintain a living from the income I have earned. People have come from Abuja (260km away) to buy products from me. In fact, last year I made an income of N85,000.00 (US $630) from making bread. We, in Jos, are grateful to be a part of the program and, by the grace of God, we will not be poor again. In addition to the business and loan training, I have also learned about HIV/AIDS. I learned how this infection can be contracted, how the disease spreads and how to care for people living with the disease.”
-Mrs. Astira Job, Kauna Widows Group - Jos
“In the year 2000 I learned knitting and purchased a knitting machine. That same year I applied for a loan from Urban Ministry. With the money, I rented a shop. I then used the balance to buy knitting thread. Since then, my business has been growing. The living standard of my family has changed because I now contribute financially to the income of the family. Truly, I appreciate UM Abuja because they have helped me in ways that have changed my life. I am now a strong businesswoman. Presently, I have four knitting machines and have trained about 20 women on apprenticeship and they all have their own shops.” – Mrs. Agnes S. Manjura, Kauna Group #1. - Abuja
“Mun Gode Allah. Most of the members in the Kauna Cooperative were shy in meeting for religious or academic advancement discussions because they were not literate. But with their enrollment in the literacy classes established by U.M. Lagos, they have now read and passed primary education, with some proceeding for college education. They now stand tall among their mates to evangelize and transact business more professionally.”
– Laire Samuel - Lagos
# posted by Stephanie @ 7:21 PM 
