West Africa: Women's Vocational Training

Women of West Africa are uniquely vulnerable.  Girls live on the streets; wives are abandoned; many have no education.  To them this Center proclaims the Gospel, provides training in marketable skills, and gives hope.  This project expands a proven Sewing School Ministry that we have supported for years.

Give now to support West Africa: Women's Vocational Training.

 

Here's the latest news about this project . . .
West Africa: Christian Vocational Training Center Eligible for $100,000 Grant!
March 1, 2012

Smyrna is thrilled to announce that our ministry partner in West Africa is making progress on a vital project: a Women's Vocational Training Center. 

God is opening doors and blessing this project! For instance, this summer, a team of engineering students from the U.S. are heading there to design and install solar lights for the center. When completed, the center will house, feed, and educate up to 60 women at a time, providing instruction in breadwinning skills that enable them to care for themselves and their children. Residents will also be introduced to the Gospel, and will be taught the Scriptures from a Christian worldview. 

The goal of vocational training is to equip once downtrodden and oppressed women to be joyful lifestyle communicators of Christ's love to their communities. 

In order to make the Women's Vocational Training Center fully operable and sustainable, our ministry partner is seeking to raise $200,000. Praise the Lord, a reputable Christian organization (which prefers to remain anonymous) has offered a matching grant of up to $100,000. So for every dollar we raise for these women, this organization will match it for the project!

The Women's Vocational Training Center will also have, on location, a small medical clinic. This clinic will be a base of operations for resident nurses to care for the health needs of the larger community. 

In this region of West Africa, Islam and poverty conspire to keep women in a cycle of hopeless desperation. Often, women are viewed as their husband's property - polygamy and unjust divorce frequently devastate women's lives. Please prayerfully consider partnering with us to offer the hope of Jesus Christ to women who only know fear and want.  

 

Please, pray with us for the Lord to provide the funds to meet this matching grant. If you would like to join this project, click HERE to donate online to West Africa: Women's Vocational Training.

 

 

 

 

 

Dormitory nearly completed. 

 

 

 

 

 

Mango trees & HOPE!
August 26, 2010

Phase one of the Women's Vocational Center completed! We have purchases two acres of land, encircled it with a fence (built out of sand and cement blocks), laid cables to connect electricity to the campus site, and made a lot of architectural progress! Already, the buildings are taking shape- we've built from foundation-to-lintel level: four dormitories, a dining hall, five rooms for teachers and the supervisor, offices, and a sewing room. We also hacked out a 40 ft. by 60 ft. rectangle and laid the foundation for what will one day be our multi-purpose hall. 

Just in case you aren't part of this project yet, I'll fill you in. This Women's Vocational Center is in northern Ghana, in a very poor region. The majority of the population is Muslim, and polygamy not uncommon.

Unfortunately, neither is domestic violence.

Many women find themselves in abusive relationships. If they complain they face divorce and abandonment. God has made it abundantly clear that He cares for the oppressed and helpless, and that each of these women is precious in His sight. We want to bring hope to these women, offer them shelter and life-skills training, English lessons, sewing lessons - but beyond these we want to bring the Gospel and love of Jesus Christ to them.

In faith, we have planted 127 mango trees, and we are confident that before the fruit ripens, God will move His people with compassion and the Center will be completed!

Donate today HERE.