AFBC and the village of Mawanga have been linked over the years through Kelsey and Sonia’s time there, and our financial participation in times of crises. That link has become a bond – church to church – and God has opened a door for a sustained and fruitful relationship.
As I shared on a recent Wednesday night, we have an opportunity as a church and as individuals to do some real good to brothers and sisters who live at the mercy of disease, poor sanitation, and the growing season. Mawangans depend on the just opened and largely unfunded clinic for medical care. They depend on tainted water sources for their very life. They have no money to save for food in drought conditions. Children often can’t afford small school fees.They work hard, but it is a hand-to-mouth existence they lead.
Most of us can help a great deal in very simple ways. We have all seen the programs where a western family can support a child overseas. These large aid organizations are helping people all over the world. I encourage their support. But large ministries do have a large overhead. Most of the money goes to salaries and advertising. In Mawanga, through the Rural Orphans and Widows AIDS Network (ROWAN), we can support people in need directly. People we know. No overhead. Nearly every dollar can go to medicine, economic development, school fees, etc. We can offer hope with some very basic assistance to one of the poorest parts of the world.
Elaina Griffith is the go-to person for ROWAN donations. You can make a big difference with a small, ongoing donation. Even $20 a month goes a long way in Africa. Please pray about being a regular donor to ROWAN.
Yours in Christ,
Originally printed in the Acton Faith Bible Church Pony Express. Vol. I, No. 08, November 2008.