New Program for high schoolers at Favored Sister’s School

Founder Na’omi Mankilik

Nigeria Crisis Response has been sponsoring the Favored Sister’s School in Jos, Nigeria since January 2015.The school was founded by Na’omi MANKILIK along with a Nigerian women’s organization called Favored Sister’s Christian Fellowship.  The school was started for the many orphans and displaced persons that resulted from Boko Haram insurgency. At first, 60 orphans were housed on the large piece of property and an addition 60 students were picked up daily and brought to the school. The first classes went from pre-school through 6th grade. The school has since expanded to 263 students, pre-school through high school. There are now 240 orphans living at the school. Favored Sister’s School has been working hard to bring quality education to these students. It employs displaced teachers and has a pastor and wife that live with the orphans. There is real care for the whole student, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

High School Students

Christian Aid Ministries (from Ohio) (CAM) has partnered with Church of the Brethren and has another program in place in Nigeria. When they visited Favored Sister’s School, they began to wonder what the older orphans would do when they left school. They have started a  program on the orphanage property to teach these youth an occupational skill for the future. Tailoring, Shoemaking and  Carpentry  will be  taught as a 12 month course. Skilled locals have been employed for each trade and they teach a half day course (3) days a week.

Carpenters in training are making desks

The program is well underway. The sewing class has moved from practicing on paper to sewing outfits for themselves. Shoemakers have made and sold over 40 pairs of shoes. The carpenters made 40 desks for the school and are now making couches they can sell to help run the school. Thank you CAM for the dream and for helping it come to fruition.

Students at Favored Sister’s School (Photo by Jon Ogburn)

For less than $150 per youth, you could help sponsor the program. The students will be able to learn a vocation and then will graduate the program with a sewing machine or the basic hand tools of their own that will equip them to support themselves. Check can be made to Church of the Brethren, with Nigeria Crisis – Favored Sisters in the memo line.

Please continue to pray for the students, teachers and administrators of Favored Sister’s School.

 

 

Food Distributions

Rhoda - member of Relief Team

Rhoda – member of Relief Team

Thank you for your support of the Nigeria Crisis Response. (Consolidated from a report by Rhoda)

Ekklesiayar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN) Relief Team has been very busy with food distributions.  In the last two weeks, your donations have provided food for 988 families (about 6000 individuals). Food was distributed to three remote districts that had never received help because they were still in dangerous and unsafe areas.

Bags of Maize (corn)

Bags of Maize (corn)

Mussa District: Most of the people had relocated back home but they were attacked for the second and third time by the Boko Haram. The community was burned and many were killed. They have taken refuge in Wamdeo (a neighboring village). EYN relief team provided about 277 households with rice, detergent, cooking oil, Maggi (cooking flavoring), soap, salt and personal care items.

Dille District: The people of Dille have also returned home.  The EYN Disaster Management Team assisted in this relocation of 654 families. Dille was attacked a few days before the distribution. However, soldiers around the community were been able to restore order and the people are living well and going about their normal activities. The Disaster team along with Glenn and Marcus from Christian Aid Ministries went under Nigerian Military escort to ensure a safe distribution.

Military Escort assisting

Military Escort assisting

Ado Kasa: Ado Kasa is another community in Nassarawa state where IDPs  have relocated and are staying.  It is not a camp, but a community where people stay in rented houses. 57 households have found refuge at Ado Kasa; they have a church with a Pastor assigned to them from the EYN Headquarters. They face many health challenges especially the pregnant women who have to travel to another town for medical services.  When the people of  Ado Kasa received the bags of corn, they danced and were happy and they said it was more than anything they have ever received.