African School | Miles In Missions

Archive for the ‘African School’ Category

Leaving an Impact

Posted: March 21, 2023 by Patrice Miles in African School, C.A.R.E. Africa, Child Sponsorship, Core Values, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Empowerment, Fundraising, Miles In Missions, Nigeria, Orphans, People of Egbe, Sponsorship

There are many ways we can impact lives across the globe and truly make a difference. DonorSee is one of those platforms and what a blessing it has been to the ministry. A couple of months ago, I did a blog on how DonorSee emerged as a platform and eventually upscaled to impact hundreds of lives in 38 different countries, see Why DonorSee?

It has been two years since C.A.R.E. Africa came on board the platform, and now we have a community that is familiar with the ministry and has given us the opportunity to impact the lives of our children, staff, and the community at large!

You truly get to see lives transformed and improved on DonorSee. We have been able to empower some of our caretakers through the community from DonorSee, maintain our ministry vehicles, send our children to computer camp, and even assist with several community needs. I have included pictures of some of those funded projects below.

Ever since C.A.R.E. joined the platform, we have been able to raise $81,093, of which many of you reading this have contributed to that number. We are thankful that we can utilize a platform such as DonorSee to positively impact so many lives.

Would you like to see more of what God has been doing at C.A.R.E Africa through DonorSee? I have included links to some of the projects that are currently still waiting to be funded on DonorSee.

Check out these new videos on DonorSee

Do join us in this journey of impacting the lives of families in Egbe Nigeria and beyond!

Do You Pray For Us?

Posted: March 7, 2023 by Patrice Miles in African School, C.A.R.E. Africa, Child Sponsorship, Core Values, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions, Nigeria, Orphans, People of Egbe, Prayer, Sponsorship

We hope that you do! Prayer transforms us as we seek our father’s face and plead for his will. At C.A.R.E., we recognize that the ministry entirely relies on the prayers and support of believers across the globe. We are a family preservation ministry, which means that at our core we are constantly working to undo the enemy’s influence in the lives of our children and the community at large.

This is why the newest addition to the CA.R.E. team is so crucial to the entire ministry. Alison Douma is our prayer advocate, and she will be working closely with the Nigerian staff as well as the American team to communicate situations and needs to the prayer group in a bi-weekly prayer letter. Alison will also be sharing our prayer requests regularly with churches and others to have as many people praying for C.A.R.E. Africa as possible. We currently have 230 prayer warriors, and we would like to continue to grow that number. We are excited to have Alison join the team because we know with this addition, we are well on our way to achieving our goal. Here is the link to our most recent Prayer Letter. The past few months have been quite busy for the ministry and we are very thankful that God has continued to direct and provide for the team in Nigeria and America. If you would like to subscribe to our prayer group and advocate for us with your prayers, please click on this link and join us as God continues to do tremendous things through C.A.R.E Africa! Prayer Warriors!

Who Encourages Whom?

Posted: February 10, 2023 by bluewatergigi in African School, C.A.R.E. Africa, Missionaries, Nigeria, Volunteers

by Cindy Borody

Every other Thursday morning I hold my phone close in anticipation and wait.

I get my coffee, sit at my desk, and wait.

I watch my phone screen and wait.

Then my phone rings, my heart beats a bit quicker, and I answer.

Sometimes it takes a few times answering before the connection holds, but the attempts and the wait are worth it.

On the other end of the line are the sweet voices of the teachers at CARE/Foundations Academy in Egbe!

For a few years now I have had the privilege of chatting with teachers over WhatsApp.

We share what they have been teaching the kids. I ask them about their ‘Big Wins’ and pray over the challenges they face in their classrooms. We laugh together and share about family life. It is like sitting in a Staff Room at any school, community, and fellowship except we are doing it over the phone.

When the network is cooperating, we do FaceTime. What a treat that is, we can see each other, we wave and wave, and sometimes a few happy tears flow.

I ask how I can pray for them, and we pray for each other.

Many times, the call gets dropped, but we try connecting again (and again) so we can finish the call with sweet goodbyes.

My role is to encourage the staff at Foundations. I listen and take notes as they share their experiences in Egbe.

As I write down what they share, many memories come flooding back to my days at Foundations. Good memories.

After the call ends, I take a few minutes to review what I have written and pray again.

Each call brings joy. I can picture the school, staff, and kids running around, I can hear the laughter coming from the kids in the background.

These calls encourage me.

I am thankful for the time that we get to connect.

God is faithful to keep His promises and has been faithful to CARE and Foundations Academy!

Our teachers at Foundations Academy in Egbe Nigeria, are committed to the counter-cultural work of teaching the whole child. They implement classroom management styles that train in excellence while inspiring each child to reach for their God-given gifts. $100 can support a teacher for one month AND provide much-desired direct encouragement and discipleship. Teachers are essential to our children’s lives, and we strive to implement a holistic approach.

So, join us as we care for each child through their teachers! Visit our site at http://bit.ly/egbeteachers to sponsor a teacher’s salary at $50 or $100 a month.

#GivingTuesday Success Update! We are 100% Funded!

Posted: December 13, 2022 by Patrice Miles in #GivingTuesday, African School, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, Orphans, Patrice Miles, People of Egbe, Prayer

We are so excited to announce that our school project is completely funded after our #GivingTuesday campaign. With pledged contributions, our donor match, and all donations received we are funded!! Thank you to everyone that contributed or helped us Build Our School! Now sit back and watch the progress as it is going to be fun. Below is our first update video from Yomi our project manager.

#Giving Tuesday is 1 Week Away & We Have a Donor Match

Posted: November 22, 2022 by Patrice Miles in #GivingTuesday, African School, C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions, Orphans, People of Egbe, Prayer

See the video below for an update on the work going on in Egbe, Nigeria. The school project is underway for the 152 children in our school.

#Giving Tuesday is one week from today.

We have a gracious donor that is matching all gifts up to $16,500. Visit our school project donation page at https://donorsee.com/school to help us reach our goal so we can finish building our school.

🏫 Our School Is Almost Finished! Donor Match Alert!

Posted: November 4, 2022 by Patrice Miles in African School, C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, Orphans, Patrice Miles, People of Egbe, Prayer

We are so excited to announce that a Donor has agreed to match any donation received between now and the end of the year up to $16,500 for our school project. https://donorsee.com/school

Meet the Makens. They visited Egbe years ago and genuinely fell in love. The Makens formed an attachment to a small, five-year-old boy they chose to sponsor. Their commitment to this child was so sincere that he graduated and is now attending university with their full support. They also support his caregiver, which is his grandmother. Their support has allowed us to help her with monthly food packages, accommodations, and provisions. The Makens are dedicated to the education and empowerment of the children and caregivers of CARE Africa and wanted to assist us in completing the construction of our school, Foundations Academy of Egbe. The Makens have generously agreed to match any funds we raise through the end of the year up to $16,500, which is half of the $33,000 needed to finish our school.

This is an unbelievable opportunity to have our school completed. Please join the Makens and help us build our school! Visit https://donorsee.com/school to donate

Check out the latest video of the school wall and the buildings that we will start renovating this week here.

Stony, Stubborn Heart

Posted: October 13, 2022 by Patrice Miles in African School, C.A.R.E. Africa, Missionaries, Nigeria

By, Cindy Borody
The summer of 2019 saw my last few weeks at Foundations Academy in Egbe, Nigeria.

I was busy packing up our house and attending many ‘farewell’ events for my husband and myself. I was hot, tired, and just getting through events. There was not much joy, I was in the mode that many missionaries find themselves in their last weeks serving overseas.

I was stubbornly fulfilling my duties.

It was a Tuesday morning when I found myself driving to CARE/Foundations and I was reminded of a verse in Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 36:26:And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.

As the school gates opened for me and I drove through I said a quick prayer ‘Lord, I want a tender heart this morning for these kids.

I greeted all the teachers and kids calling in through each school window. The replies always encouraged my heart.

As I passed by one particular class, the teacher called out my name and asked me to speak to a child that was having some behavioral challenges. The teacher told me that B* had a very stubborn heart and her work was suffering.

I called B* out of the classroom and asked her to sit with me while we chatted about what was happening. My heart broke for her as she described her feelings; I could identify. She was hot, tired, and very frustrated: frustrated with her classes, and friends.

She said, “my heart feels like a stone.“

I put my arm around her and shared that I felt the same way. She looked at me doubtfully. I told her some of the things that I was feeling and then brought up Ezekiel 36:26.

We went through the verse slowly together.

I was so close to tears as we both agreed to hold each other accountable to this verse.

God would give us a new heart, His Spirit, and he would remove both of our stony, stubborn hearts and give us both tender, responsive hearts.

Each time I went to Foundations those last few weeks B* and I would sit together and encourage each other on how God was developing our new hearts.

I learned quite a bit from B* in September 2019.

When the teacher asked me to speak with B*, she thought I would be instructing B*. God had other plans. It was B* who taught me.

Our CARE Africa/Foundation Academy kids have so much to teach us.

Now that I am back in North America, I think of this ministry daily. They need our encouragement as much as we need theirs.

If you ever would like to know more about how you can encourage a child, staff member, volunteer, or give of your time or finances, we would love to hear from you. Email Patrice@icareafrica.org.

C.A.R.E. Africa Core Values, Empower

Posted: August 18, 2022 by Patrice Miles in African School, C.A.R.E. Africa, Child Sponsorship, Core Values, Egbe Nigeria, Empowerment, Miles In Missions, Nigeria, People of Egbe, Seamstresses

By Jolene Eicher,

Over the next few weeks, we want to share C.A.R.E. Africa’s core values with you. We hope it will resonate with similar values you use in your own life and that of your family/friends.

EMPOWER
Empower describes the process of change wherein an individual with a prior inability to choose has the access and freedom to make choices (Kabeer, 2005).

The solution to slowing poverty isn’t about how much money you can give or about inserting western interventions. It’s about providing people with the tools to build their own better future.

Here are some empowering tools C.A.R.E. Africa is providing:

EDUCATION
Over the past 7 years, we have provided orphaned and impoverished children with an education that gives them opportunities to become future leaders in their country and across the world. We equip them with biblical values and basic skillsets needed to become strong, independent young adults.

The SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
This allows some of C.A.R.E. Africa’s most promising students to continue their education through the post-secondary level. This higher education provides them with skills needed for life-altering employment so they can lift themselves and their family from the depths of poverty. Once selected, scholarship students receive full financial support including tuition, books, room and board, clothing, requirements, and health care.

VOCATIONAL TRAINING and MICRO-FINANCE
The empowerment of vocational training such as tailoring, barbering, and computer/information technology provides success in a challenging economy. It is ideal for those students who are looking for a way to become gainfully employed in a small business.

Bank loans are almost impossible to obtain. C.A.R.E. Africa provides micro-finance loans to young adults and the women of C.A.R.E. Africa. We become “the bank” and provide the loan to start and grow small businesses. Small businesses are the lifeblood of African economies and a significant way to empower those looking for a way out of poverty.

Hopefully, you can now understand why EMPOWER is the first of the four core values in the mission objectives of C.A.R.E. How we are empowering the children and women of C.A.R.E. is not much different than what we do with our own children, family and friends to help them secure a successful future.

View all empowerment programs at https://donate.icareafrica.org/projects

God, please don’t ever make me go to Africa.

Posted: March 15, 2022 by dbeville in African School, C.A.R.E. Africa, Child Sponsorship, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions, Mission Trips, Missionaries, Nigeria, Sponsorship, Volunteers

I remember sitting in church as a kid in the early 90s, listening to a missionary discuss their life in Africa while flipping through a slide reel of pictures. I don’t remember anything they said, just the feeling of fear and dread that God wanted to punish me enough that one day I would have to go to Africa. That night and for years to follow, I begged God to never make me go to Africa. I’d do anything else.

Then in the spring of 2014, I felt the wind blow in a different direction. The Miles had sold all their stuff and moved to Nigeria six months prior. I felt my curiosity suddenly outweighing my fear. It now seemed as if maybe God had a gift waiting for me rather than a punishment. I wanted to visit friends. But I also felt a new and unfamiliar tug. An exciting invitation. A “just you wait and see…”

Since that first trip with Stephen in 2014, I’ve traveled back to Nigeria 3 more times, with another trip scheduled for later this year. I am now eager for each next chance to go to Africa.

When C.A.R.E. Africa first began, Patrice asked if I would attempt to sell some jewelry participants had made. Having no experience in sales, marketing, promotion, or distribution, I said, “Sure!” We bought a tent and tables. Stephen’s sister used sharpies to draw a poster board sign, and we began vending at farmer’s markets in Louisville, KY.

C.A.R.E. grew into a full-blown ministry in Nigeria with many facets, including a seamstress training program that creates numerous products including clothing, handbags, jewelry, and aprons. Our garage transformed into an “Amazon Fulfillment Center,” stocked with shelves of sorted boxes of products, market display items (many built by Patrice’s stepdad), and shipping supplies.

Miraculously those early days of stumbling through the unknowns have grown into a vibrant display, a band of faithful volunteers, return-shoppers at markets, a requested presence in missions conferences, an Etsy store, and $20k in sales for 2021.

I found my passion and purpose in that vendor booth. I could not sell just anything. But I have the incredible luck to showcase vibrant products which tell a beautiful story that I believe in with my whole heart. And I love the human element of a market: crowds of unique characters with personalities as varied as the fabric prints. It helps open my heart to the patchwork of people required to build a solid community.

As if my life managing product sales wasn’t charmed enough, in 2021 I was offered employment with C.A.R.E. as the Sponsorship Coordinator. I am having so much fun getting to know the kids and sponsors more. It is an honor to facilitate communication and relationship internationally! Sponsors are partnering with C.A.R.E. to educate, disciple, and nurture more than 70 kids in Nigeria. I update sponsors on life in Egbe including new pictures, report cards, home life, plans for college, and achievements. I also relay communication from sponsors back to Egbe staff and students.

Other facets of this role include advocating for sponsorship and monitoring financial transactions. After an end-of-year audit, we verified that 99% of child sponsorship donor dollars go directly to care and supplies for the children and their families!! Around every turn, I continue to find the efficacy and integrity of this organization are top tier.

What a thrill ride I’m on. I’d like to go back to tell little Diana she doesn’t need to be afraid; there’s so much to look forward to.

ADVOCATE * INVEST * EMPOWER * SERVE

Why can’t I go to school?

Posted: March 8, 2022 by Patrice Miles in African School, C.A.R.E. Africa, Child Sponsorship, Miles In Missions, Nigeria, Orphans, Prayer

Millions of Nigerian students are disappointed every year because they cannot attend university. Not because they didn’t study hard enough for entrance exams, but because there isn’t enough room for all of them and it’s not affordable for most.

74% of Nigerians that apply for higher education will be denied. Only 1 out of 4 will have the opportunity to go. WHY?

The US has over 5,000 higher education institutions to service a population of roughly 319 million. Compare that to Nigeria who has around 150 universities to service a population of 180 million people, 62% of them 24 or younger. There is simply not enough universities in Nigeria to accommodate the growing student population.

If a student is accepted, the school fees can range from $1,000 to $6,000 per year, for federal, state, or private university. For a country with an approximate minimum wage of $57 a month (about $2 a day) it is clearly impossible for most families to to send their children to university.

Michael studying Business Administrative Ekiti State University

We are fortunate to have six students in higher institutions in Nigeria and one in the United States. These children are blessed to have sponsors who invest in their lives. We work very hard to obtain admittance for our children. For those who are able to gain admission we rely on our sponsors for tuition fees. A higher education gives them the opportunity to break free from the cycle of poverty. God’s kingdom is growing, and generations will be transformed because when you educate a child, you educate a nation.

Please consider giving to our scholarship fund to enable more children to continue their education at https://give.icareafrica.org/careafrica/scholarship

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