Writing Course

Pam joined AfriCom with a view to growing her writing capabilities - she has a passion for telling the stories of what God is doing in Africa! She has already seen some of her articles published on the YWAM websites but is keen to hone her writing in order to really 'fly' with the creation of pieces about YWAM's work ... of course we all want to be able to function independently and become part of multiplying the communication team around the continent.

For a while now we have known of a correspondence course in journalism that's run by a British company called Writers' Bureau. The course was recommended to us by a British YWAMer in Arua, Uganda. It's a modular course that provides a structured way of practising writing and getting lots of input from experts. A recent flyer in the post alerted us to their new year special, which prompted us to pursue financial support for her from AfriCom friends around the world. So a big THANK YOU goes to all those who have kindly helped to fund this course for Pam - it's going to make the world of difference to her ability to function effectively as part of AfriCom.

This week at AfriCom

A quick update on activity in the Cape Town office of the AfriCom team ...

The Prayer Guide for this year is well on its way to becoming a reality and we are proud of the in-depth research that has gone into this edition. Tim has done an awesome job, with Pam assisting with country profiles. Doing just as great a job, Evelien has been working on our database, a tedious but absolutely necessary job that enables us to be in touch with as many YWAM staff people as possible around the continent. Martial has been working on the HIV/AIDS training video, beginning with some interview pieces for editing later. He is also working with Rifka, a photography intern from YWAM's Media Village; she has been helping to pick out some great shots to illustrate the Prayer Guide.

Meanwhile Miranda is heading off to Colorado Springs to meet up with the team at YWAM's International Communications Network. More on their meetings later!

Use of cell phones in Africa.

Check out this news piece about the use of text messages in promoting HIV/AIDS awareness in Uganda. If they can do it, then so can we;-) Cell phone coverage is far-reaching and even our remote teams can be reached with a text message ... having said that, this photo demonstrates that cell coverage can be sporadic: this shot was taken at the YWAM base in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe; this window sill is the only place in the building where the staff can be guaranteed to get a signal!

HIV Awareness - Video Project

Kate Muammar is a member of YWAM Africa's Field Service Team; she promotes and supports healthy practices in YWAM communities, with regards to HIV/AIDS, and also facilitates ministry engagement with this critical issue. But, as one person supporting these grassroots initiatives across the whole continent of Africa, Kate is in need of multiplying herself!

AfriCom offered to help Kate by working with her to produce a short DVD. The goal of the piece is to provide YWAM centers with a brief overview of the facts and to present some simple, healthy choices leaders and staff can make in order to fight stigma, promote prevention and care for one another. A further DVD is planned to help YWAM ministries understand how to incorporate HIV/AIDS awareness into their regular ministry to the people around them: DTS leaders can include HIV training in their curriculum; Personnel Directors can make sure they orientate new staff to healthy base practices; and so on. In both cases the DVDs will be accompanied by helpful workbooks to enable staff to learn more and to discuss the issues together.

Kate has been visiting Cape Town from Lusaka, Zambia, where she is based. We used the time to begin planning the DVD with her. It is wonderful to have the opportunity to collaborate with other members of the Field Service Team on efforts to strengthen YWAM Africa ... and to help Kate be in several places at once, at least on screen!

Reaching out to YWAM Zimbabwe

Last week Tim joined a team of six from South Africa to make a short visit to YWAM Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. The team was made up of Member Care staff and other leaders and - as well as their expertise - they took with them food supplies and some cash towards the ongoing base renovation costs (the base is a little run down).

There was opportunity for one-on-ones with most of the 8 Zimbabwean staff. The visiting team prayed and then reflected later on this time. Tim says: "We all felt that the morale was good on the base. There was a sense of renewed purpose and fresh vision. The staff had recently begun work repainting and rebuilding – and this physical work seemed to reflect the spiritual state. In prayer we sensed that the base had “moved beyond survival mode” and were in a time of Nehemiah-like vision and rebuilding of broken walls."

The base contributed gifts from their own finances towards the food, towards the YWAM Africa Field Office, and also towards YWAM’s monthly day of prayer. This reflected their deep desire for connection to the wider YWAM family.

The base leader, Patricia Biassi, thanked the team, and Kobus Van Niekerk in particular, for frequent visits and faithful support over the recent years. Without this, Pat said, she would have lost hope. Now she senses God giving fresh vision and she expressed deep gratitude to those outside Zimbabwe who have given and encouraged her team through the hard times.

Zimbabwe continues to be in a critical and unstable state. Mega-inflation of 18,000% means the few goods in the shops are very expensive. Presidential elections are scheduled for 29th March 2008. Pray for the country during the time of campaigning, as this is a potentially explosive season.

Another trip is planned for April, after the elections, to take in more food, building supplies and money.

YWAM International Prayer Day

Last September YWAM's Global Leadership Team introduced the idea of an international Prayer Day for the entire mission, every month through 2008. This fabulous, unifying initiative is being run almost exclusively using Internet-based communication ... whilst emails featuring links to the comprehensive website are a most effective tool for much of the world, for some places these tools exclude people instead of including them. Many of our teams around Africa simply do not have adequate Internet access that is cheap enough, reliable enough or close enough to enable them to access these resources.

This challenge has forced AfriCom into getting familiar with bulk text messaging! As well as sending out smaller emails which do not require recipients to access information on the web, we have decided to send messages to as many YWAM staff cell phone numbers as we can. These short reminders will at least prompt people to pray and help to make them feel involved. The added advantage is that leaders, who for various reasons tend to be information bottlenecks, will have help reminding their staff to be part of this global initiative.

The bulk sms could be a great tool for a Comms Team like ours ... perhaps we could send out mini news updates to the whole field on a regular basis?

Field Service Team meetings

Last week Martial and Miranda flew to Pretoria to attend the annual meetings of the Field Service Team. Some time ago AfriCom was made part of the FST, a group of people whose focus is to strengthen YWAM across Africa through Member Care, Staff Development, Leadership Development and Communication. These people represent a wealth of experience across Africa and a decent level of expertise in their areas, so it's good for us to have time together and to learn from one another. Our annual meetings are the only time we are all together in one place and it's a good time to exchange information and strategize or decide where to focus our efforts. We collaborate on common projects for the continent, such as Support Raising and HIV/AIDS, each contributing from our area of expertise (e.g. we would produce a video to accompany other training pieces on HIV/AIDS, or contribute material for a staff development e-zine on communication). The FST is strongly connected to the ALT, with the recognition that we act through influence not authority. Our common goal is to make the work of the leaders easier!

Kobus van Niekerk is the acting Field Director for YWAM Africa, a very challenging role not least because his constant and extensive travelling costs the earth. It would be a difficult job for anyone, let alone having to raise the finances as well! He and his wife, Rika, are an amazing couple who have given everything for the sake of seeing YWAM established in Africa; an awesome example and a tough act for anyone to follow. This week Tim is traveling to Zimbabwe with Kobus to see the team working there and to support them. The situation for the YWAM team in Zimbabwe is just one of the hotspots Kobus has to address ... I'm not sure how he deals with stress, but whatever it is he should market it; that could solve his fundraising issues!!