Port Harcourt UPDATE
You may have read that our dear friend Mogodi and his family were suddenly evicted from their homes. The land where Mogodi and his family have been living for so long was always land that belonged to the government. The Fulani were squatters, with permission of course, and our school was making use of an abandoned building at that place. The government apparently and suddenly has decided to use the land for military barracks, and so has evicted everyone and is tearing down the buildings, including the one we used for our school.
Now, we are going to purchase our own land - land that will belong fully and forever to SFA. No one will be able to evict the Fulani from that land, as we will make it available to them in perpetuity, for living, farming, and grazing their cattle. The school we build there will belong to SFA - no one will be able to close it down.
We would greatly, greatly appreciate your help to buy the land needed, a piece measuring some 143 acres, in the outskirts of Port Harcourt. We would greatly appreciate help to build a small school there for the hundreds of Fulani children. SFA Manager Lawal is now in Port Harcourt with Mogodi, to see the land and meet its owner, and negotiate a good price. We are expecting the costs to reach $75-100K. Praise God, we have raised $23,603.43, with a couple of other promising donors hoping to help.
Unfortunately, Lawal emailed that the owners of the 143 acres are no longer willing to sell us that land, even at our best price. Why? Of course... because they don't want Fulani families living there. Such hatred towards the Fulani, I've never seen. Lawal told Mogodi to look for another place. They have nowhere to go. Mogodi is desperately searching for land for his family to settle on. Please pray for an immediate solution! Lord, help!
Pictured below is Phyllis with Mogodi, the very first Fulani man she met in Nigeria. He has been a champion and friend to our ministry!
National Modeling!?!
World Bank has advised Dr. Bolarin to focus all his efforts on building up Ero Mountain Grazing Reserve!
In case you didn't hear why World Bank is partnering with us, it stems back to a friendship with Dr. Femi Bolarin, then with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. We worked together setting up grazing reserves in Jigawa, Kaduna and Niger states.
Now Dr. Bolarin is Head of World Bank for Kogi State. He decided to come in as a partner and assist the work on the Ero Mountain ranch making it a model ranch and grazing reserve, and use it as national center for cattle registration and vaccination!
What World Bank is doing for SFA is AMAZING!! They've drilled a borehole, built and erected this fabulous water tank, plowed ANOTHER paddock and are planting MORE grass seed, AND are planning to set up a sprinkler system for the paddocks!!
Thank you Dr. Bolarin and Vet Mogauri (pictured above)! You are the BEST!!
THIS IS BIG! This could be the beginning of national modeling, our goal and purpose for the Fulani people!
Meanwhile, over on Bobi Grazing Reserve... We're making headway on the BIG 'Leaders of Tomorrow High School' project!
The looong perimeter fence! Still a long ways to go! The fence is costly, but very necessary to prevent encroachment. Also much needed for security!
Our borehole was dug, we found water, Praise God! It doesn't look like much yet, but soon a large water tank will benefit the school & surrounding community!
The first building will be what we call a 'bacha' - a storeroom for the cement and other building materials we keep on site. The bacha is taking shape!
Here's a mighty team! Left to right, Mason Bello, SFA Manager Lawal, Bobi Reserve Director Dr. David Tsado, Mason Wada and Carpenter Yahaya.
The government is still clearing our land, as maize and beans were planted here. It's ours - as soon as they are done harvesting. :)
Sariki Bello, Kiri Bauchi and Sarki Ahijo, Fulani leaders on the reserve. We had a wonderful meeting, together with leaders and staff, about the school.
Come Thou Fount Lyrics
Come Thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it
Mount of Thy redeeming love
Here I raise my Ebenezer
Here by Thy great help I've come
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood
(Precious blood)
Oh, that day when freed from sinning
I shall see Thy lovely face
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I'll sing Thy sovereign grace
Come my Lord, no longer tarry
Take my ransomed soul away
Send Thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless days
Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
Let Thy goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, oh take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
As the Lord pours Himself into Nigeria, it is an absolute delight to be His hands and feet there. We see the Lord moving mightily! God certainly doesn't NEED us, but He does INVITE us to join Him in the work He is doing all over the world. What a delightful blessing it is to work together for Him.
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This Christmas season, please prayerfully consider giving to Schools For Africa. To learn more about how your gift impacts God's kingdom, reach out to SFA Secretary Carisa Haven, through email at carisahaven@gmail.com. You can give online with the buttons above, or mail a check to: Schools For Africa, c/o Don Standley, Treasurer, 1010 Silver Springs Way, Stanwood, WA 98292.