Africa University Today Newsletter

Desert Southwest Endows Health Sciences Chair at Africa University; Tennessee Congregation "Adopt" Africa University Student; A Legacy of Giving, Caring and Education

Spring 2012 In this issue: Desert Southwest Endows Health Sciences Chair at AU Ngoni Dapira God inspires the big dreams within us and makes them come true, and that is what I see in the dream of Africa University, says Bishop Minerva Carca�o. Bishop Ernest Lyght, AU Development Committee Chair, Retires Andra Stevens Bishop Lyght expresses "joy" in sharing in AU's ministry. Congolese Graduate Hugo Ngwira Thankful for AU Opportunity Philip Brooks Scholarship support from Highland Park UMC creates a bright future for Hugo Ngwira. AU, McDaniel College Forge Partnership Carrie Madren Two schools with historically Methodist ties exchange students and faculty while working on joint curriculum for distance learning. Tennessee Congregation `Adopts' AU Student Philip Brooks Clare Katiyo of Zimbabwe studies health services management thanks to local church's full scholarship. A Legacy of Giving, Caring and Educating Elaine Jenkins Bill and Connie Disney Endowed Scholarship pays off in changed lives. Celebrating the Connection between Africa University and United Methodist Congregations 100 Percent Support Thank you for supporting Africa University through your 100 percent remittance of the Africa University Fund apportionment in 2011. Jurisdiction Total Support and Annual Conferences with 100 percent or more in 2011 (includes 2010 performance) North Central Jurisdiction Dakotas East Ohio Illinois Great Rivers Iowa Minnesota Northern Illinois West Michigan West Ohio Wisconsin Northeastern Jurisdiction Baltimore-Washington Greater New Jersey New England New York Susquehanna Peninsula-Delaware Upper New York West Virginia Western Pennsylvania Spring 2012 Desert Southwest Endows Health Sciences Chair at AU United Methodist ministry. He also highlighted the economic difficulties that communities in the United States were facing in 2007, when the conference launched its endowment campaign for Africa University. "I knew the funding of this endowment was not going to be easy," said Huffman. "But the churches of the small-but-mighty Desert Southwest Annual Conference are very generous, and here we are today." During the campus visit, Carca�o preached, reminding the community of God's faithfulness throughout Africa University's 20 years of ministry. Members of the Desert Southwest delegation also took on service projects and worked alongside United Methodists from the local community, and students and staff at the Old Mutare Mission Center. The Faculty of Health Sciences at Africa University was established in 2004 to respond to the critical health needs of the African continent through teaching and research. The faculty currently offers programs in public health, nursing and health services management. --Ngoni Dapira is the acting director for information and public affairs at Africa University 2011 2010 102% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 118.36% 102.86% 99.29% 100% 100% 100% 100% 151.51% 110.50% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 133% 112.46% 110.34% 100% Africa University Bishop Minerva Carca�o presents the cross as a gift to Africa University staff. South Central Jurisdiction Central Texas 100% Louisiana 100.01% 100.04% North Texas 100.50% 100% Oklahoma Indian Missionary 100.05% 100% Southeastern Jurisdiction Florida Holston Kentucky North Carolina North Georgia Red Bird Missionary Western Jurisdiction Alaska United Methodist Desert Southwest 100% 100% 100% 100% 99% 100% 100% 113.58% 114% 100.06% 110.87% 100.02% 100% 100% As Africa University celebrates 20 years of realized dreams, we look forward to your full support in 2012. � Africa University is located in Old Mutare, Zimbabwe, and is the first fully accredited United Methodist�related educational institution on the African continent, established by action of the General Conference. � Africa University offers bachelor's and master's degree programs in six faculties of learning: agriculture and natural resources, education, health sciences, humanities and social sciences, management and administration and theology. The Institute of Peace, Leadership and Governance offers postgraduate diplomas and master's programs. Ngoni Dapira Health sector research and training at Africa University are set to expand with funding from a newly endowed chair set up by The United Methodist Church's Desert Southwest Annual (regional) Conference. Named in honor of its first treasurer and administrator, Joel Huffman, the conference raised $500,000 to fund the chair in health sciences. It was formally dedicated in February during a visit to the Africa University campus by Bishop Minerva Carca�o and a 40-person delegation from the conference. "God inspires the big dreams within us and makes them come true, and that is what I see in the dream of Africa University," said Bishop Carca�o. "It is always a joy to work with Africa University." For the vice chancellor of Africa University, Fanuel Tagwira, this new academic chair equips the Faculty of Health Sciences with additional resources to carry out crucial, long-term research. These projects are likely to include work on cancer, nutrition, high maternal and infant mortality rates, the increasing prevalence of heart disease and diabetes and the impact of malaria and HIV/AIDS. Funding from the Huffman Chair will allow the university to bring in leading academics to lecture and supervise students. "Endowments are vital for our university, especially in the area of human resources development, where significant funding is needed to attract and retain faculty," said Tagwira. "We are very grateful to the Desert Southwest Conference for this endowment." Speaking at the dedication ceremony on Feb. 22, 2012, Huffman described Africa University as the "flagship" of Give Faithfully. Give Hope. Order a family of resources to help tell the story of the Africa University Fund apportionment: Bishop Ernest Lyght, Chair of Africa University Board and Advisory Development Committees, Retires "Bishop Lyght's work on behalf of Africa University is an excellent example of how to plant and nurture seeds and improve an institution's capacity for sustainability," said James H. Salley, the university's chief advancement officer. "(Bishop Lyght) focused our efforts on planned giving and growing the endowment fund. He also spurred discussions about increasing the institution's capacity for selfgovernance," Salley added. Reflecting on his role in helping to guide Africa University's friend and fund-raising efforts since September 2000, Bishop Lyght described sharing in the institution's ministry as "a joy." He noted that more United Methodists need to hear about and respond to the reality of how Africa University operates: It isn't tuition-driven, yet it is a significant contributor to the growth and development of African nations. "Our work at Africa University is not complete," said Bishop Lyght. "It is crucial for The United Methodist Church to continue its financial support of Africa University. We cannot allow it to fail because we stopped supporting the institution." West Virginia United Methodists are honoring Bishop Lyght and Mrs. Eleanor Lyght with a scholarship in their names at Africa University. The ongoing scholarship drive is a retirement gift to the Lyghts, who served the annual conference for almost eight years. Gifts to the West Virginia Conference-sponsored scholarship fund honoring Bishop and Mrs. Lyght can be made online at www.supportafricauniversity.org or mailed to the Africa University Development Office, P.O. Box 340007, Nashville, TN 37203-0007. --Andra Stevens, AU Development Office AU Photo Bishop Ernest S. Lyght shares with fellow board and advisory development committee members Mrs. Grace Muradzikwa and Bishop Marcus Matthews � Africa University Fund: Living Beyond the Dream DVD (86000508) � Africa University Fund Brochure (86000407) Order these and other resources from United Methodist Communications by calling toll-free (888) 346-3862. Hours: Monday - Thursday, 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Central Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.umcgiving.org or www.infoserv.umc.org. Learn more about how you can put your faith into action by contacting the Africa University Development Office at (615) 340-7438, audevoffice@gbhem.org or www.support-africauniversity.org. Visit Africa University's Web site at www.africau.edu. Encourage your local church to set a 100 percent apportionmentremittance goal! Sending a portion of your goal each month makes it easier to reach full remittance by year's end. Africa University apportionment receipts from local churches provide the basics necessary to operate the university, such as utilities, equipment and faculty salaries. Honor your friends or family by sponsoring an Africa University student in their name. Andra Stevens "The biggest gift that The United Methodist Church can give Africa University at this time is to help the university to double its endowment," says Bishop Ernest S. Lyght. In December, Lyght retired from active service in the West Virginia Annual Conference and, as a result, ended more than a decade as the chair of the AU board development and advisory development committees. Over that period, the Africa University Endowment Fund grew from $19.4 million to the current $48.5 million. Congolese Graduate Hugo Ngwira Thankful for AU Opportunity however, when war broke out, and Ngwira's parents sent him to be educated in Malawi. "My father's financial status had gone down due to the war," Ngwira said. "Some of his properties were confiscated by the government." Ngwira thought he might never go to college because of his family's inability to pay. However, his brother convinced him to apply to Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe. Thanks to financial support from Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas, Ngwira's college dream came true. He adjusted quickly to college life, becoming active in the university's choir. He graduated in 2011, with a degree in economics. Today Ngwira serves as the office manager and conference administrator of the Malawi Missionary Conference. In addition, he established a talentpromotion nongovernmental organization with his brothers. They disseminate information about current issues on child labor, HIV/AIDS, sexual harassment, early marriages and other social and cultural issues. In the future, Ngwira would like to establish a business to promote talent for commercials, and eventually to own a television station. --Philip Brooks is a freelance writer in Nashville, Tenn. Hugo Ngwira Philip Brooks For Hugo Ngwira, life began relatively securely and happily. "My father worked as an engineer at a mining company in the Democratic Republic of Congo," Ngwira recalled. "Being a son of an engineer, life was good." Everything changed, 2 AU, McDaniel College Forge Partnership as a mission volunteer at his home congregation, Community United Methodist Church, Crofton, Md. "When we started visiting Africa University," he recalled, "I saw many similarities between it and McDaniel. Thoughts began circulating in my head to see if we could forge a strategic partnership between the two institutions." Among the similarities between the schools was a common Methodist heritage. Although McDaniel has no denominational connection today, its first president was a Methodist minister. In September 2010, Africa University vice chancellor Fanuel Tagwira traveled to Maryland to meet with Moore and BaltimoreWashington Area Bishop John R. Schol to discuss a possible partnership. Three months later, Moore returned to Zimbabwe with two faculty members, nine students and other representatives with 2,000 malaria nets. The visiting students learned about life in Zimbabwe and got to know the students who come from all over the continent to study at Africa University. The following year, McDaniel sent student Christian Hall to spend a semester at Africa University. Thus began a regular exchange between the two institutions of students, faculty and administrators that is still occurring today. They also are working on Web curriculum that will allow students to take online courses on behalf of both schools. "As a Pan-African institution of higher learning," Tagwira said, "this enriches cultural diversity as it provides opportunities for students to interact and learn from each other." --Adapted from a BaltimoreWashington Conference article written by freelance writer Carrie Madren Baltimore-Washington Conference photo How You Can Help Africa University continues to be the evidence of faith, hope and belief in the visions of dreamers. We are counting on you! Your church's 100 percent apportionment remittance means 100 percent support of Africa University's operational budget. Consider these additional ways of helping the university to educate new leaders for the nations of Africa: Planned Gifts � Planned gifts are the foundation for the longterm survival of Africa University. For many, a bequest offers an opportunity to make a more substantial charitable gift than would be possible during one's lifetime. As you make your estate plans, consider leaving a gift to Africa University in your will. If you already have included Africa University in your estate plans, please let us know so we may welcome you to the Richard E. "Dick" Reeves Legacy Society. Usahwira �This word in the Shona language means "a beautiful friendship." Encourage your local church to become a partner with Africa University by supporting one student at the university for four years. The cost to support one student annually is $5,400. Local churches may provide full or partial scholarships. Endowment Fund �Give to the Africa University Endowment Fund (World Service Special Gift #03-01-88). The interest income from the endowment is used to provide scholarships for our students. Africa University is supported by congregations and individuals across The United Methodist Church. Let's work together to continue the transformation of lives and of Africa. For more information, please contact: Africa University Development Office P.O. Box 340007 Nashville, TN 37203-0007 (615) 340-7438 (phone) (615) 340-7290 (fax) audevoffice@gbhem.org www.support-africauniversity.org Senior Christian Hall became the first McDaniel student to spend a semester at Africa University in Zimbabwe Carrie Madren For two years, McDaniel College in Westminster, Md., has fostered a relationship with Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe. A few years ago, Charlie Moore, a trustee of McDaniel College, had an idea: to link his beloved alma mater with another educational institution-- Africa University--8,000 miles away. Moore learned about Africa University while serving Tennessee Congregation `Adopts' AU Student Philip Brooks Five years ago, First United Methodist Church, in Franklin, Tenn., hosted James H. Salley, associate The Rev. Lynn Hill vice chancellor for institutional advancement at Africa University. Hearing Salley speak about AU's mission of grooming students to become leaders across Africa, the congregation decided to get more involved. "We wanted to be a part of that," said the Rev. Lynn Hill. They wanted to do more than support Africa University "in a generic sort of way, which the congregation would have been happy to do." They wanted to "adopt" a student and fund all of his or her higher education expenses. So Franklin adopted Clare Katiyo, a single mother from Zimbabwe studying health services management at AU. "We got Clare's picture and her biographical data," Hill explained. "We get a report on the grades she makes and the classes she's taking. Every year, when we have our annual Africa University Sunday celebration, Salley gives us an update on `our' student, Clare." The congregation raised enough money to pay for Katiyo's tuition and expenses and part of another student's education. The church decided to do all of this without sending a single member to visit the university. "It means so much for us to get updates and ... to say `Our student is studying this,' or `Our student plans to pursue this or that career,' " Hill said. "This church is very involved in missions on a global scale. Being able to support Clare has been a real eye-opening experience for many who have not gone on mission trips. What Clare will end up doing after she graduates will change the lives of many people. It's like throwing a rock in a pond and watching the rings expand. It's just been a wonderful relationship." --Philip Brooks is a freelance writer in Nashville, Tenn. First UMC photo Clare Katiyo 3 A Legacy of Giving, Caring and Educating 1960 when he was in his final year of graduate school, and she was in her sophomore year. Bill earned his master's degree in education in 1961, and Connie earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in education in 1963 and 1972, respectively. Connie became a member of Grace United Methodist Church of Pekin, Ill., in 1970. Bill joined her shortly thereafter. The couple's three children, Michael (now deceased), Brian, and Jo Ellen, grew up in the church. Bill and Connie were the first generation in their families to attend college. Bill was a high school guidance counselor for thirty-one years before retiring in 1992. Connie is a retired elementary school teacher, having taught for more than thirty years. Connie fondly recalls that her parents were very much involved with outreach ministries in the Baptist Church. Because they were farmers, they gave generously to mission projects that helped people in other countries improve their farming practices and food production. Her parents' example of selfless giving and her understanding of the transformative power of education led Connie and Bill to become very early supporters of Africa University. After the death of the couple's son Michael in 2002, followed by Bill's death in 2007, and the death of her mother in 2008, Connie decided that she would establish an endowed scholarship in the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Africa University in memory of her loved ones. "I am excited that Africa University is an international institution, drawing students from 23 of the 55 nations of Africa this current academic year," Connie exclaimed. For Connie, one of the great joys of establishing an endowed scholarship during her lifetime is learning about the scholarship recipients and following their progress. "I know that my husband would be so excited to learn of the students who benefit from our scholarship," she said. Connie's dream is to visit Africa University. We certainly pray that she will have an opportunity to do so during the yearlong 20th anniversary celebrations. --Elaine Jenkins, AU Development Office 600212/50M David Makobo, 2010 FANR graduate Although Connie Ellen Phillips Disney grew up in the Baptist Church, she descends from a long line of Methodists on both sides of her family. Her paternal great-grandfather, Godfrey Phillips, was a Methodist preacher in southern Illinois. His diaries and journals documenting his ministry as a circuit rider during the years 1862-1864 and 19001912 are still maintained by the Phillips family. Her mother's family were also Methodists. However, when Connie's maternal grandmother died during her mother's childhood, her maternal greatgrandmother, a staunch Baptist, assumed responsibility for the religious education of her grandchildren. Connie met her husband, Bill, when both were students at Southern Illinois University. They married in