Africa University Today — Spring 2020
Resourceful Graduate Aims to Give Back to University
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very day, Africa University alumnus Gad Maiga witnesses to the transforming grace of Jesus Christ. “My social involvement has evangelistic consequences,” he said. “Being, doing and saying are at the heart of our integral task.” Born and reared in the Kenyan village of Muberi, Gad was the third of seven children. In Nairobi, he worked with the United Methodist youth ministry and founded a small music school in 2011. “I managed to support my family, plus enroll in several life-skills courses while applying for scholarships to advance my studies,” he said. In 2013, he received a scholarship to attend Africa University. “Africa University made me an entirely different person,” Gad said. “AU is filled with resources and counselors that helped me succeed. From internships to volunteer work, my resume was already booming even before I got my degree.” Gad earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agribusiness management. Today he plays three
roles: agribusiness officer, photojournalist/communicator and youth coach. “As an agribusiness officer,” Gad said, “I initiated the UrbanRural Support Network in Africa.” Since 2018, more than 1,000 youth and women have been trained in integrated agricultural techniques. Gad is also a photojournalist/ communicator with the United Methodist Kenya-Ethiopia Annual Conference. He uses print and electronic resources to communicate across all levels of the church. iPhot Os, a nonprofit he founded, highlights disenfranchised communities through photography, creating gorgeous landscape and portrait photos that, upon closer examination, often highlight problems. As a youth coach, Gad initiated the “Y-Reality Show,” a safe space for young people.
“We emphasize passion, opportunities and life purpose, based on Christian teachings,” he said. Above all, Gad strives to model the sharing that allowed him to attend AU. “The generosity at AU has inspired me to help others and give back to the community,” he said. “I hope, one day, to help students achieve their goals, just as Africa University helped me.” – Barbara Dunlap-Berg
How You Can Help ocated at Old Mutare, Zimbabwe, Africa University is an accredited United Methodist-related educational institution in Africa, established by action of the General Conference. The university offers degree programs in three colleges: Health, Agriculture and Natural Sciences (CHANS); Business, Peace, Leadership and Governance (CBPLG); and Social Sciences, Theology, Humanities and Education (CSSTH&E). New academic programs include master’s and doctoral degree programs in military chaplaincy, migration, citizenship and refugee protection; and entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity.
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As Zimbabwe and other countries ease COVID-19 related restrictions, health officials are requiring residents to wear masks or other coverings in public. That has led a group of international students at Africa University to begin making reusable cloth masks for the community. The students, who have remained on the campus due to travel restrictions, volunteered to make the masks as part of their contribution to efforts to stem the spread of coronavirus infections. They are producing more than 100 masks a day. The group hopes to continue production by distributing the masks at .50 cents each and reinvesting the proceeds.
Africa University continues to be the evidence of faith, hope and belief in the visions of dreamers. Thank you for investing in changed lives and communities! Encourage your church to set a 100 percent apportionment remittance goal. Sending a portion of your goal each month makes it easier to reach full remittance by year’s end. Your church’s generosity ensures 100 percent support of Africa University’s operational budget for costs such as utilities, equipment and faculty salaries. Continued next page.
