SPRING 2022
East Ohio Campaign Raises $1.5 Million for New Residence Hall By Rick Wolcott* Laity and clergy, working together, exceeded the goal of raising and collecting $1.5 million in support of the East Ohio Conference Teach • Reach • Bless campaign. The funds will be used to build a new residence hall that will house 90 female students. Donors showed their commitment to improving the education and wellness of women today for a better Africa tomorrow. In an Episcopal Address, Bishop Tracy S. Malone shared her vision of the new residence hall for AU female students. Increasing enrollment and a lack of on-campus housing at AU means some students currently commute from remote areas to find affordable off-campus housing; this puts female students at risk of being subjected to untenable situations. “When God gives you a vision, God will make the necessary provisions for it to become a reality. . . We have collected the monies and are now ready to break ground. I thank God for the gift of the vision, and I celebrate the bold and courageous generosity of the clergy and churches, especially in these challenging times,” Malone said. Six weeks after the January 2020 launch of the three-year campaign, the first cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in Ohio. Church leaders focused on finding ways to accommodate churches and communities, but their commitment to the campaign did not waver. By the end of 2020, donors had contributed $518,868, and had made commitments of future payments totaling more than the needed $1.5 million, scheduled for the campaign’s end in December 2022.
Bishop Tracy S. Malone
AU students anticipate new living quarters thanks to a successful fundraising campaign by the East Ohio Annual Conference.
complete the project are in-hand, long-time AU supporters Rev. Bill and Marty McFadden offered a challenge gift that provided the campaign with a $1 match for every $3 collected from any source in 2021, with the goal of having the full $1.5 million by the end of the year – a year earlier than planned. The $736,241 collected in 2021 generated a $245,414 matching gift. The McFadden’s contribution brought their total challenge gift to $250,000.
While the goal has been met in two years – and construction will soon begin – one year remains in the three-year campaign. Donors who made commitments to be paid-out over three years are encouraged to honor those commitments, and those who still wish to contribute to the campaign can do so. Funds remaining after the residence hall has been built will support women’s empowerment initiatives to be created in a partnership between the East Ohio Conference and the Zimbabwe Conference of The United Methodist Church. Information about making donations online or via the U.S. mail is posted on the Teach • Reach • Bless pages of the Conference website, www.eocumc. com/teachreachbless.
“I celebrate the bold and courageous generosity of the clergy and churches, especially in these challenging times.”
“We thank God for the people of East Ohio for your generosity in contributing to the completion of the campaign,” Jackson said. “You have proven again to be devoted to helping others. In years to come, your gift will help to ensure safe living quarters for women students. To God be the glory.”
Bishop Tracy S. Malone
Aware of the long-standing policy of not breaking ground for construction until all monies to
Campaign Co-Chair Dr. Maggie Jackson chaired the Buildings and Grounds Committee when she served on the Africa University board of directors. She knows firsthand the impact that generous donors can have on the lives of AU students.
The Teach • Reach • Bless campaign was a collaborative effort of Bishop Malone, the campaign committee co-chaired by Dr. Jackson and Rev. McFadden, the Africa University Development office, Africa University leadership, East Ohio Conference leadership and staff, and local church clergy and laity. *Rick Wolcott is director of Communications for the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church.
AFRICA UNIVERSITY TODAY
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SPRING 2022
Grants Leap-frog Africa University’s Role in Malaria Research By Barbara Dunlap-Berg
100% SUPPORT The Annual Conferences of The United Methodist Church with a 100 percent or more remittance to the AUF apportionment over the past two years are: North Central Jurisdiction 2021 2020 Dakotas 100% 100% East Ohio 100% Illinois Great Rivers 100% Indiana 100% Northern Illinois 100% West Ohio 100% 100% Wisconsin 100.23% Jurisdiction Total Support 88.06% 90.5% Northeastern Jurisdiction 2021 2020 Baltimore-Washington 100% New England 100% 100% New York 100.34% Peninsula-Delaware 100% 100% Susquehanna 100% Upper New York 100% 100% West Virginia 100% 100% Western Pennsylvania 100% 100% Jurisdiction Total Support 89.42% 96.11% South Central Jurisdiction Oklahoma Indian Missionary Jurisdiction Total Support
2021 100% 74.24%
Dr. Sungano Mharakurwa
According to the World Health Organization, young children make up 67% of all malaria deaths worldwide. The WHO African Region carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. In 2019, the region accounted for 94% of malaria cases and deaths.
Africa University is determined to change that statistic, and it may succeed—thanks to two new grants: the USAID Zimbabwe Entomology Support Program (ZENTO) in Malaria ($1.5 million over three years), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) K43 Emerging Global Leader Award, ($500,000 over five years). USAID is a premier international development agency; NIH is a U.S. medical research agency, supporting scientific studies.
2020 100% 74.18%
Southeastern Jurisdiction 2021 2020 Florida 100% 100% North Alabama 100% North Carolina 100% Red Bird Missionary 100% 100% South Carolina 100% 100% Tennessee 100% Virginia 102.91% Western North Carolina 110.64% Jurisdiction Total Support 86.53% 90.97% Western Jurisdiction 2021 2020 Alaska United Methodist 100% California Nevada 100% 100% California Pacific 100% Desert Southwest 100% Mountain Sky 100% Oregon-Idaho 100% Pacific Northwest 100% Jurisdiction Total Support 93.30% 99.93%
Dr. Sungano Mharakurwa, a faculty member in the university’s College of Health, Agriculture and Natural Sciences, is excited about the opportunities for addressing malaria and other health issues. The ZENTO program aims to establish a Malaria Entomological Center of Excellence through a malaria surveillance partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care and its malaria-control partners USAID President’s Malaria Initiative VectorLink Project and the Zimbabwe Assistance Program in Malaria, both led by Abt Associates. “The center will include an advanced malaria research and surveillance laboratory and reference insectary. This is uniquely strategic capacity development with specially-trained personnel and technical support,” said Mharakurwa. “It ushers in a new hub of research, surveillance, and innovation for combating malaria, with training programs for leadership health cadres in malaria entomology from certificate and diploma to postgraduate level.” It is rare for a university to be offered such an opportunity based on the strength of consistent policy-shaping research contributed by the principal investigator and their team. ZENTO and AU are poised to be game-changers in the control and eventual elimination of malaria, and in building vectorsurveillance capacity at grassroot and national levels. Barbara Dunlap-Berg is a freelance writer and editor, based in Carbondale, Illinois.
AU Researcher Norbert Mudare checks equipment.
SAVE THE DATE
AU’S FORMAL 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION, OCTOBER 22-24, 2022, OLD MUTARE, ZIMBABWE This year marks the 30th anniversary of the university that grew from 40 students in 10 repurposed farm buildings in 1992 to a world-class institution with more than 10,000 graduates. Today’s AU students live and learn in a debt-free school, financed primarily by United Methodists and tuition and other fees. Bishop Mande Muyombo, the youngest Episcopal leader in the Central Conferences, will be the first African to deliver a keynote address at Black Methodists for Church Renewal’s 55th general meeting—a virtual gathering scheduled for April 28-May 1.
Africa University’s 30th anniversary will be celebrated at BMCR’s virtual gathering on April 30, 2022. The university’s formal 30th anniversary celebration will be October 22-24, 2022 at Old Mutare, Zimbabwe. To learn more about AU’s 30th anniversary schedule of events and find ways to get involved, visit www.support-africauniversity.org/30th.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Ezequiel Marcos Nhantumbo, Class of 1996, Agriculture and Natural Resources By Barbara Dunlap-Berg As a schoolboy in Mozambique, Ezequiel Marcos Nhantumbo dreamed of being a teacher. The United Methodists had established a mission field in the village of Chicuque where he was born. His father, a trained theologian, later became a primary school teacher, and his mother was a homemaker. Moving often with his parents and five siblings prepared him for future challenges. At Chicuque United Methodist Church, Ezequiel served in leadership positions and witnessed missionaries serving in the local Methodist hospital and boarding school. In Mozambique, education is free or affordable for most up to the end of high school but continuing into college or university can be challenging.
At that time, the Mozambique Ministry of Education allowed high-performing students to further their education, while those with lower grades were sent to the army. Ezequiel was assigned to a college of agriculture for four-year training.
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. Consider these additional ways of helping the university educate new leaders for the nations of Africa:
PLANNED GIFTS are the foundation for the long-term Ezequiel Marcos Nhantumbo
During the late ‘80s, Ezequiel was excited to hear news of a United Methodist-related institution being established in Zimbabwe. “Many people in our conference wanted to attend this university,” he said. With academic excellence, church involvement, and English knowledge, he met the requirements. At AU, Ezequiel met students from conflicting African nations: “We learned different perspectives of each country’s challenges and [gained] opportunities for social and economic development.”
Residents gather for a “blessing the well” ceremony in a community in Mozambique.
After earning a Bachelor of Science degree, Ezequiel returned home to help rebuild Mozambique. He began working for a Methodist agriculture and rural development project. For the past 20 years, he has been the country representative of a partnership in mission between the Missouri Annual Conference and the UM conferences of Mozambique. Ezequiel coordinates communication between church partners, supports pastoral leadership and institutional development, and focuses on projects that promote self-sufficiency. Now married and the father of five children, he credits AU for the insight to realize what once seemed impossible. Alumni, he asserts, are called to tell the story of transformation, encourage United Methodists to invest in African minds, continue supporting the institutional structure, and advocate for AU. Barbara Dunlap-Berg is a freelance writer and editor, based in Carbondale, Illinois.
Consistent access to clean water saves women from walking long distances and relying on unsafe water sources.
Located 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.
survival of Africa University. As you make your estate plans, consider leaving a gift or bequest to Africa University in your will. If you have already included the 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 can become a partner with Africa University by supporting one student for four years. The annual cost of supporting one undergraduate student is just under $6,000. Local churches and individuals 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 provides scholarships for our students. For more information about giving opportunities or to make a gift, visit us at support-africauniversity.org. To learn about Africa University and its impact, visit africau.edu. Let’s work together to continue the transformation of lives and of Africa. To download resources to help tell the story of the Africa University Fund apportionment, visit: ResourceUMC.org and/ or the resources page at support-africauniversity.org. Current resources include: • Africa University at 30 - Talking Points • Africa University: The School of Hope (video) • Usahwira (brochure) • AU in a Nutshell (presentation) Africa University Development Office P O Box 340007, Nashville, TN 37203-0007 (615) 340-7438; Fax: (615) 340-7290 audevoffice@gbhem.org www.support-africauniversity.org
Nurturing Leaders. Changing Lives.
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Latest News from Africa University AFRICA UNIVERSITY TODAY
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SPRING 2022
Opening the Door to Education Dr. Carolyn P. Jenkins learned about Africa University when it was just an idea. As idea became reality, she learned more through visits by James Salley and the Africa University Choir to churches and communities in South Carolina and Tennessee, where she and her late husband, Rev. A. Clark Jenkins, served and lived. “In hindsight, I realize that this was a very effective way to introduce Africa University and the African culture into our American communities,” she says. Jenkins values the gift of obtaining a university degree. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Claflin University; a master’s degree in Library Science from North Carolina Central University; and a Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of South Carolina. More than two decades later, Jenkins visited Africa University and was impressed with the beauty of the people, the land, and the university’s strong academic culture. She engaged with students and saw their innovative research and cutting-edge curriculum.
The diversity of the student population is a valuable aspect of Africa University’s ministry. With so many different countries represented, the university opens “a door of education to all who will come.” For 30 years, Africa University has opened Dr. Carolyn Jenkins doors to opportunities for students. By establishing an endowed scholarship in memory of her husband, Dr. Carolyn Jenkins ensures a first-rate education will be available for generations of students to come. She and her family are happy to support a student in this tangible way. Her prayer is that Africa University will experience sustained stability, growth, and long-lasting service to the continent of Africa and to the world.
The AU Today is published by the Africa University Development Office. For more information, contact the: Africa University Development Office P.O. Box 340007 Nashville, TN 37203-0007 Tel: (615) 340-7438 Fax: (615) 340-7290 Email: audevoffice@gbhem.org support-africauniversity.org.