The YIM team, pictured here with the staff of Akrofi-Christaller Institute in their campus courtyard

The YIM Team being shown the theses of many of the past graduates of the ACI

When we first began this trip, I was extremely excited to see the work PWS&D is doing, I was not as excited to see the work of Presbyterians Sharing. I did not feel that their work was as important. How wrong I was.

Through the course of this trip we have been to 3 lay training centres and one accredited university, Akrofi-Christaller Institute (ACI). During those visits, I have realized the value of the centres and the amazing work that International Ministries is doing through the contributions made to Presbyterians Sharing.

My initial thoughts were that we should be providing basic necessities to the people before focusing on things like certificates and degrees. Why should we put money into higher education when we could be putting it towards hospitals, and elementary schools. From our visits to the lay training centres and ACI, I discovered why they are so important. Yes, it is critical to provide basic needs for people, but we also need to provide the education for those people to continue to grow in their faith and respond to the need for leadership in their congregations.

These training centres give people the education to teach youth, they create programs so people can work in the church and spread the word of God. The centres give students a way to expand their knowledge and ways of thinking. They also provide education for catechists to develop their skills in agriculture or business so they can provide for their families as well as serve their congregations.

What happens to people when basic needs are met? Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he can feed himself forever.

ACI University particularly was impressive to me. They have two masters’ programs and a doctoral degree. These programs are amazing because through them students are able to research their faith and how it is lived out in the African context.

International Ministries, through gifts to Presbyterians Sharing, gave ACI a substantial contribution to help facilitate the construction of a state of the art library and archives, which is fantastic. Now skeptical me would ask why a state of the library would be necessary, and after my time there I would answer thus, they are now able to preserve their history. They are able to accommodate people researching their theses. Research is able to be done that furthers the culture and shows that culture to the world.

Without scholars where would we be today? We would know nothing about theology, we would know nothing about our solar system or medicine, or even the basic importance of hygiene. There would be nothing to teach in the elementary schools I thought were so important to set up.

I came looking forward to helping to develop this country, I am leaving realizing they are already developing, and only need a helping hand to continue to do so.

—— Laura Ingle