A camera in the hands of an African man means an empowering
entrepreneurial
opportunity that
will put food on the
table for a family that is otherwise destitute. For a young person it can
mean the difference between an
education stopped short because of lack, or going on to
university and stepping into the fullness of the future God has for
them. Truly, with a camera in hand, the potential to create finances for
those who are otherwise hopeless in an environment where unemployment sits
at 80% cannot be underestimated.
Bruce recognized this
opportunity as he walked through the SA townships and
villages, and in late 2004 Bruce began collecting un-used, used cameras
from MarchMin supporters. Working through Pastor Martin's network of
churches, we've been able to identify and train several candidates with
photographic aptitude, and the results are very promising. Please read the
report Pastor Martin sent me about one such man below...
The
"Cameras for Africa" project has taken a glorious new dimension, brother.
As it stands, one man in particular has taken his camera and built a good,
strong income. He is ecstatic and humbled by the opportunity to now, after
nearly a lifetime of scratching for anything he can get, enjoy security, and
beyond security, a "business" he can call his own. He's actually shown such
photography skills that, on top of his freelance photography, a local
newspaper has put him under contract as a photojournalist!
Glory to Jesus! The
success that these
photographers are seeing has sprouted a new idea that we recently proposed
to Pastor Martin. In the small office that is our Bible College and
Co
mputer School, we set up a kind of
photo studio where
families come and have portraits done at low cost. This creates revenue to
help us fund the schools, Crusades... instead of entirely relying on
donations.
Then
there is the outreach potential
of these cameras. Simply put, when you pull out a camera in
Africa, you are instantly surrounded by a crowd. So programs are being
instituted whereby photographers circulate through the villages, taking
photos of families for free, and sharing the Gospel. Equipped with leaflets
showing the location of our nearest church, where the families can come to
pick up their photos, these "evangelist-photographers"
will see scores in their communities come to Jesus.
Thank
you to all who gave us cameras for this program.
People are being provided for, and
souls are being saved. Thank
you, thank you! Glory to Jesus!
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