Vineyard Students Sacrificed Christmas for Nigerian Education
 In February I had the privilege to be in Nigeria for the dedication of the Igmin Kibe Education Center. Igmin Kibe in Rukuba (the native language of the people living in the Kisayip village) means “Children of the Kingdom.”
As I think of the name, I not only think about the children from Kisayip who will be blessed with the new center, but also the students from the Vineyard Community Church Student Union in Cincinnati. A little over a year ago, the Vineyard students decided to “Sacrifice Christmas.” They gave up gifts for themselves and encouraged their parents and others to donate money to the education center. Their sacrificial gift provided the new students at the Igmin Kibe Education Center with the incredible gift of an education.
Back2Back Ministries worked with SSE and community leaders from the Kisayip village to decide which children should be first to attend the tutoring that we will offer at the center. The decision was made that they should focus on those in the most need, those children whose fathers have died and their mothers are now widows. These 10 students will receive after-school tutoring and the focus will be on learning English.
In Nigeria, most of the public schools offer poor education and often times the schools are closed due to teacher strikes or the government not being able to afford to pay their teachers. Consequently, less than 50 percent of children are able to read a simple sentence at the age of eleven.
Theresa Reed, our Back2Back teacher, and Esther who just graduated as a teacher in Jos, have had great success. The students are eager to learn and they are excited about the healthy snack and juice that is provided, making sure that they are able to concentrate on their studies. For these initial students, they are taking the first steps towards breaking the cycle of poverty that have plagued their family for generations. It is the hope of Back2Back, SSE and the village of Kisayip that these students will become self-sufficient and be able to provide for their future families.
Thank you Vineyard Student Union for writing a new chapter for the students at Igmin Kibe, a chapter that they will now be able to read for themselves.
--Brian Bertke, director of Corporate, Family Programs, Back2Back Ministries, March 20
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