SIM Nigeria

Responding to the HIV/AIDS Crisis

	Dr. Kelvin Chen testing villagers
	Project 96407

The Spring of Life Centre in Egbe is offering a Christian response to HIV and AIDS. Working in partnership with the churches and the ECWA Hospital of Egbe, the centre presently provides voluntary counselling and testing for HIV and AIDS and a home based care programme.

Spring of Life Egbe is the second of such centres in Nigeria—the first Spring of Life Centre was started at ECWA’s Evangel Hospital in Jos in 1997.

Spring of Life’s ministry is an important means of touching lives with Jesus’ love in a country where the prevalence of HIV and AIDS is 3.9%, according to UNAIDS. The prevalence in Kogi state, where Egbe is located, is 5.5% according to the 2006 statistics of the Nigerian National Action Committee on AIDS.

How Spring of Life is Helping

Spring of Life offers voluntary counselling and testing at the centre in Egbe and in village outreaches. For those infected with HIV, follow-up counselling continues after they have been discharged from hospital.

Women bringing their buckets of grain to the meeting

As a Nigerian woman prepares a meal, she sets aside one handful of grain in a small bucket. At the end of the month, she and hundreds of other women carry their buckets to a special meeting where they are distributed to widows and orphans. In this way, a bit at a time, church women are enabled to meet the otherwise overwhelming needs of AIDS widows and orphans. Even the poorest woman can set aside small handfuls of grain over time.

Since its beginning in August 2003, this project has taken off more than expected. In fact, 25,000 buckets were distributed in January 2005 at a Women's Fellowship Conference with many more churches in more Nigerian states asking to join.

Project money helps to purchase one bucket, two pieces of AIDS literature and the book Growing Up for each woman attending a conference where AIDS is addressed. Cost is about USD $2 per woman.

ECWA/SIM urban ministry is made up of several specific ministries, including "Gidan Bege" ("House of Hope") which focuses on outreach and rehabilitation, "King's Kids" which focuses on needy children, and "City Sports" which uses sports to reach youth. CME ministers in the Nigerian cities of Jos, Kano, Katsina, Kafanchan, Sokoto, and Kaduna. It currently has more than 250 full time, part-time, and volunteer workers that share the love of God with thousands in need. The vision of the ministry is to expand to every major city in the middle belt and north of Nigeria and eventually into Niger and other African countries.

Nitni Wilson has fond memories of ECWA Camp Youth Alive. “I was 15 the first time I went to camp. It was the first time I’d ever left home. I was shy and nervous, but I soon made friends. I learned how to read and apply a Bible passage and find the promises, warnings, and sins. I loved meeting friends, singing and drama, and outreach. Many of the children at camp gave their lives to Christ.”

SIM Nigeria has a wide variety of opportunities for short- or long-term service. Whether you're a teacher, writer, plumber, accountant, computer person, youth leader, or anything else, we may have a spot where you can use your gifts and abilities.

Here are some of our top priority needs:

• Hostel parents for Niger Creek Hostel in Jos. Would you like to deeply impact children? Do you have a caring heart for kids? Are you gifted in service and encouragement? As hostel parents, your service would minister in the most heartfelt way to parents whose children live away from home while they attend school. Your loving, attentive care would make it possible for families to stay on their stations, knowing that their children are happy and thriving in a healthy school and home environment. Read more ...


• Medical Practitioners/Consultants for Kano Hospital. Since the 1930s, medical ministry has been an essential tool for evangelism in Nigeria, and it continues to impact many lives through the hospital in this northern city of Kano. Medical consultants will be part of the hospital staff in a cooperative effort of both mission and church. Read more ...

See a longer list of opportunities for service and pray about whether you, too, could come and serve with us. If you are interested but don't see a suitable position listed, we may still be able to use you, just contact our This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it