Youth

Skills for Youth in Rural Areas (SYRA)

Roger Upson demonstrating a simple tree nursery to seminary students
Roger Upson demonstrating a simple tree nursery to seminary students. It's important for these future community leaders to know how easy it is to benefit from simple things they can do with God's creation.
The SYRA Project is

 

  • A leading and sustainable model resource center championing rural transformation.
  • A center for others to copy, modify, and implement in their own communities.

Project Background

SYRA was established in 2004 as a response to youth unemployment, especially among Christian rural youths throughout Nigeria. SYRA works to empower these youths with sustainable skills through the development of local initiative for harnessing natural and human resources.

 

Guinea Corn at MiangoSYRA’s activities include

 

  • livestock feed formulation
  • rabbit farming
  • poultry
  • cockerel exchange program
  • efficient fuel cooking stoves 
  • improved cereal seed varieties
  • plant nurseries
  • community evangelism

We seek to address poverty, food security and environmental problems, as well as a deepening relationship with the Lord Jesus, especially among youths in rural areas.

Prayer Requests

  • Pray that more youth would appreciate the gravity of Okpra’s message
  • Pray that God would heal Okpra so that he would come to the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  • Pray that God would open a door for SYRA to be able to assist Okpra with basic carpentry tools, to further encourage him.
  • Finances to enable the ministry to progress.

Ministry Needs

  • Finances to pay salaries of two full time staff and one intern.
  • A vehicle that can reach the remote parts of SYRA’s target area.

Partner with us …

Your contribution, large or small, can make a difference in the lives of Nigerian youth and in their communities. You can donate through any SIM office worldwide. Online giving is availble for many countries. Please quote Project Number NG96603 and also give us your full postal or email address so that we may report back to you directly the result of your gift.

When the mentally challenged are involved in poverty reduction

Okpra fixing a roof
Okpra fixing a roof

This is the story about a young man in Miango nicknamed “Okpra.” He grew up as a normal person but at a point became mentally ill. His problem was compounded when he took to hard drugs and other vices.

…my madness is not like that of other mad people because I work to earn my living…

Nobody can explain how it all happened or the cause. Meanwhile he has lost both of his parents and none of his relatives was willing to take care of him.

Somehow Okpra is able to carry out basic carpentry work. People often use him to do carpentry repairs and then pay him a little lower than the prevailing rates. When asked where he learnt carpentry, he would make some funny comment that would send his listeners rolling on the ground with laughter.

[Ed. note: If you're on the home page, click to read the rest of the story . We published it incorrectly at first, without the ending, but that's been fixed as of 30 Oct.]

 

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