ORPHANS AND WIDOWS MINISTRY
Today Evangelical Ministries is committed to touch the poor and suffering orphans and widows particularly in Africa and India with the love, compassion and gospel of Jesus through the strengthening of indigenous churches and ministries worldwide by helping to provide resources for housing and general maintenance of orphans.
When people hear that there are so many children in the world without loving families, they are often saddened and yet do very little to help alleviate this problem. Today Evangelical Ministries believes that everyone can make a difference, one child at a time. It is not God’s will that Christians sit back and allow 147 Million orphans all over the world to suffer. Many are without human contact, some without the basic necessity of life including food, clothing, or a place to live and most are without anyone to care for them. Today Evangelical Ministries has found out that reaching out to orphans is an effective way to take the message of the gospel to places and people that are otherwise be difficult to evangelize.
As part of its mission, Today Evangelical Ministries has resolved and is committed to embark on an economic empowerment program for widows in dire need. It is the belief and philosophy of the ministry that it is better management of resources in the long term, to equip a poor and needy widow to fish for herself rather than a mere hand out of already made fish. Equipping poor and needy widows for the market or work place has the potential of long term success and restoration of dignity and self-confidence. People tend to desire and cherish what they can accomplish for themselves and their families. Therefore, we strongly believe that if a poor, needy widow can be equipped to fend for herself by engaging in petty trading or skill training, within certain prevailing business circumstances, she will be in a position to feed herself and her family. For example, a poor widow in a remote African village can comfortably engage in a successful petty food trading business with as little as one hundred and fifty U.S. ($150.00) dollars.
By the special grace of God, Today Evangelical Ministries has successfully and gratefully empowered sixteen (16) needy widows in Nigeria (specifically, ten in Jos, Plateau State and six in Owerri, Imo state).
ELIGIBILITY: Poor and needy widows worldwide, with special emphasis on Africa and India where acute poverty and virtual dispossession of widows is staggeringly evident; and where the U. S. dollar commands tremendous exchange value.
SELECTION PROCESS: To ensure that the object of the program is achieved, participants will be screened to determine if they are indeed widows in dire need. Other significant factors include, but are not limited to the ages of both the participants and their children. Those who are relatively young and able to conduct a trade, and are with minor children will be highly considered. Participants will be screened by members of Today Evangelical Ministries and credible village pastors, church and ministry leaders.
CONDITION: The empowerment award is an outright gift.
REQUIREMENTS: The recipient will be thoroughly briefed on the specific purpose and objective of the gift. Today Evangelical Ministries will be allowed to collect some basic and pertinent personal information and data (names and ages of recipient and children, address, photograph, acknowledgement receipts, etc). Today Evangelical Ministries mentors and monitors will have reasonable permission to evaluate the recipient’s progress.
SPECIFIC BUSINESS: The recipient is to determine the specific business she wishes to engage in, taking into consideration the prevailing local business/trading environment and practice. Today Evangelical Ministries mentors may offer some limited advice and assistance if requested by the recipient.
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION: Today Evangelical Ministries Widow Empowerment Program Department is responsible for the sourcing of funding, and the overall administration of the program. The Department will establish guidelines and policies to effectuate the smooth management of the Program.
PROGRAM MENTORS AND MONITORS: These include Today Evangelical Ministries officers, representatives, and/or area pastors, churches and ministries (where Today Evangelical Ministries members are not present).