7.11.2008

INTRODUCING EBENEZER

INTRODUCING EBENEZER

EBENEZER’S VISION

Equipping young people for life in Christ.

EBENEZER’S MISSION

We exist to enable young people to live as a light for Christ in their communities by equipping them with appropriate business, agricultural and life skills.



EBENEZER’S OBJECTIVES

Business and Agriculture
Spiritual
To provide the knowledge and skills necessary for running sustainable business in rural Africa
To disciple business apprentices to maturity in their personal walk with God
To provide foundational knowledge of environmentally sustainable agriculture in rural Africa.
To give business apprentices a thorough understanding of the Christian faith
To provide the framework for business apprentices to run profitable and sustainable agricultural business during the duration of their studies.
To equip business apprentices to live influential and compassionate lives in their local communities






EBENEZER’S APPROACH

There are 20 apprentices currently at Ebenezer.

When full capacity is reached Ebenezer will have take in 100 apprentices per year.

Ebenezer aims to be a model of excellence which can be replicated in rural Africa.

Ebenezer is a training centre that aims to equip young people in rural Zimbabwe with the practical skills needed to run their own small scale agricultural businesses, and the spiritual maturity to be able to live Christ-centered lives in their communities. Apprentices at Ebenezer receive instruction in basic business principles, small-scale agriculture and the Christian life. The training combines classroom discussion and practical outworking. Therefore each apprentice at Ebenezer not only learns about small-scale agriculture, they actually start and run their own agricultural business. During the two year residential program, they are able to make enough profit to repay their start up loans and buy the livestock and equipment needed to continue their business at their home. Ebenezer desires to give people the opportunity to not only become successful farmers and business people, but also to become mature followers of Christ. Therefore in this area, as in with the farming and business teaching, classroom discussions based on the Bible are made practical as staff and apprentices live alongside one another and serve the community around them. The hope is that this holistic, integrative approach, combining business, agriculture and Bible teaching, will produce men and women who can provide for their families and be mature, Christ-centered leaders in their rural communities.
WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT EBENEZER?

1. A holistic approach to life:
We believe that our relationship with God should affect everyday life. These young people will be taught about the Kingdom in the classroom but will also see and experience how God-centered living affects everything from managing money to growing tomatoes.

2. Sustainable, unsubsidized business:
The small scale agricultural businesses are linked into profitable, vertically integrated agricultural chains. The model we use is the brain child of another organization, Khula Sizwe, which has been successfully implemented.

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