Africa Story
Africa
Our Africa partner is Beulah Mission center located 12 miles outside of the capital city of Monrovia, Liberia, Africa. Pastor David Snydler and his wife, Wilma, founded this mission school in 2013 to meet the needs of the many village children in the surrounding area who did not have access to schooling of any kind. 12 miles from a thriving capital city doesn’t sound like there should be a need. The conditions in Africa are not like the west. Just to get to the center it takes almost five hours on rough and treacherous roads.
The rainy season in Liberia causes many roads to wash out. The government is poor and cannot keep up with infrastructure like we are accustomed to in the west. It is also difficult to find transportation with drivers who have vehicles they are willing to subject to the difficult journey.
David and Wilma make the journey several times each year. They visit staff, students, and families. David and Wilma put together teacher training and Bible outreach to encourage everyone at Beulah mission. The staff lives on the mission center compound while school is in session. They have students who walk to school from about five miles away each day. They are serving about one dozen villages in this area of the jungle.
There are about 100 students who attend Beulah mission school. Most of the students are boys. The area has many Muslim and tribal families who do not value any education for their girls. They see education as a value to men who are traditionally expected to provide for the family. The families are starting to understand that education has much value for their girls as well.
Their young women learn to be innovative and supportive of creating family income. The more educated the young ladies become the healthier the family unit becomes. Basic skills in science and health go a long way in adding to the life span for families who live in the jungle. Learning good hygiene and care can mean all the difference in the home birth rate being successful and not ending in mortality.
