Evangelist Trades Church Role To Uplift Women Scarred By Violence In Nigeria
ABUJA, Nigeria — When evangelist Oscar Amaechina discovered people in far-flung communities who are rarely given a chance to participate in Christian fellowship, he resigned from his role as a senior pastor of Christ Reconciliation and Deliverance Ministry in Nigeria’s Kebbi State in 2017.
A year later, he founded Afri Mission and Evangelism Network — known by the acronym AMEN — a faith-based non-profit committed to preaching and helping those who are marginalized and oppressed.
“I discovered that being in the church was not my calling,” Amaechina told Religion Unplugged. “What inspired me to start the Afri Mission was that I felt we need to take the gospel to those who have not heard about Christ.”
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The mission requires going into rural communities to preach the Gospel. In addition, AMEN introduced what Amaechina calls a “humanitarian service directorate,” mainly to help attend to the physical needs of the poor, especially women who are victims of religious violence.
Amaechina said he noticed that a combination of lack of medical care, mental health counseling job training exposes female victims of religious violence to more threats. Thousands have died in violent conflicts involving Christians and Muslims in the West African nation, which is deeply divided along religious and ethnic lines. And many of the survivors are exposed to danger and forced to become sex workers.
To fill this gap, AMEN introduced skill acquisition training for vulnerable women starting in 2023. To identify female victims of religious violence, AMEN first carried out an assessment survey in villages within Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, where AMEN is based. After identifying them through those means, the organization counseled the women, handed out Bibles and provided them with free livelihood training with the aim of starting a business.
After the training, based on skills such as baking and catering, Happiness Ezekiel, who sought refuge after suffering displacement in multiple religious violence incidents in her hometown in Bauchi, received a “starter kit” from AMEN, which included a bag of flour, vegetable oil, a fry pan, measuring cup and spoon and some money.
“I have established myself in the [baking] business and honestly, my life changed,” said the 46-year-old mother of two. “From the business, I am able to send money to my father in Bauchi. The Afri Mission built my life spiritually and physically.”
Like Ezekiel, Tabitha Manzo, 47, came to Abuja in 2022 with her four children after Fulani herdsmen invaded her village in Kaduna and burned down homes, including one where her family lived. Now she is living a new life and able to take care of her children after Afri Mission trained her.
“I left Kaduna with nothing — just my life,” the single mother told Religion Unplugged. “Now in Abuja, I feel happy and my children are happy.”
Both Ezekiel and Manzo are among over 100 women who have been trained and empowered by AMEN. Amaechina’s wife and pastor, Josephine, who is also AMEN’s director of the humanitarian service directorate, said “the result we have gotten [from the training] so far is encouraging. It is our earnest desire that the people we are ministering to will become better.”
Meanwhile, Amaechina admited that adequate funding to sustain the initiative is seldom available. He said the funds used to run the organization have come from religious organizations, the shop her wife runs as a caterer and a few individuals.
“What we are getting is not enough,” Amaechina said. “In our database, we have over 700 women we have not trained and they are increasing daily. Their problems are pathetic. It hurts when you meet people in dire need and you can’t help. We are always under pressure.”
Nonetheless, Amaechina said the progress they have made encouraging and helping women has made a difference in the lives of families.
“We are trying to help them have an enabling environment to serve God and be good Christians,” he said. “We want them to be productive and self-reliant, to help them take care of their vulnerable children.”
Ekpali Saint is a freelance journalist based in Nigeria and regular contributor to Religion Unplugged.