While the church is generally free to speak and act as it wishes in Nigeria, there is frequent tension between Christians and Muslims. Add to that the fact that poverty and food scarcity are common experiences for many Nigerians and it is not hard to imagine that some Christians become the victims of prejudice and oppression.
Tearfund partner CAPRO (also known as Calvary Ministries) knows plenty of these stories. They know that during what’s called the ‘hunger gap’ – when the harvest runs out – the rich in the area exploit the poor, loaning grain at excessively high rates, driving people to mortgage their farms and become further trapped in a cycle of poverty.
CAPRO also knows how people can be forced to trade more than their possessions: Christians have regularly been taunted to denounce their faith in return for food.
Children pray at a school in Nigeria.
These stories come from the largely Muslim villages of Faramayan and Kwantakwamawa. Local Christians there have also been the subject of vandalism, police harassment and unjust imprisonment. Yet their church – founded by CAPRO – has been able to stand firm in the face of persecution and break its own cycle of poverty.
Like so many other groups of Christians, the members of Kwantakwamawa Church have found themselves inspired to reach out and support other communities with fewer resources than their own. By partnering with the poor from Faramayan village and applying for a loan from Tearfund and CAPRO, these Christians have made a significant impact on the lives of countless people. They have started a food security programme and a micro credit scheme to help people leave poverty behind.
This work is simple, practical and rooted in compassion and integrity. It costs very to run yet demands that Christians live radical, sacrificial lives, investing in everyday miracles that give hope to the world.