A needy international service of FaithByTheWord Ministries is to express The Love of God and The Word of God to our brothers and sisters in need of spiritual growth and nourishment, wherever they may be, whether here in the U.S. or in one of the rural remote East African villages where we focus on planting churches.
Eastern Africa is part of Sub-Saharan Africa comprising two traditionally recognized regions: East Africa, made up of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda; and the Horn of Africa, made up of Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia.
Eastern Africa consists largely of plateaus and has most of the highest elevations in the continent. The two most striking highlands are in Ethiopia and Kenya, respectively, where large areas reach elevations of 6,500 to 10,000 feet (2,000 to 3,000 metres). Twin parallel rift valleys that are part of the East African Rift System run through the region. The Eastern, or Great, Rift Valley extends from the Red Sea’s junction with the Gulf of Aden southward across the highlands of Ethiopia and Kenya and continues on into Tanzania. The Western Rift Valley curves along the western borders of Uganda and Tanzania. Between the two rift valleys lies a plateau that comprises most of Uganda and western Tanzania and includes Lake Victoria. The volcanic massif of Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, reaches 19,340 feet (5,895 metres) in northeastern Tanzania. The Horn of Africa, a major peninsular extension of the African mainland into the Arabian Sea, contains the vast lowland coastal plains of Somalia.
The climate of eastern Africa is generally tropical, though average temperatures tend to be reduced by the region’s high elevations. Precipitation also is affected by varying elevation: Uganda, Tanzania, and western Kenya receive plentiful rainfall, while Somalia, eastern Ethiopia, and northeastern Kenya receive far less. The region’s vegetation ranges from woodlands and grasslands in the wetter regions to thornbushes in semiarid areas. The grasslands of Tanzania and Kenya are renowned for their wildlife, in particular large migratory herds of ungulates (e.g., gnus, zebras, and gazelles) and predators (lions, hyenas, and leopards).
Eastern Africa is populated by 160 different ethnic groups or more, depending on the method of counting. Most of the peoples of Eritrea and Ethiopia—and some of those in Tanzania and Kenya—speak languages belonging to the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic languages. Speakers of Nilo-Saharan languages populate Uganda and the rift valley portions of Kenya and Tanzania, while speakers of Bantu languages constitute much of the remainder of these countries’ population.
Things You Should Know About East Africa
- The average Sub-Saharan African lives on $4 a day and cannot afford a caffe latte from Starbuck’s.
- Sub-Saharan Africans value relationships over tasks making them very willing to discuss Christ instead of doing their chores.
- In Sub-Saharan Africa, 62% of the population is under age 25 and by 2050 one-third of the world’s youth will live there.
- Sub-Saharan Africa is home to many of the world’s fastest growing cities and by 2100 the three largest cities on earth will be there.
- Sub-Saharan Africa has the most refugees and internationally displaced peoples in the world with over 22 million Africans having fled their homes due to violence, natural disaster, and persecution.
- More Christians live in Sub-Saharan Africa than any other region and by 2060 four of ten Christians in the world are expected to live there.
- Other interesting facts about Africa you probably don’t know.
This outreach ministry to East Africa is partially self-funded thru the sale of East African Art painted by Pastor Alex Kitakufe. Please take a look at your opportunity to own part or all of one or more of his art collections.
Our primary geographical focus is the small remote rural villages of East Africa surrounding the major cities in the countries of Uganda and Kenya.
For a quick introduction to life in a typical remote african village where huts are made of grass and mud and clean water may only be had from a distant well 2.5 miles away and no one has electricity. please take a look at these videos.
Our primary short term goal in reaching out to a remote village is to plant a church including the construction and furnishing of the church, supplying all members with a Bible of their own, and staffing the church with a trained pastor.
The villagers in these remote rural areas feel they dishonor God by not providing a church from which to worship Him. The goal of every village is to build a church albeit a very basic structure of poles and tin sheets. Without aid from outside ministries, such as FaithByTheWord, to buy materials, it can take years for a village to save money a little at a time and buy materials as they go even though it may only be a few poles or a sheet of tin. However, when the first pole goes in the ground they have established a church and will worship there every Sunday even though they may be drenched in the rain. They don’t have umbrellas and overcoats but they are honoring God!
FaithByTheWord Ministries is working diligently to train as many pastors as possible to teach The Word in the remote villages of East Africa. Bibles are so scarce and hard to get and own that many village churches may have 20 members but only 1 Bible. The usual practice is to divide the Bible into 20 sections and distribute 1 section to each member. After reading and studying their section for a period of weeks, they will swap with someone else and continue studying. The cycle repeats itself permanently. Our goal is to make sure every member and every home has a personal Bible. A case of 24 Bibles can be purchased for $42 but the freight is very high.
Our primary long term goal includes safe water development projects (spring protection, bore holes), support for schools (establishment of a school and the education projects needed to sustain it), support for village medical needs (covid medication, typhoid medicine, mosquito nets).
FaithByTheWord Ministries does not intend to act as the sole determiner of need, or who will be served. We are respectful to the local government, village elders, and we “listen” to the people before jointly establishing priorities.
You can help fund and sustain these projects. A dollar goes a long way in these remote villages. Some of the primary projects include:
Sponsor a Church
FaithByThjeWord Ministries Outreach seeks to help Churches in rural ares. In these remote areas services are held under trees, in the open air or corrugated Iron sheet shacks . When it rains, it means there will be no church that day. When the sun is scorching hot, congregants move around looking for shade, thus disrupting the service. This is a common scene for congregations of many churches in rural areas of Uganda. A permanent church building will motivate the people to attend church and bring in more people from the community to know about God. Congregations spend many years raising funds to put up a church building.
Sponsor a Pastor
You can become a monthly sponsor for a Pastor – helping to provide a salary for him for anywhere between $1 – 150 a month. $1 literally makes a difference – compared to no income.
You may also help cover a rural pastor’s living expenses that typically include:
- Rent $80
- Electricity $20 if available (Many villages do not have electricity)
- Water $10 if available (Many villages do not have running water)
- Food $100
If you choose to sponsor a Pastor you will receive a Pastor Sponsorship Card with a photo and biography on the individual you are helping. We encourage all sponsors to go beyond purely giving a monetary gift, but also to give the gift of friendship. You will be able to write to and receive letters from the Pastor you are helping and get firsthand accounts of how your gift is helping to bless another and advance God’s kingdom!
Supply A Village With Bibles
A rural village may only have 25 families so a gift of only $50 will cover the cost of a King James Bible for each family!
Educate a Child
The hope for the country is education. Majority of families in Uganda often consists of only children where there is no money. FaithByTheWord Ministries would like to establish a tuition Fund for Needy Children in remote areas of Uganda who are orphaned, from poor means but have the desire and capability to continue their education if the funds are there. The cost per child is $200 per year, consisting of 3 terms per year. This money includes tuition fees, maintenance, books and stationary, clothing, food, bedding, minimum health care, transportation cost to and from school.
Donate a Bicycle or Motorbike
Purchasing a bicycle or motorbike for a rural Pastor is a three-fold blessing! One, it enables a Pastor to reach his community and beyond with the Gospel more efficiently. Churches often double in size in a matter of weeks once a bike is received. Two, the Pastor is able to pick up members of his congregation to help them get to church. Walking is the only other option!
A rural pastor doesn’t just preach on Sundays but on the other 5-6 days may regularly walk 15-20 miles per day evangelizing the lost and visiting the sick.
The cost of a good quality bicycle in Uganda is $100 – $200 depending if used or new.
The cost of a good quality motorbike in Uganda is only $450 – $2500 depending if used or new.
