Spreading the Gospel Through Awana Africa – Zambia Update

iBAM’s work depends on finding other organizations to partner with. We’ve developed a very productive partnership with Awana Africa, which is working with kids in 28 nations across the continent, with a ‘hub’ of sorts in Zambia.

One of their biggest challenges is – what happens when the kids in Awana grow up and leave the program?

Many African nations struggle economically, and job opportunities can be tough to find for young people, which leads to disillusionment and apathy. Young Christian men and women in these nations have the chance to change that narrative through iBAM’s partnership with Awana Africa.

By training them to start businesses and use them as a means to disciple other believers and strengthen the local churches, iBAM and Awana are working to make Africa a shining example of how it can look to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth, as Jesus repeatedly declared.

What Is iBAM Doing in Zambia?

Awana Africa already has a thriving ministry in many nations, but most of that is geared toward kids and schools. For kids becoming adults and looking to find a vocation, iBAM is working with Awana Africa to train Christian young adults in business and entrepreneurial skills.

Our approach is to find a core group of business owners we can train, and then empower them to take what they learn from us and use it to train others. In this way, our methods will spread exponentially, and in very short time, hundreds of people will be equipped to start businesses across African nations such as Zambia, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Uganda, Ghana, and Rwanda.

iBAM Trainings – What We Teach to Christian Entrepreneurs

Our training program covers five core tenets of business ownership:

1. The biblical basis for business
2. Entrepreneur’s integrity – how to deal with success and failure
3. Successful marketing
4. Personal and business budgeting
5. How to create a business plan and get funding

Part of iBAM’s method is to train up new business owners and then provide seed funding to help them launch their new business ideas. When we partner with another organization such as Awana Africa, that organization provides the seed funding.

So, once these Christian entrepreneurs in Africa start proposing business ideas after completing our training, Awana Africa will help them launch those businesses.

Zambia Update – Launching in 2023

iBAM has already taught Joseph Mbange, the director of Awana Africa, how to use our training software, called BizTools. And right now, we are using that to train 12 African business owners so they will gain the skills to grow their businesses and solidify their influence across their communities.

We chose this initial group of 12 because they already have experience running businesses. Later this year in the summer, iBAM will send our leaders out to deliver the next level of instruction – training them to become trainers.

You see, it would take many years for our small team to visit so many countries and communities across such a huge continent. And we would face cultural barriers on top of all those travel expenses and challenges.

But by training these 12 business owners to take what they have learned and train others, a far greater impact will happen, and much faster. This initial group of 12 will be taking what they learn and teaching it to former Awana Africa kids in 18 other nations, starting later this year.

These young adults will learn how to start businesses based on the five tenets listed earlier. Some of those aspiring Christian entrepreneurs will grow successful businesses and later will become trainers themselves, and the process multiplies.

Spreading the Gospel Through Business

Professing faith in God and following Jesus is the most important decision we can ever make. But people also have real needs. They have families to care and provide for. They need to earn income. They need safe places to live.

All this happens through business. And with Christian business owners leading the way and putting discipleship at the center of their work, communities across Africa will be transformed by the gospel, and then stabilized by commerce and business that creates jobs, funds ministry, and strengthens families.

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