By Kleopas Nghikefelwa /
What can be the role of the ELCIN church in Namibian society today? How about supporting and caring for young people, people with disabilities and poor people in Namibian society?
Dear friends in Jesus Christ! Allow me to share this news with my Church leaders and my fellow members of the Namibian society.
I am having a great concern about what is the future of our church and what role it plays in Namibian society today.
We have these old mission stations in northern Namibia. Why can they not be transformed into productive assets, that can offer services to the present Namibia young generations, which is crying every day for high skills training development and employment creation activities?
In Engela I have seen a locked down wonderful ELCIN’s old wood workshop with its full equipment, while we have many skilled unemployed women and men, in our communities and church, dying to find a place where they can use their God-given talents and be productive members of Namibian society.
These ELCIN’s old mission stations still have some old buildings that can be reconditioned and preserved and serve as art, cultural, youth centres, local museum and heritage research centres.
The demographics of Namibia’s population show very clearly that 70 to 80% of our population is made up of young people and children. And these are the ones facing many challenges.
In 1989 the ELCIN church used some of its buildings as a temporary settlement place for Namibian homeless refugees who returned from exile.
This was an effective idea and helpful.
Today, why not use also these old mission stations to serve many of our suffering youth? How do we expect our youth to love God and our church if we don’t show them love and we don’t show how we care about them in reality?
Prisons are full of unemployed youth members, who may have often committed some crimes and illegal activities because we all also failed to care and protect our youth, who are vulnerable members of our church and population.
Why not use and transform some of these decaying old mission stations into community youth, people with disability rehabilitation, skills training development, heritage or cultural centres?
Namibia needs leaders who are caring and supporting more about our vulnerable members of our society.
It is time for our church to play an important role in Namibian society, as it did in the past during the struggle for Namibia’s independence, particularly in the 1970s to 1980s.
– Mr. Kleopas Nghikefelwa is a cultural heritage researcher and community activist.
