Faced with the challenges of poverty, AIDS, and political chaos, the churches in Africa have recognized that education must play a key role in effecting change on their continent. Churches across Africa are calling upon SIM for help.

SIM-TEC is an SIM ministry responding to this cry. Its objective has been to develop knowledgeable leaders who, equipped with a thorough Christian worldview and the love of Jesus Christ, can bring hope to the next generation of Africans. The ministry is growing and this year, it is taking on a new name: Transformational Education Network (TEN3), and a new motto: Discipling to the 3rd Generation.

	Senegalese graduates of TEN3.

The ministry started 20 years ago with educational research in Nigeria by Dr. Anthony Petrillo, and progressed to coupling personal discipleship with computer literacy training according to African indigenous teaching principles. In 1993, it led to the formation of the ECWA Information and Computer Science Institute (EICSI), a school which now has over 1,000 students. Schools operating in French have also been started in Niger and Burkina Faso.

SIM-TEC/TEN3 is helping these schools develop into quality, discipleship-oriented, bachelor degree-granting institutions; at first granting diplomas and technical certificates, but eventually granting degrees in Computer Science and then on to granting a full range of degree programs.

God has been leading step by step. The growth and development of SIM-TEC has been Spirit-led with inputs from African churches, an advisory board, many dedicated Christian educators, and the ongoing leadership of Dr. Petrillo.

Over the past few years, SIM-TEC grew from two to seven SIM missionaries and four associates working alongside a host of volunteers. Many churches with the vision to start either Christian technical schools or universities have contacted us for help. We now have requests from churches in 26 countries to help develop their educational initiatives.

Our key operations currently include:

• Liaison and planning with African church leaders.
• Teaching, training, and consulting in Africa.
• Networking volunteers in the USA and Canada.
• Internet-based curriculum development and production of materials.
• Project coordination.
• Computer equipment—collection, packing, and shipping computers to Africa; setting up computer laboratories in schools.
• Buildings—fund-raising.

These operations require support in the form of:

• Computer programming and technical support.
• Administrative support.
• Direction and leadership.

We see a growing need to help the new schools associate around standards of excellence. When the association becomes fully functional, SIM’s primary role as a catalyst in the transformational education movement will be fulfilled. The new network will function as an independent organization, able to work with any of the churches that embrace the transformational model both in countries where SIM works and in regions beyond. Reconstituting SIM-TEC as TEN3, with an identity independent of SIM is an important step in this process.

TEN3 is aiming to operate with as few long-term ministry personnel in Africa as possible. Instead we intend to focus on capacity building through consulting and networking, so our need for additional support structures in Africa (outside what the African churches can provide) will be minimal.

Pray

Please pray that the Lord will use TEN3 to help African churches start truly transformational education systems to rescue the coming generation in Africa and enable them to emerge as leaders in education and the spread of the Gospel.

Give

You can be a part of continuing this great work by giving a financial gift to project 88840.

Go

Are you interested in serving with TEN3? Check out the opportunities