Month: August 2010

Who is Tiowa Diarra?

/ Ari Rocklin

http://globalopps.org/tmbriefs/Tiowa.jpg

I first met Tiowa at the tentmaking–business as mission course in Bergen Norway earlier this year. We had worked together via email for some time, but now we finally got to spend time together.

Let me introduce Tiowa to you in this edition of TMB. 
I asked him to respond to these four questions.

1.    Who is Tiowa Diarra?

I am married to Madeleine and have five growing kids.

I graduated from Mali University with a Master in Education, from Yamoussoukro Bible Institute with a diploma, and from West Africa Alliance Theological Seminary in Côte d’Ivoire with an M DIV. Then started pastoral ministry in 1986. Since that date I have been engaged in various leadership positions in Mali such as National youth leader and General secretary of Evangelicals in Mali.

Together with other lay people, we founded Partners in Mission organization with the aim of bringing the Gospel to remote areas in Mali and to train nationals for tentmaking.

2.    How did you end up being All Africa Tentmakers International (TI) rep?

After the TI Bulgaria meeting, Partners in Mission reviewed all the materials and took a significant step by engaging  in Tentmaker training and Church leader mobilization for tentmaking mission. In April 2005 we held a mini conference in Bamako, then planned the first All Africa TI Conference for August 2007. The same year we held the very first tentmaker training  in collaboration with TENT of Norway. The next year, in Cape Town, I was appointed as “pioneer for African regions”

3.    How do you see the future of the tentmaking-business as mission (TEMBAM) movement in and from Africa?

There are specific results we can see after five years of TI operation: more than 1750 tentmakers missionaries have been trained and deployed all over Africa; most  of them are working on personal evangelism and church planting. When the capacity of Churches will be enhanced in the future, it is obvious more results will be reached. There is a good perspective of African Tentmakers operating within and outside the continent.  The African diaspora in Northern Africa, in the Middle East, in Europe and Asia includes potential tentmakers that need to be trained and deployed intentionnally for mission. 

4.    How can people learn more about TEMBAM Africa and how can they pray?

Africa TEMBAM is engaged in training and training materials development, church mobilization, strategic reflection on optimizing the potential of the African diaspora.

Thank you, Tiowa. It is a blessing to work with you and to know you as a friend.   Please pray for the upcoming 2nd ALL Africa TI Conference in Cameroon on August 12-15, 2010.

Ari Rocklin

Ed: Tiowa is helping GLOBAL Opportunities in a very meaningful way by responding to requests that come to us from Africa.

Twenty dollars that changed a life in India.

/ Ari Rocklin

http://globalopps.org/tmbriefs/Ashok.jpg

Ari Rocklin

Jim a tentmaker to India was used to seeing a man sitting by his scale all day long, hoping someone would come and use his services. For the equivalent of 10 cents, anyone could weigh themselves in a country where the majority cannot afford to buy a scale of their own.

One day Jim decided to sit down beside the man to simply get to know him and have an opportunity to practice Hindi. He learned that Ashok was actually renting the scale and was paying up to 90% of his days take to the owner of the scale. 

While Jim walked toward his own job he thought about Ashok’s business. How could he help Ashok earn a bigger slice of the pie? This thought did not leave him for weeks on end. Each morning and afternoon, Jim would make a point of sitting down beside Ashkok. They became fast friends.

Jim learned the complexity of Ashok’s business. The scale was owned by a man who had many scales in the city. He paid his workers a measly amount of the earnings. If the scale broke, the worker was in debt for months until repayment with high interest was made.

Jim desperately wanted to make a difference, so he went and bought Ashok a scale for $20. Fortunately he had done his homework before hand. If he had just given the scale as a gift, the renter of scales would simply have taken it away from Ashok, who would have no recourse nor police protection.

Before presenting the scale to Ashok, he went to the local police station and asked an officer to come with him to verify the business transaction between himself and Ashok. The policeman watched as Jim loaned the scale to Ashkok. A plan was developed by Jim that allowed Ashok to repay the loan in about six months. Then the loan paper was signed (fingerprinted) by Ashok. Having the policeman present afforded some protection for Ashkok, and having a foreigner involved added a bit more.

Before the six months was up, Ashok had saved enough of his earnings to pay back the full amount of the loan. Jim once again called on the policeman to witness the full repayment of the loan, had him sign the “paid in full” receipt together with Ashok and Jim. Then Jim made a few copies of the receipt and even had one copy laminated which Ashkok could keep as proof of ownership.

Today Ashok keeps 100% of his daily earnings and is proudly able to show everyone that he has paid back the loan in full. Imagine going from keeping 10% of your daily earnings to 100%. Jim continues to disciple Ashok and members of his family…

Principle: Do not be too quick to help, seek wise counsel from locals so that your gift of a loan does not cause difficulty or dependency. Real help requires getting to know people and involves discipling.