Turn on the Lights
At St. Luke’s Parish in Gyedna, a remote village in Nigeria, people could not safely gather after sunset for prayer, meetings, or classes. With the help of friends like you, the Missionaries of Africa installed solar power and lighting so there would be light at night.
The goal was to make it safer for people to gather after sunset. But once the parish had reliable lighting, something unexpected happened: people began asking if they could learn to read.
What they were asking for reflects a much deeper need. In Gyedna and the surrounding villages, more than 90 percent of people cannot read or write. There are no schools in the village beyond what the parish itself is able to offer. No one from Gyedna has ever gone to college, and only a handful of teenagers have reached secondary school.
For most people, daylight hours are consumed by farming and the work of survival. Night is the only time they have to learn, and thanks to people like you, many are now beginning to learn to read.
“Many young people are just lost in the wind.”
Father Otto Katto, M.Afr.
Fr. Otto Katto, M.Afr., with parishioners at St. Luke’s Parish in Gyedna, Nigeria.
Fr. Otto Katto, M.Afr., one of our missionaries serving in the area, used those words to describe the situation facing many young people. Without education and without work, they have few opportunities to build a better future. In this region, illiteracy is not just a hardship. It leaves people vulnerable to poverty, exploitation, and even violence.
Life here can also be dangerous for Christians. There have been incidents in the village and even at St. Luke’s itself. At one point, our missionaries and parishioners were kidnapped, a reminder that the risks are real. And yet, our missionaries did not leave. They stayed because the people asked them to stay.
What began as an effort to make the parish safer soon became something more. Programs were organized, teachers were hired, and materials were purchased so that teens and adults could attend night school. Even classroom furniture had to be provided for adult students, making it possible for many, for the first time, to learn to read and write.
One of the students is Zakoy, a 42-year-old father and parish leader. He is respected in his community, but he cannot read or write. At meetings outside the village, he sat quietly, unable to take part because he could not follow written agendas or handouts. Now, he is beginning to understand.
For Zakoy, learning to read is not just about knowledge, but about dignity.
This is the kind of change you make possible through the Missionaries of Africa. With your help, our missionaries remain with communities where the needs are great and the resources are few. We listen. We respond. And step by step, something lasting begins to take shape.
Sometimes it begins with light. Sometimes with water. Sometimes with a school or a simple act of care. Across Africa, your generosity helps our missionaries respond to the needs of the people they serve.
Help bring light, safety, and education to remote villages like Gyedna, Nigeria.