Every Child Ministries (sometimes called ECMAfrica or just ECM) is a Christian charity dedicated to the needs of African children, especially what the group calls "forgotten children"--that is, those marginalized and deprived by society in some way.
Contents |
History of Every Child Ministries
The charity was organized in 1985 by John and Lorella Rouster of the U.S., who had previously served three years in Zaire with another Christian mission. The charity was formed in response to the dire needs the founders saw in Zaire from 1981 to 1984. Originally concentrating on training teachers for children and youth, ECM developed training seminars that were widely held in Zaire. The charity also published a training manual originally written in the Kituba language. Since then it has been translated and published in six other languages spoken in Africa, including English. Since 2001, Every Child Ministries has placed increasing emphasis on children in distressed situations like homelessness, streetism, abandonment, being orphaned, ritual servitude and children of war.
Main Centers of Every Child Ministries
The charity Every Child Ministries now maintains major centers in Ghana for West Africa, DR Congo for Central Africa, and Uganda for East Africa. It sends short-term training teams throughout Africa and maintains an extensive website of teaching and training helps for African teachers of children (www.teachingafrica.com).
Programs and Projects of Every Child Ministries
In Ghana and in Congo, ECMAfrica works with street children, helps street youth obtain training through vocational appenticeships, and maintains an orphanage/home (Haven of Hope) with accompanying primary school in Ghana. In Ghana the charity works for the liberation of shrine slaves known as trokosi. In DR Congo ECMAfrica maintains a ministry to orphans. In Uganda the organization assists refugees, displaced and other war-affected children. Everywhere it works, the group is active in training African nationals as children's teachers and in publishing educational materials. In DR Congo, ECMAfrica operates two training centers where a one-year intensive course in Christian education is offered with a specialization in children's ministries, one for urban and one for rural ministries. The charity helps many children through child sponsorship.
