Christ
Embassy International is going full steam ahead in fulfilling the God-given
mandate given to its leader Pastor (Dr) Chris Oyakhilome. One of the ways in
which this servant of God firmly believes the mission to reach out to lost
souls is to be accomplished is through giving destitute children hope. Jesus
came to seek and save the lost; the good book says and this special outreach to
the forgotten children in society is a commendable way of achieving this.
The
man-of-God is leading the church and community as a whole in adopting the
mantra “Every child is your child”. The Inner City Missions for Children
initiative is the vehicle by which the church has chosen to reach out to the
indigent children in Nigeria and the larger Sub-Saharan Africa where half of
the world’s 57 million needy children live.
Inner
City Missions, or ICM, is a Non Governmental Organization pioneered by Christ
Embassy International that is set up to cater to the
physical, emotional, educational and developmental needs of children who lack
access to these basics at home. There are several programs through which the
ICM meets its aims, one of the most crucial of which are the ICM primary and
nursery schools. The tuition and facilities provided to children in these
institutions is completely free of charge but is still of above par quality.
Another important ICM pillar is its mentorship program. It gives indigent children
training, coaching, tutoring and counseling to help them through the issues
corresponding to the stage of life they are in and personal challenges they may
be facing. Through the Play & Learn initiative kids with talents in sport
or the arts can expose and nurture them. Not all children will excel
academically.
Among
the people the ICM programs have directly benefited is Mrs. Oluchukwu Nwosu. A
widowed mother of triplets struggling financially, she was at a loss as to how
she was going to provide for her children while putting them through school.
But now thanks to the ICM schools her three children have, in her own words,
“…started looking healthier and smarter…”. Not only has Mrs. Nwosu noticed an
improvement in the intellectual capacity of her children, she feels they are
morally more secure. The fact that her kids are taught by well qualified
teachers and offered breakfast, lunch and supper at the school has helped
improved their performance and outlook on life.
