Monday, September 24, 2012
On her first day in Ghana as part of an internship program, Melissa Hogeboom, now a fifth-year student at Redeemer University College, met a young girl named Alberta. The two got to know each other over the three months that Melissa spent in the village leading a business literacy program for women.
"What struck me about Alberta was the low expectations that she had for herself," recalled Melissa. "She didn't believe that she could, or even should, go to school." But Melissa was taken by Alberta and walked alongside her, encouraging her. "By the time I left Ghana, Alberta had come to learn that she is worth teaching."
(left to right) Rev. Dr. Rick Fee, Karen Zwart Hielema, Edgar Hielema and Dr. Hubert Krygsman
Melissa Hogeboom
These kinds of life-transforming experiences are the motivation behind a new partnership signed on Monday, September 24, 2012, between The Presbyterian Church in Canada and Redeemer College, a Christian University located in Hamilton, Ontario. Building upon both institutions' existing work in Ghana, the new program will see a Redeemer graduate spend one year in the African nation, working on a variety of community-building programs.
The partnership has been made possible in part from a generous donation from Redeemer alumnus Edgar Hielema and his wife, Karen Zwart Hielema. Edgar, who spent several years working and living in Africa, said that the program appeals to him because it connects four of his passions: engagement with other communities, a sense of personal calling, an appreciation of the history of different communities, and an ecumenical approach to addressing problems. "My goal is to instill the desire and the confidence in students to go and make a difference," he said at the signing ceremony.
The Presbyterian Church in Canada has had a vibrant ministry in Ghana for many years. There are a number of Presbyterian churches and the PCC also supports His Majesty's School, a Christian school in Asamankese. "Redeemer, even Canada, is not 'the real world,'" noted Dr. Richard Fee, General Secretary, Life and Mission Agency of the PCC. "But thank God they exist, because it is from their strengths that we can go into the real world—that place where so much of the world exists—with interns such as these who will make a difference. That's what this partnership is all about."
Redeemer University College has had a presence in Ghana for a number of years through internships that have allowed students to work in the city of Asamankese on a variety of community development programs. Commenting on the agreement, Dr. Hubert Krygsman, Redeemer's president, noted that the new program with the PCC is a perfect fit to Redeemer's goals of increasing international engagement and partnering with the church community. "These are life transforming activities that will enable Redeemer students to realize God's global Kingdom."
The first intern to participate in the program, Angie Lang, began her work this past August. Angie will be working with 5-year-olds at His Majesty's School until next summer.