...you and I will be help at the same time, you by my faith and I by yours. -Romans 1:12

One of the problems facing the Kamina area is the need for more small business development. Because of that need, Bishop Ntambo has asked for help in training and creation of business enterprise.

'Kamina Friends', from the Fairport United Methodist Church in upstate NY, is working to bring an Enterprise Facilitation project to the Kamina area. This pilot development project in the DRC is the beginning of an effort to launch similar activities throughout Africa. The project will employ Enterprise Facilitation®, a proven economic development model developed by the Sirolli Institute. This method has been successfully implemented in rural areas suffering economic distress.

Enterprise Facilitation® builds on the capacities of a given community to generate and support small businesses with appropriate technology and local expertise. Enterprise Facilitation® is not about salvation from outside, but about unlocking and harnessing a community's potential. This potential has been evident during Kamina Friends' visits to the region over the last three years as we developed strong relationships with the leadership of the area.

The Kamina economic development project already has the invitation of the community leaders in Kamina, DRC, who met with leaders of Kamina Friends during the summer of 2005. The North Katanga Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church extended an invitation to Kamina Friends to support the people of the area with this pilot effort. Nazareth College of Rochester has also joined in sponsoring this project, since it involves significant educational activity for the project to succeed. PACT World (an NGO already active in the DRC), the United States Agency for International Development, and representatives from the Sirolli Institute have been engaged in discussion regarding the collaborative implementation of this project.

To learn more about the project or how you can help, contact:
Kamina Friends, Inc.
31 W. Church Street
Fairport, NY 14450
(585) 223-9560
Email: information@kaminafriends.org
www.kaminafriends.org