Edinburghprize 2010 22 may
Edinburgh mission prize for African project against modern slavery in Amsterdam
An African project against women trafficking has won the Edinburghprize 2010. Under the leadership of pastor Tom Marfo, the Christian Aid and Resource Foundation (CARF) has been fighting modern forms of slavery for many years now. Supported by African Christian communities CARF endeavours to free black prostitutes. As an encouragement CARF receives € 5.000,--
What is so unique about CARF is that it has both a preventive and a curative approach. The project aims to help women who are threatened to fall prey to traffickers and end up as prostitutes in Holland. In Ghana, CARF offers such women vocational training, so as to help them become self-reliant. In Holland, CARF reaches out to women who have been trafficked. Leading missiologist Martha Frederiks characterises this project as “a contemporary way to witness to the gospel and to combat the demons of fear and poverty”.
On the occasion of the centenary of the world missionary conference of Edinburgh 1910, the Evangelical Missionary Alliance (EZA) and the Netherlands Mission Council (NZR) have offered this prize as an encouragement for innovative contemporary mission initiatives. From a number of nominations, a jury selected three inspiring projects. Churches and mission organisations then voted for the project of their choice. A missionary and diaconal project among Dalit people in India, carried out by Hermon Living Water Ministries, become second. This project was followed by the online introductory course in Christianity WhyJesus? WhyJesus? is now available in over ten languages and is being developed by the organisation Agapè Netherlands.
The Edinburghprize was presented to CARF board member Emmanuel Baidu during the intercultural celebration at the Opwekking 2010 conference at Biddinghuizen. Jury member Robert Calvert from the Scots International Church in Rotterdam offered a statuette of a baobab tree crafted by an artist from Burkina Faso.
Jubilee Campaign interviewed Tom Marfo about the CARF project. This interview may be viewed via YouTube.
See youtube film for interview with Tom Marfo and his project
Credit for the above pictures to www.newsconfidential.com and