Friends of ACTS, hope you are well!
With the easing of the pandemic, various activities have also resumed in force; Pastor James Wang also led 13 ACTS friends from North America, Taiwan, Kenya, and other places to Togo in September with great excitement!
One of the very important objectives of this trip is the third graduation ceremony of ACTS Togo Vocational Training School. Due to the pandemic, there has been no graduation ceremony for two years, but the school’s growth has not been affected. At least 70 students complete their studies every year, and there were a total of 200 graduates in the past two and a half years.
The graduation ceremony was held at the famous Agora Senghor Convention Center in Lome, Togo. About 90 graduates took part in the ceremony, and all in all there were more than 600 attendees including relatives, friends and representatives of society leaders. The graduation ceremony agenda was meticulously planned, including a choir performance from the local church singing praises to God, and a drama performed by the alumni conveying the positive impact ACTS brings to Togolese young people and their families. Sister Shi Yanyan, a member who visited Togo with Pastor James, put on a magnificent violin performance for the audience. For many of the attendees, this was the first time they experienced a live violin performance and it greatly awed and moved them. The event concluded with a passionate and joyful performance of a Togolese Christian singer. Everyone applauded and congratulated the graduates for their hard work, and cheered them on to employ the knowledge and skills they acquired in the marketplace!
During the ceremony, the Deputy Director of the Togo Education Bureau delivered a speech. He affirmed ACTS’ contribution to Togo’s vocational education and wished the graduates to fully display their talents in their future workplaces. Pastor James also gave a moving speech, mentioning that because of the love of Jesus, ACTS established a school in Togo to help young Togolese become self-sufficient and pursue their ideals. Therefore, he encourages every graduate to adopt this love towards supporting their family, giving back to society, and building a better Togo.
ACTS students have an employment rate of about 85% after graduation; they are quite marketable (competitive) in the workplace. In fact, the employment rate of ACTS is even higher than the 50% employment rate of the top local universities. Some students are able to start their own companies and bravely realize their dreams because of the skills they have learned through ACTS. These wonderful testimonies from graduates have established ACTS’ reputation in Togo. The number of students has been increasing, and the original rental venue has long been insufficient. At present, a classroom that can accommodate 100 people has been added on the top floor of the rental venue to accommodate the needs of the growing number of students.
Looking ahead, ACTS will have even greater expansion. At present, the ACTS team has been actively looking for suitable venues in Togo. This project is named “ACTS 29”. Here are some of the highlights for this campus project: There will be a dormitory that can accommodate up to 60 students. It will be equipped to aid young people in the fight against poverty. There will be a medical clinic set up to cooperate with the development of medical education and improve Togo’s medical system. Lastly, there will be a multi-functional venue for missionaries, making it a base for marketplace (workplace) missions and education. We see it becoming an exchange hub and transfer station for marketplace missions in various African countries to fully realize the vision of transformation! More details on this will be shared in our 2022 ACTS Vision Sharing Session on 12/11 at 4pm. Stay tuned!
Because of ACTS’ various ministries, we have reached out to various ethnic and religious groups outside the church, entered their lives, helped them, grew with them, and sowed the seeds of the Gospel and eternal hope in their hearts.
We sincerely invite you to continue to support us with prayers and offerings as we move forward together in Africa and let love flow!