Ethiopian missionaries Ermias Mekuria and Mulu Meseret Choliye, who recently moved to Nairobi, Kenya, are ministering to refugees in east Africa through compassion and support.

Ermias oversees an Internet radio program that reaches listeners in six east African languages. The radio programs are produced by volunteers, including refugees who are being trained in radio production. Ministers from local churches in Nairobi volunteer to provide content for the 20-minute programs, which run twice a week.

The messages reach listeners in some areas where missionary work would not be welcomed. In areas where one can't preach the gospel over the radio, presenters speak into people's lives by addressing topics such as family and marriage, Ermias said.

The Choliyes also help lead a women's Bible study and handiwork group at Central Church of the Nazarene in Nairobi. The group is a place where refugees from several countries gather to learn about Christianity and to gain skills making craftwork, such as beaded jewelry and purses, which can be sold at local markets.  

Church member Uwizeya Marie Clementine, a professional jewelry maker and fashion designer, teaches the beadwork class at Central Church. In the next session, the women will learn about sewing.

In addition, Ermias and Mulu reach out to refugees is through distributing holiness booklets and literature twice a year in two major east African languages. The most recently published booklet features testimonies from the women's group and an anti-human trafficking article, which includes personal stories from victims in Nairobi.

Kenya is home to more than 550,000 refugees. The aim of the East African refugee ministry, according to Ermias and Mulu, is "to spread the message of holiness, the hope of Africa, and the salvation gospel of Jesus Christ around the refugee and immigrant communities of Kenya and beyond."

--Church of the Nazarene Africa Region via Out of Africa