Our Partners Fred Jordan Missions

After the tragedies in Japan, Haiti and Sudan we often get solicited to send bicycles, ambulances and cargo trailers to these devastated parts of the world.

Unfortunately because of the cost of raw material, shipping and taxes in Zambia it is not a place that we can export these goods internationally except for neighboring countries.

We have started a project on Skid Row in Los Angeles at Fred Jordan Mission (fjm.org) with the help of the Covenant Churches, specifically Rolling Hills Covenant. Our goal is to take six willing guys or girls from Fred Jordan Mission every 4 months and train them in welding so they can make bicycle ambulances and cargo trailers that we can send all over the world.

The newly trained welding team are patrons of the Fred Jordan Mission in LA at a place commonly called Skid Row. Fernando one of the up and coming welders said it best, “It's a winning team - we are helping them and we are getting help too.”

Daryl Funk, Akerfa co founder, has been working at FJM now since late May 2011. The first few days he was teaching the new trainees how to use a tape measure and now they are on to safety and learning how to do simple welds. Daryl says, "this project is not so different from teaching underprivileged Zambians to fabricate. The guys here at Fred Jordan have a little more education but are running from a lot more demons. We have a tiger by the tail here. We have to watch all the time to make sure they are being safe but things are progressing well and we will send 250 cargo trailers to Uganda the first weeks of July 2011." After working with Akerfa for three months they will be sent to a tig welding trade school, where once they are certified can make upwards of $50 an hour. While going to this school and working for Akerfa they are being feed and housed by FJM.

In LA materials are inexpensive, shipping anywhere in the world is doable and we are able to empower those in a tough situation in the United States to help others and help themselves.

Meet some of the welding team:

O'Niel - I worked in the kitchen here. I have been interested in a lot of different things. Welding was one of them. When I heard about building bikes from scratch I thought Wow, I like bikes, and helping folks in Africa was a big part of it. People often mistake me for an African. My mother and family still live in Jamaica. If I have discipline it came from my mom. When I get more disciplined, I feel like I am getting closer to her. I grew up Christian, but stopped going to church when I was 12. It was the biggest mistake I ever made - so foolish. The discipleship and Bible study program here is helping us. Everybody knows us and keeps us in line. It has been good for me and I am getting more self-discipline. I am looking to really do what Daryl wants us to do. He just tells us how to do it and then walks away. I want Daryl's confidence so that he could tell us what to do and walk away and when he comes back it will be done right. I take it one day at a time. I want to come and be humble, because when we weld, it means something.

Carlos - I had worked in a warehouse, and in restaurants, going up the scale. There was pressure, and it was hard just to get by. I never thought I'd get an opportunity to do something like this. It's so good working with Doc. He didn't know any of us, but he was willing to come and teach us and give us a chance. I was working construction but I got laid off because I didn't have much experience. It's really hard to find a job right now. Learning to weld is the perfect blessing. It's a hard challenge, but not with a teacher like Doc. He is great. He is very honest. He will tell you if you're not doing something exactly right. He told me I have a really good chance to become a welder. Coming from him that means a lot. I look forward to coming here. No matter how hard life is on the outside, and no matter how bad the day has gone, when I come here, as long as I have a machine in my hand, it becomes a good day. I love it. The day just flies by.

Dennis - It is encouraging, and exciting to think I have a chance to learn a skill. God is using this situation to help me first of all to mature and get closer to Him, and to break habits that aren't honoring to Him. I really like the whole idea of helping people in Africa and missions and doing good. I am just taking it a day at a time. (What is hard about it?) Having to learn the language of welding - there are so many words to learn.

Fernando - I knew Pastor Steve because I completed the program 3 years ago. I had jobs in dry cleaning and restaurants, but I got laid off. I started coming to the 3:00 services here, and I was looking for a job. I had spent all my savings on rent and food. Pastor Steve and Walter interviewed me. They asked if I was interested in the welding training. I said yes, but that I wanted to be able to continue working at my church. I am a deacon and our church is growing, and I preach once a month. I have been to the Bible Institute here. They said OK, they will fix the schedule so I can still go to my church. I'm so glad to be a part of this because they are helping people in Africa. It's a winning team - we are helping them and we are getting help too. (Is anything hard?) Tig welding is hard because it is so precise. You need to make sure the heat is exactly right. I like to work with my hands. I play the guitar. You learn to play the guitar and gradually you get the pressure on the strings just right. That's what it's like learning to weld.

Beside: Carlos, O’Neil, Peter Jordan and Daryl Funk

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