Monday, October 19 marked the inaugural opening of all student organizations’ abilities to use the new Student Union Theater, with granted permission from the Student Union staff. To mark this inaugural event, Students Taking Action Now in Darfur (STAND), a student anti-genocide correlation and UCF the United Christian Fellowship sponsored Pray With Africa, a documentary film series traveling the country promoting positive images of African advancement and development while striving to unite Africa and the rest of the world in prayer.
The goal of Pray With Africa is to work with Africa, in collaboration with America and other global powers, to assist with the degrading conditions faced by many African countries and to unite these countries in prayer. Standing behind their three policies of Learn, Pray and Act, the organization currently focuses on the power of storytelling to disseminate Africa’s message of hope despite adversity. Although the organization strives to help with relief efforts by whatever means necessary, as the group’s documentary shows, African countries are not looking for simply a handout from other countries, but rather a helping hand from these countries to assist them in internal development.
Monday the university played host to Pray With Africa’s latest documentary, “Listen: A New African Narrative”. The documentary follows five different influential individuals within five of the poorest and most underdeveloped African nations in the world. Each individual has his own new and unique story of hope, prosperity and achievement, however minimal. With the creation of this documentary, the stories told created the “New African Narrative”; stories of hope rather than despair. The heartfelt documentary started its journey in Liberia, a country ripped apart by Civil War since 2003 and struggling with the crippling effects of not having proper medical, nutritional or even housing facilities. Over sixty percent of the country does not have access to clean drinking water, the result of which has been a pandemic of water-borne diseases such as cholera and diarrhea. Jonathan, a local minister and activist within Liberia, has set about to change the conditions within war torn Liberia by raising money to build at least one hand-pump well per community all across Liberia.
The audience is inundated with accounts of individuals whose lives have changed due to hope brought forth by not only the five individuals mentioned within the documentary, but the other, unnamed workers helping to uplift Africa through education, united prayer and collaborative involvement.
Stephanie Braun, senior and president of UNC Charlotte’s STAND said , “people get caught up in viewing the negative side of Africa, this [documentary] is just a way to bring some hope.” Pray With Africa’s latest documentary, “Listen: A new African Narrative” provides the audience with just that, an alternative and more positive view of the African continent.
For more information on ways in which you can get involved with the Pray With Africa movement or to order a copy of “Listen: A new African Narrative,” visit their website at www.praywithafrica.org
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