o~~Mizi~~ • africa lD The College of Business Administration announced the creation of a nonprofit organization named NiMA, which emphasized the importance of not only sharing the Gospel but also enabling sustainable living for poorer communities. NiMA gave students the opportunity to use their skills in the mission field by working on projects in Central America. "With the help of Walton Scholars from the area, NiMA created projects that would allow communities to be self-sustainable. Josiah Pleasant, deputy director of NiMA, said he saw a need for a program in which students could learn how to apply their specific skills to ministry and economic development, gaining hands-on experience with "business as missions." "The goal is to set a model for missions that empowers local communities to use their collective and individual skills to answer God's call," Pleasant said. The word "nima" came from the Mayan language of K'iche', once the language of many people throughout Central America and Mexico. In K'iche', the word meant "river of blessing." In Hebrew, it translated literally to "blessing," "a thread that is a part of a greater garment" or "a part of a greater song." According to Pleasant, the lowercase "i" served as a reminder that the individual was not as important as the greater cause. A new degree, global economic development, helped business students easily become linked to NiMA as well. According to Pleasant, the degree was designed for students with specific skill sets and worked with them to give them an understanding of "how to utilize their specific and unique talents to impact community development wherever they go, serving and glorifying Christ holistically with their vocation." As part of the NiMA experience, students gained an understanding of what it took to start a nonprofit organization or ministry from scratch. Pleasant hoped students from all departments would take one or two courses in the global economic development program so they could better utilize their skills in a "developmental scenario." Pleasant added that the goal of NiMA was, ultimately, to connect all departments on campus to start a collective movement. In an effort to achieve this, the organization offered an internship to students of all majors, designed to hone in on the students' individual skills and meeting specific needs in a given community. Students were also able to count the internship toward their global literacy course requirement. Students quickly became involved with NiMA in many different ways. Senior Daniel Avelar worked in conjunction with organizations Smiles for Christ and NiMA on finding resources needed to build a school for mentally challenged adults in Apanje, Honduras. "It's a great partnership, and we're happy that we could find an organization like NiMA, which has a mission of helping communities around the world," Avelar said. Ki1nberly Miller f 2 8 Organizations AU ~s.s.io~s. fe,llows.kip ... - ., -- - ~ ~ ~ !f ~ ~ ft.:.~ # • ::. .· , - " " ,.~ ~v .... ~- ..- ... ... ,! ~ ... . ~ ~·. "•. ~-- ~ :~, j . ~ "i\ 'F ~ t . i' ~ .. .. · · ~~r\ - 1 · , ~ ' . ~ i 1\J Ill ' • I • '- ~ .... ' ... rn .. Row 1: A. Overturf, K. McKune, P. Parsons, A. Norris, C. Bruns, K. Simpson. Row 2: C. Rogers, A. Partlow, A. White, K. Brock, M. Dobson, A. Sharts, B. Tanersley (sponsor), 0. Tankersley (sponsor). Row 3: E. Newell,]. Marlin,]. Reese, D. Reese, N. Bryan, P. Habegger.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==