Banyam's Challenges

Her shirt states an attitude - and a frustration - shared by many Nigerians.

The BTS generator is very old and unable to generate sufficient power for more than one building at a time.

Power distribution is incomplete: lines do not connect each building to the generator.

Even if power was available, not every building is wired with light fixtures and outlets.

Student's first choice for water is at one of the hand-pump wells that are on-campus.

The most productive and reliable wells are about a half mile from campus.

Gathering at the well at sunrise.

Pieces of an improved water system are in place. A pump, pipes and power are still needed.

Constant heat and humidity, and periodic downpours take their toll on buildings.

Humidity is causing the ceiling in this classroom to collapse. Ceilings tend to rot and fall in just a few year's time. When they fall, the also bring down any electrical wiring and light fixtures that are attached.

The main road connecting BTS to anywhere else is really just a sandy trail - passable on motorbike, foot, or 4WD truck when it is dry.

Bikes on the farm. Seed and harvested crops are both transported on the backs of motorbikes.

It isn't uncommon to see three or even four people on one bike, carrying bags of goods from the village market.

Certainly the biggest challenge faced by Banyam Theological Seminary is economic. BTS exists in a nation where much of the population lives in poverty. Materially poor parishoners make for a materially poor church. As the greater Nigerian United Methodist Church lacks the ability to fully fund BTS, BTS then relies very heavily on student tuition and fees. But, BTS's students also tend to be from very modest economic backgrounds and their ability to pay is limited. Lack of funding makes it very difficult to procure academic resources, maintain campus infrastructure and pay staff salaries.

With more reliable funding, BTS could solve it's electrical and water situations. Power on-campus is a part-time affair. The campus generator is very old and incapable of powering the entire campus. The power distribution system is incomplete, and not every building is wired with fixtures and outlets. A major overhaul is in order.

The water situation is better than the electrical. With past assistance from the Iowa Nigeria Project, BTS has a number of wells. The wells closest to campus are tapped by hand pumps. They work well in the wet season. The deeper wells that are more reliable in the dry season are located about a half-mile from campus. Water storage tanks are in-place at BTS, but a pumping system is needed to move water from wells to tanks.

One more challenge faces by BTS is its isolation. Roads are unpaved and impassible in the wet season. In the dry season, the roads are deep, sandy paths passable on motorbike, 4-wheel-drive truck or on foot. Next to lack of funding, the poor transportation infrastructure makes BTS life very difficult. It is difficult to get to campus with any more than a person can carry. It is difficult to get to market each week to get food - most students walk miles. And, in medical emergencies, ill and injured patients often have to endure an excruciating motor bike ride to get care.