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Gidan Bege
"House of Hope"
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History of Gidan Bege
In 1995, SIM missionary Dorothy Ardill began feeding some of the street boys in downtown Jos on Thursday afternoons. After several months the number of boys increased to over 100. As word spread, others came and so on Wednesdays blind and beggar women were fed along with their 'guide girls' and children.
The ministry has continued to grow so now there is also an outreach to brothels, prisons, cripples and widows. There is also a medical clinic once a week. Gidan Bege is a place where the poor and needy meet Jesus through the loving words and gentle touch of the Gidan Bege volunteers and staff.
For boys wanting off the streets a Care Center was opened in 1996. At the Care Center, staff provide a safe place to learn literacy, be discipled, and understand the basics of Christian living. Our goal is to reconcile these children with their parents or place them in Christian homes.
There are now four Care Centers in the Jos area that minister to orphans and vulnernable children. One is a village center that houses over 100 boys and girls. It has a school providing education for the children from grade 1 through grade 5. There are two Transition Houses in Jos. One is for teenage boys and the other is for teenage girls. Both Transition Houses are located in the city and have a school that provides education and vocational training for the youth in the center. Gidan Bege has 4 other Care Centers for boys outside of Jos. Gidan Bege has many Nigerian staff that teach, train, disciple and care for the needs of the children in the centers. There are many volunteers from local churches helping in every aspect of the various ministries.
Gidan Bege is now under the leadership of Peter and Miriam Fretheim. The ministry continues to grow with outreaches into the northern areas of Nigeria.
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