Key points:
- Bishop Tracy S. Malone’s vision to build a residence hall at Africa University was realized despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
- A delegation of 12, mainly clergy, from East Ohio traveled to witness and celebrate the fruition of a campaign that raised $1.5 million.
- The Rev. William “Bill” McFadden, retired, and his wife, Marty, who have supported Africa University for over 30 years, offered a generous challenge gift with a $1 match for every $3 raised.
- “The hostel is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also designed with comfort and convenience with students in mind,” said Valery Tinodaishe Nachipo, one of the first residents of the new hall.
Female students at Africa University have a new haven where they can reside on campus thanks to a residence hall built with gifts of love from the East Ohio Conference totaling $1.5 million.
The modern complex, which can house 92 students, is a three-story building comprising spacious double-occupancy rooms, two lounges on each floor where students can relax and fellowship, and laundry areas, among other amenities.
The dormitory is the culmination of a vision by East Ohio Conference Bishop Tracy S. Malone in 2019, which resulted in the Teach-Reach-Bless campaign to improve the welfare of female students at the Pan-African institution. It is the third hall of residence that has been built by the conference at Africa University.
“East Ohio Conference’s Teach-Reach-Bless campaign is so much more than an investment in a residence hall … so much more than brick and mortar. We are investing in student’s lives, in their education, well-being and their future,” said Malone at the Feb. 26 dedication of the facility, which was named after her.
Malone recalled that some of her most memorable and meaningful experiences took place in residence halls.
“It is where I felt most at home, connected, and where my story was known,” she said. “Education and leadership formation happen not only in the classroom and through academia, but also by being involved in campus activities and by having access to the community life that is experienced in residence living.”
Malone’s vision was spurred by the need to provide a safe and secure environment for female students. Africa University currently has 1,114 students living on campus — of whom 620 are female. An additional 1,159 students commute to the institution.
The Teach-Reach-Bless campaign was a “win-win” campaign as not only did the conference gift Africa University, but it was also gifted in return.
“The teaching was the opportunity to teach more in the East Ohio Conference about the mission of Africa University, so we were the ones that were being taught. It was about reaching women for generations to come and also reaching more people in our conference to support the university,” Malone said. “The blessing is mutual: We were blessed by doing it and the university is being blessed by this gift.”
Commenting on the disaffiliations that have occurred in East Ohio against the realization of the new AU facility, Malone pointed out that when the campaign for building the residence hall began, the churches that disaffiliated had not yet left and remained committed to the project.
“They may differ and have issues with The United Methodist Church. What I am convinced of is that among the differences, where there is common value and purpose is the mission,” she said. “What that says to me is that when it is God’s dream and when people trust God and believe in the mission and are committed to the mission, God will bring the vision to reality through the people of faith.”
The Rev. Bruce Hitchcock, superintendent of Northern Waters District in East Ohio, said those who disaffiliated had to follow their own hearts.
“That upsets me,” he said, “but I also know that God is bigger than what I think or what anybody else thinks and even out of something like disaffiliation, I believe that God will do good things and make good things happen.”
Hitchcock was part of a delegation of 12 members of East Ohio Conference who were at Africa University to witness the fruition of the Teach-Reach-Bless campaign.
The Rev Andrew Thompson of Caldwell United Methodist Church said this was his first trip to Africa and his first time on a plane.
Asked how he felt being at Africa University for the first time and seeing the magnificent building his conference had gifted to the institution, he said it was beyond words.
“Just to see the students and know that they are going to have this wonderful thing that they have been needing for a long time. I am so glad,” he said.
For people in East Ohio who were unable to travel and see the new hall, Thompson said: “I want them to see that being a connectional church, being a United Methodist is something worldwide and that what we do affects people across the world and changes it, no matter how big or small.”
One of the first occupants of the Bishop Tracy S. Malone Hall of Residence is Valery Tinodaishe Nachipo, 22, who is studying medical laboratory science. She used to stay in a boarding house some 17 km (about 10 miles) away.
She described the residence hall, which she called a hostel, as a home far from home that makes it easy for her to focus on her studies, as she can fully maximize her time and energy.
“The hostel is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also designed with comfort and convenience with students in mind,” she said.
Nachipo described the rooms as spacious and well-furnished, providing a conducive environment for studying, with strong Wi-Fi connectivity throughout the building.
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“Students can easily access online resources for their studies and one doesn’t necessarily need to go the library, as the study corners in the room ensure that one can comfortably study,” she said.
Chikomborero Jacqui Mapaya, 19, an international relations and diplomacy student, previously stayed in a campus hostel where the rooms are shared by three residents.
“The Bishop Tracy S. Malone Hall of Residence is different from the rest of the hostels on campus. The hostel is double occupancy! I have found this is ideal for university life as it provides a sense of accountability. It is less crowded, therefore easier to manage,” she said.
Mapaya felt that having access to on-campus accommodation would provide women with a sense of independence and security while pursuing their studies.
“I am honored to be one of the first residents. It signifies breaking barriers and paving the way for future generations of women to have access to safe, comfortable and convenient living spaces,” she said.
At the dedication ceremony, Africa University vice chancellor the Rev. Prof Peter Mageto commended East Ohio Conference membership for rallying behind the call by Malone to offer their gifts in the spirit of sacrifice in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that people could now bear testimony of the great work that God has done through them.
“It is one thing to have a vision. It is another thing to have the leadership aptitude and mind that drives that vision, and what Bishop Malone did was to step out and in the spirit of trust and confidence, you made this dream become a reality,” Mageto said.
The Teach-Reach-Bless campaign was launched in January 2020 and raised over $1 million in three years. The retired Rev. William “Bill” McFadden and his wife, Marty, offered a challenge gift with a $1 match for every $3 collected from any source in 2021. The Rev. McFadden has served as a volunteer for Africa University for over three decades and co-chaired the campaign.
He joined the dedication ceremony online.
“Here we are today to celebrate. Look around at each other and say what we are seeing is the start of the transformation of the lives of some women who will change the world,” McFadden said. “When East Ohio hears that there is a need, East Ohio meets the need.”
Chikwanah is a correspondent for UM News based in Harare, Zimbabwe.
News media contact: Julie Dwyer at (615) 742-5470 or [email protected]. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free Daily or Weekly Digests.
