House of Hope, a United Methodist missionary guest house, will provide jobs and generate income for the denomination’s mission work.
The guest house was inaugurated March 31by Bishop Benjamin Boni and government representatives.
The facility, which serves as hotel, will be managed by Groupe Iroko. Ignace Meney, director of Groupe Iroko, said the guest house will reduce unemployment and improve living conditions for 24 families employed there.
“Among them, 33 percent are girls, 40 percent will have their first job, 15 percent were unemployed, and 20 percent will change employment status (get better jobs),” he noted.
Boni said the church and state “are working on the same subject: the human holistic development." He encouraged districts and local churches to follow the example of this initiative by finding new and sustainable ways of raising funds to support evangelism.
Church is helping tourism
Georges Yao Bi, a representative of the Ministry of Tourism, promised the ministry’s support of the hotel operations since the Côte d’Ivoire United Methodist Church is helping the government in its mission.
“Your guest house is the pride of tourism in Côte d’Ivoire,” he said. Groupe Iroko operates several facilities covering all segments of the hotel market, ranging from budget to luxury hotels.
Louis Aboua, a lay leader in the Côte d’Ivoire United Methodist Church, said the acquisition of this former hotel fit into the Seventh Annual Conference session’s theme: "Every church, a project." At the 2012 conference session, members decided every local church and organization should focus on investment projects to support its mission work.
He invited the laity to promote the lodging in their churches, their work places and around them.
Mathurin Adjrabé, president of the conference board of finance and administration, said the building was purchased and renovated with the support of a local bank, ECOBANK; other local donations and through The Advance, a voluntary giving program of The United Methodist
Church.
Built on three levels, the building has a capacity of 24 rooms with 70 beds. Features include a panoramic restaurant, a banquet hall for 300 people, three meeting rooms, a shuttle, and a generator.
Donate to Missionary Transit Housing Infrastructure Advance #3021944.
Broune is the communicator for The United Methodist Church in Côte d’Ivoire.
News media contact : Vicki Brown at newsdesk@umcom.org or 615-742-5400.
