North Africa: Empower At-Risk Women

The exploitation of women in North Africa is an alarming issue. The applicant(s) will be working in a hospitality business aimed to combat the needs of this vulnerable population by empowering at-risk women with skills for earning a sustainable income. This business will enable local women to find: employment in a safe environment, a restored sense of dignity, vocational training, mentorship, and opportunities to pursue careers in the hospitality field. Our hope is that they will experience the gospel lived out in a trauma-sensitive space designed to hold their stories and point them toward the Truth.

Position Type:

• CAMA worker
• Business, community development (urban), evangelism, leadership development, NGO
• Partially funded
• Creative-access country (CAC)
• Single or couple

Responsibilities:

• Complete two years of full-time language study
• Help operate a business aimed at training and employing at-risk girls with sustainable skills
• Build relationships with the staff we hire; mentor, or provide healing conversations
• Actively share the gospel with the victims that we work with/other members of our community and connect them with the local network of house churches when appropriate
• If a couple—both husband and wife can be actively involved in this work as business partners, understanding that godly men are extremely lacking and very much needed in the lives of the girls and women that we work with

Required Qualifications:

• Completion of Alliance Polity course
• Completion of the World Perspectives Mission Course (minimum of certificate level) or equivalent
• A minimum Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) score of 65

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience or degree in the field of community development
• Experience in baking or hospitality work
• Experience or degree in small business development
• Experience or degree in trauma healing or an understanding of the effects of trauma
• Completion of a “healing the wounds of trauma” healing group or equivalent training seminars

Biblical Characteristics Desired:

• Ability to articulate personal conversion and call to gospel ministry
• Demonstrated heart for the poor and marginalized (Micah 6:8)
• Theological alignment with The Alliance
• Demonstrated flexibility and grace in all aspects of life
• Vibrant spiritual life with consistent practice of spiritual disciplines
• Ability to learn and recover from failure

Timeline for Deployment:

Summer/fall of 2025. Once appointed and fundraising and other qualifications are met, the appointee is required to attend a cross-cultural and language-acquisition program and pre-field orientation prior to deploying.

General Information:

Our work is based in an urban area in a North African country, The government is stable, and our city has a population of approximately 1.5 million people. Despite some economic growth in the past, the country grapples with poverty, unemployment, and high illiteracy rates, particularly post-COVID.

There is a national religion, and while there is a stated civil tolerance of other religions, familial and cultural persecution (as well as, more rarely, government persecution) follows conversion. It is estimated that 0.1 percent of this country is evangelical, although some are becoming disillusioned with the majority religion and the evangelical growth rate is estimated at 4.6 percent (for reference, the global growth rate is 2.6 percent).

Language Expectations:

Language is an essential part of ministry. Those who do not know the language will attend a language study program. The goal will be to speak, read, and write the language at a functional level in order to mentor, teach, and train others.

The primary language spoken is the national dialect of Arabic. This dialect is a requirement for candidates filling this MOD. We expect all new team members to be in full-time language and culture study for two years. French can be helpful in this context but is not required. We have a great option for language learning in our city.

Health Considerations:

There is access to adequate medical care in our city. We do, however, recommend traveling to Europe for major procedures.

Expectations for Spouse:

Spousal roles vary based on the spouse’s gifts, training, and abilities as well as the needs of the team. It is expected that both spouses will be meaningfully involved in meeting ministry objectives depending on the nature of family roles, children, etc.

Children’s Educational Plan and Options:

There are several schooling options within our city. Private (French) school as well as American and Canadian schools are available, and homeschooling is also an option.

Compensation Package

The successful applicant(s) will receive a full compensation package with the expectation that, once appointed, efforts will be made to raise a portion of support costs through the applicant’s network of friends, family, local church, or other resources. Information on support costs will be made available upon application. Training and/or coaching in fundraising is available.

Important Clarification

Applicant(s) should be aware that serving in the international world often requires a higher degree of grace and flexibility. For example, overseas teams can be suddenly and unexpectedly impacted by illness, government decisions, financial realities, team changes, or other factors beyond the team’s control. The challenge for applicants is that these factors can sometimes necessitate the sudden redefining of a position, which may take place before, during, or after the application/interview process has begun or is completed.

Whole-Life Health

CAMA Services is the relief and development specialized structure of Alliance Missions. As part of an evangelical denomination, we are committed to biblical holism, which is modeled and reflected through our work. Due to this commitment, part of the required qualifications includes optimal emotional, spiritual, and physical health. These will be assessed during the application process.