A BAPTIST minister from Sheffield is looking for help to release CDs that raise money for women in Africa.
Pastor Dama Safari, aged 40, is back at home in the Woodthorpe area of Sheffield following his latest missionary trip to Rwanda.
He visits the country on a yearly basis, touring churches and trying to support local prostitutes, many of whom are infected with HIV and Aids.
Dama, who is originally from the Congo, said: "I go there to help them, to teach them, and empower them with skills to succeed in life. Now we are trying to raise money to establish a project for them."
The money Dama hopes to raise from selling his CDs will go towards buying land in Rwanda that can be used to create farming space and a chicken run for women to work on, instead of turning to prostitution.
Dama, of Fishponds Road West, Woodthorpe, believes the sustainable farming will help change the lives of the girls forever.
He came to Britain from the Congo in 1995 and spent seven years in London before moving to Doncaster to attend college. Yvonne Hellewell, of Greenhill Avenue in Hellaby, Rotherham, met Dama through his work at Maltby Baptist Church and is the treasurer of Dama's fundraising campaign.
She said: "All the women Dama is helping were victims of the Rwanda massacre which left no work, so they turn to prostitution. He wants to provide better work for them."
The CD is a mixture of gospel and R&B and features talented musicians Dama found in Rwanda. The album was recorded in Rwanda and finished in the UK.
Dama, a dad-of-two, now needs help in duplicating the CD, selling it, and raising more funds.
He said: "I need at least £2,500 to release the minimum of 5,000 CDs. They will really help me to start raising enough money. When I left Rwanda there were 32 women in their 20s needing help."
He has set up a website about his work at
www.shalomafrica.org and can be contacted on 07876 128 794.
What do you think? Add your comment below.Main news index
The full article contains 364 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.