ORIGINAL VISION:

The history of Synergy Initiatives began as a broader vision the Lord gave Dr. John Coors. As the founder and President of Community Uplift Ministries, John and his wife, Sharna, are parents of 10 children—six of whom are adopted.

In 2001, John wanted to find out more about his African child’s roots, so he flew to Nairobi, Kenya. During the flight, he woke up and stared out the window as the plane flew over the Sahara Desert into sub-Saharan Africa. Coors says he looked down and knew that there were millions of people living below, but there were no lights. (One-third of the world’s population has no access to electricity.) Dr. Coors says he felt God invited him to work together with Him in doing something about it. A plan came to mind—the program which is now Circle of Light.

PARTNERING EXPANDING:

In 2002, Community Uplift Ministries was established with a vision to begin the Circle of Light energy program in west Kenya.

However, along with the vision for the Circle of Light lighting and cooking program was an awareness of the connected nature of all economic, social and spiritual needs. Poverty is not a one-issue-problem in the poorest communities of the world. It has many contributing factors that entangle. Therefore, from the outset of his calling, John envisioned different puzzle pieces that would represent various and compounding needs in the underdeveloped world.

Then in 2005, Community Uplift Ministries expanded its programmatic reach with the Children of Hope, children’s home ministry. Drawing upon their life experience of adopting six children, Sharna Coors began forming a ministry that could care for more orphans than she and John could welcome into their own home. Her solution was to help create additional homes where faith, hope and love can be offered to children in Africa. In early 2010, the first Children of Hope children’s home will be open in Kitalale, Kenya.

Finally, in 2007, the Circle of Light program was expanded and retooled into Mozambique. With this move came the opportunity to become even more intensional in connecting the puzzle pieces together by introducing a partnering program that has now formally become known as Synergy Initiatives.

SYNERGY INITIATIVES:

As a fairly young program, Synergy Initiatives is finding its way through the maze of development initiatives and efforts within Mozambique, Kenya and across sub-Saharan Africa. Along the journey there have been many wonderful rewards and frustrating obstacles (along with everything in between). All of which has kept the journey an adventure as we pursue Him homeward.