Despite having vast resources, Ukraine continues to have the lowest income per household in Europe. Low paying jobs and poor churches continue to be a major limiting factor for Ukraine to send missionaries and for potential missionaries to join OM Ukraine.
The good news is that there are signs that things are beginning to change. Slowly (and hopefully surely) the combined effect of long overdue reforms, the will of the Ukrainians people for pushing for a better life and pressure resulting from participation in international programmes are putting pressure on corruption and cleptocracy. We are hoping to capitalize on this situation to generate income for our field, ministries and workers.
In 2000, when Wayne Zschech (OM Missionary from Australia) took over as pastor of a small little church in Kaharlyk (about 80km south from Kiev, Ukraine), he inherited a church that seemed at the time like it had 100% unemployment amongst it members. Since 2003, Wayne has started multiple job creation projects. With each passing year, he has become more and more convinced that there must be innovative technologies that already exist and which, in the hands of mission-minded Christians could not only change the world but be duplicable to finance Christian endeavours the world especially to where we plan to send future OMers.
2017 Opening a new direction: By utilizing recent amendments to the laws in Ukraine concerning the generation of electricity from renewable sources in particular solar, we plan to install solar PV systems and to create sustainable passive income for our mission, ministries and workers.