Small Steps With Big Impact

Ronald Abels is a global(x) long-term missionary currently serving as the mission’s director at a local church in South Africa. He’s also one of the founders of Future Sparks, an NGO (non-governmental organization) that supports students emotionally, spiritually, and academically so they can rise above the inequity they were born into in South Africa.

It’s a big undertaking, but it’s something that’s near and dear to Ron’s heart. Why? Because as a young teen, it’s what he had wished he had. You see, Ron grew up amidst apartheid South Africa where his education and subsequent opportunities were limited by an unjust system that cultivated under-educated, low-wage workers. He was surrounded by drug lords and gangsters, without the slightest clue how to create a future.

Early on, Ron often wondered what his life could have been like if only he had a positive role model to guide him. What different choices could he have made? What if he had known that there were opportunities beyond what he saw in the chaos around him?

An Idea That Sparks Change

Eventually, Ron found Jesus, joined the local church, and befriended a migrant day laborer who wondered the same things about his own life. Together they launched a life skills program with seventh-grade students at a local elementary school. Still, statistically, only 50 percent of these bright-eyed students would likely make it to graduation. And, even for those who did graduate, the barriers to continuing their education (including the one and a half-hour dangerous trek through multiple gang territories to the nearest high school) would eventually become too challenging to continue.

Ron was far from equipped to solve the bigger problem, but he did manage to recruit a like-minded retired teacher who helped them move their efforts forward. They began seeking out, listening to, and learning from organizations in other communities. Between Ron’s dream and the teacher’s expertise, they started Future Sparks. Each week they tutor 140 underserved seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-grade students, expanding the grade levels they serve each year. Their goal is to ease the transition to high school, repair some of their educational deficits, and support them throughout their school careers. They accomplish this with a team of 23 tutors from the local community who serve as mentors, teachers, motivators, and wise counsel.

While Ron may not have had a straight-line path to becoming a community leader, he’s certainly paving the way and serving as a role model for the younger generation. “The inequality found in my beautiful land of South Africa can feel surmounting. But I am finding perhaps the simplest way to tackle injustice is by serving one warm meal, creating one safe space, and solving one math problem at a time.” – Ron Abels