Our History
In 1998, Rev. Dr. Mfon Archibong traveled to the remote villages of Akwa Ibom State in the country of Nigeria. The poverty in this state was unbelievable – the unemployment rate was as high as 85% in some areas, a spreading AIDS virus (among other diseases) and a contaminated water supply made living conditions something from a nightmare. Families struggled then, and still are struggling now, just to survive. The magnitude of the poverty that confronted volunteers on a daily basis, challenged Rev. Archibong to do more. Helping as a volunteer simply was not enough.
In 2000, the Rev. Dr. Mfon returned with his wife, Mfon (yes, incredibly the couple share the same name), to Akwa Ibom State. Residents welcomed the Archibongs into their huts, where they generously made their visitors feel at home. Hundreds of women told their personal stories of how hard life was, and how they were at great personal risk for being involved in economic self-sufficiency groups where seeds and proceeds are shared.
One night, the Archibongs lay in a small dark hut listening to the wails of these women and their children as they poured out their grief: The grief of a village devastated by poverty, beyond what most of those living in the West can imagine.
Later, the Archibongs visited a school where a hundred children listened to instruction from their places on the dirt floor. This was a pivotal moment where the Archibongs decided they would build long term relationships with these people. Their hearts were struck with the desire to help them rise from poverty once and for all.
While interacting with the residents, taking in their poverty-restricted circumstances and countless other limitations, there came a sincere tug upon their hearts by the Lord: Grace Restoration International, was coming into being.
