May 2026 - Exciting News from AIU!
MAY 2026 AIU Newsletter
Equipping Africa’s next generation of spiritual leaders
5,040 Birds and Counting
AIU’s groundbreaking poultry project is all set to take flight.
It started with a vision for self-sufficiency. Now it's a fully wired, freshly painted poultry facility — and it's ready to go.
After months of construction, AIU's campus layers poultry project is complete. The building has been plastered, painted, and fitted with protective weather coverings. Water and electricity are connected. And inside, 42 modern cage units are installed and waiting — each one built to hold 120 birds, giving the facility a total capacity of 5,040 layers.
That's not the ceiling, either. The layout was designed with room to grow. An additional 21 cage units can still be added down the road, which would push total capacity to 7,560 birds — nearly 50% more than what's already in place.
But the numbers only tell part of the story. For AIU, this project has always been about more than eggs.
“The completed layers poultry project is expected to contribute greatly to our vision of self-sustainability while also serving as a practical learning center for students. Through this initiative, students will gain valuable hands-on experience in poultry production, agriculture, and sustainable farming practices that can positively impact their future ministry and livelihoods.”
Students will use this facility as a hands-on training ground — learning agricultural and business skills that travel with them into ministry and community life long after graduation. For a university committed to forming the whole person, that kind of practical education matters.
The facility is ready. The next step is operation — and we welcome your prayers for wisdom and provision as this new chapter begins.
MARKET EVANGELISM
AIU students bring the gospel to vendors and shoppers at a local marketplace.
On a Friday morning in May, a team of AIU students set up in the middle of Chitemalesa Market and started preaching.
No sanctuary. No sound system. No congregation that came looking for a sermon. Just students, a marketplace full of traders and shoppers, and the gospel.
It was AIU's first foray into marketplace evangelism — and it won't be the last. Several people responded to the message that morning, making decisions to follow Christ. Bibles were distributed to new believers on the spot. Market traders, far from being put off, expressed appreciation for students willing to bring spiritual encouragement into the middle of their workday.
This moment didn't come out of nowhere. AIU has spent years building a practical ministry culture that moves students out of the classroom and into the community. Sunday outreach programs, school ministry, hospital visits, prison ministry — each one designed around a simple conviction: that training ministers means more than filling their heads with theology. It means putting them in front of real people with real needs and trusting them to show up.
The market was simply the next frontier.
“The program was highly impactful. I found the experience both beneficial and spiritually enriching. The outreach was not only profitable to me personally in terms of ministry growth and confidence, but it was also deeply meaningful to the other students who took part. It strengthened our understanding of practical evangelism and increased our passion for sharing the gospel.”
What struck the students most was the openness. People in marketplace settings, it turns out, are often more receptive than expected — and we see that as an invitation to keep going.
Pray for these students as they grow into that calling: for boldness when it's uncomfortable, wisdom in the moment, and a love for people that sustains them long after graduation.
19 little reasons to keep going
AIU’s daycare continues to grow, serving a score of children in a significant way.
On a typical morning at the AIU Daycare, the day doesn't start with a lesson plan or a worksheet. It starts with a song.
By 8 a.m., children are gathered in a welcoming circle — singing together, praying, reading from the Bible, and marking the day on the calendar. It's a simple routine, but it sets the tone for everything that follows: a school day grounded in joy, faith, and the belief that these children matter.
From there, the little ones branch off by age and ability. The youngest are learning to hold a pencil, name their colors, trace a shape. The older kids — from Kindergarten through Grade 3 — are working through math problems, reading in Cinyanja, and building the academic foundations that will carry them forward. Two teachers, Idah and Jeremiah, guide all of it.
The daycare has come a long way since it opened in 2020 with just three students. Today, nineteen children walk through the doors daily — children whose parents have seen real changes in their kids' discipline, development, and love of learning. That kind of growth doesn't happen by accident. It happens because two dedicated teachers keep showing up, even when resources are thin.
And resources are thin. The daycare currently lacks adequate classroom furniture, recreational equipment, teaching materials, and basic educational tools like computers and projectors. Idah and Jeremiah dream of expanding to Grade 7, bringing on more staff, and adapting to their new Zambian curriculum. But right now, one of their most pressing needs is something more foundational: a dedicated budget.
Idah, one of the daycare’s teachers, shared that one of her greatest hopes is that the ministry will eventually receive its own annual budget to support daily operations. At the moment, the lack of dedicated financial resources makes it difficult to fully realize learners' potential and provide the most effective educational experience.
“We are greatly encouraged by the remarkable growth the daycare ministry has experienced over the years. When we started in 2020, we had only three children, but today we have a daily attendance of nineteen learners. Parents have continued to express heartfelt appreciation for the positive impact the daycare is having on their children’s education, discipline, and overall development.”
From three children to nineteen. From a quiet start to a community that keeps growing. The morning circle keeps forming, the songs keep rising, and two teachers keep pouring themselves into the next generation — one school day at a time.
Tools for the called
Year after year, one partner is closing the gap between AIU students and the tools of their trade.
Logos Bible Software has become the standard tool for seminary education in much of the world — a digital library that puts commentaries, language tools, atlases, Bible dictionaries, and theological references at a student's fingertips. For ministry students in the West, it's practically assumed. For seminary students in Zambia, it's a different story. Which is why William Fiess has made a tradition of ensuring each incoming AIU junior class won't go without it.
This trimester, sixteen juniors received the Logos package through Fiess — a longtime friend of AIU who has quietly and consistently invested in the university's students year after year. But he doesn't just hand over the software and walk away. He's currently midway through a ten-week online training program, walking the junior class through how to actually use it — for research papers, sermon prep, biblical interpretation, devotionals, and more.
“The Logos class has helped us tremendously. It has made understanding the Bible and studying Scripture much easier for us. Through the course, we have learned how to use different study tools to conduct deeper biblical research and gain clearer insight into God’s Word. The class has also been very useful in helping us prepare sermons, Bible lessons, devotionals, and research papers with greater confidence and accuracy. It has strengthened our study habits and deepened our appreciation for biblical scholarship.”
Fiess isn't just funding tools. He's showing up — week after week, online, across thousands of miles — to make sure these students know how to use what they've been given. That kind of personal investment is rare, and AIU's junior class is better for it.
As the training wraps up in the coming weeks, please pray for these sixteen students — that what they're learning now would shape the sermons they'll preach, the congregations they'll lead, and the people they'll shepherd for decades to come.
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
GEORGE & NAMWEEBA MUKOBOTO
Poultry Department Supervisor
Soon after graduating from AIU in 2014, George came on staff and has since contributed to several departments. Over the years, he has served as Work Scholarship Supervisor, Transportation and Vehicle Maintenance Supervisor, Outreach Supervisor, AIU Bible Conference Coordinator, and Campus Pastor (2015-24). Through these roles, he has played an important role in supporting both the academic and spiritual life of the university community.
Today, George serves as the Dean of the School of Theology, where he oversees academic progress, supports student learning, and helps ensure that academic programs run effectively. His leadership continues to impact students as they prepare for ministry and Christian service.
Since 2013, George has been married to Namweemba Hichingabula, affectionately known as Nana around campus. Together, they have three children – Michaiah, Michelle, and Michael. Nana also serves faithfully at AIU as the university's bookkeeper. George describes his wife as a loving, supportive, and God-fearing partner, and together they thank God for the blessing of their family.
George completed AIU’s graduate program in 2023 and later earned another master’s degree at Temple Seminary in 2024.
“It is a great privilege to serve, and I am grateful to God and the leadership for the opportunity to serve at AIU. I appreciate and enjoy the teamwork among colleagues and helping students who are struggling. I have learned respect, teamwork, and patience as I serve the Lord and people around me.””
George is grateful to God for the opportunity to serve at AIU and for the impact the university is making in the lives of young people preparing for ministry. Please pray that George and Nana would continue to trust God for guidance, wisdom, and provision as they serve him together.
STudent SPOTLIGHT
PETER JENDA
Freshman
Peter, a 2026 Freshman at AIU, comes from Luangwa Township in Kitwe, Zambia. He was raised by his grandparents as the oldest of nine children. Peter’s life story is one of resilience and faith. Although he faced various personal struggles during his early years, including rejection and loneliness, Peter remained grounded in the Christian values that shaped his upbringing.
At the age of twelve, Peter’s life was changed when he chose to believe the gospel and follow Jesus Christ. Looking back, it’s clear to him that his faith in Christ transformed him into a more loving person and gave him a renewed sense of purpose and identity.
After his conversion, he was eager to deepen his understanding of God’s Word and prepare for ministry. He enrolled at AIU with a vision of becoming better equipped for service in the body of Christ.
“I have greatly benefited from the university’s supportive learning environment and spiritually enriching programs. Courses such as Bible Interpretation, Pauline Epistles, and Computer Basics have enhanced both my academic knowledge and spiritual growth. These studies have strengthened my understanding of Scripture and helped prepare me for future leadership responsibilities.”
Peter aspires to become a spiritual leader and entrepreneur who will positively impact his community and beyond. He remains committed to pursuing his goals with faith and determination, trusting God for guidance and strength every step of the way.
Peter’s story stands as a powerful reminder that Christ transforms lives, through his Word and by the Holy Spirit. Pray with Peter that he would finish his studies well and that the Lord will grant him the ministry he desires.
