Cathrine Ligard
Cathrine Ligard, together with her husband Vidar Ligard, has pioneered mission work in East Africa since 2006. Together, they founded Safari Mission USA, Inc, a nonprofit mission organization based in Tulsa, OK. After graduating from Rhema Bible Training College in Tulsa, OK, Cathrine Ligard finished her degree in Church Administration at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK. Immediately after graduation, Vidar and Cathrine Ligard moved to Kenya to start their mission work.
Cathrine Ligard is passionate about seeing people’s lives change and for individuals to reach their full potential. Through teaching and practical training, she empowers leaders to become a resource in their society. Besides being a teacher, Cathrine Ligard also oversees the administrative offices and plans most of the large events.
Having grown up in Norway, Cathrine Ligard moved to the USA in her early twenties. Having lived half of her life overseas, Cathrine Ligard has a good understanding of various cultures and cultural differences. One of the classes Cathrine Ligard teaches is cross-cultural ministry. Other classes include people skills, ministry of helps, church history, and leadership.
Personal Notes from Cathrine Ligard:
Africa is a rich country in natural resources. Everywhere I look, I see potential for money. What Africa needs is ethical leadership – people who love their own people and who are working for their own people. There is no reason for Africa to be poor. We need people to believe in themselves, develop their community, fight against corruption, and build their society on the Word of God! It will bring prosperity to Africa like you have never seen it before, and Africa will become world leaders!
There is no right and wrong culture – only different! When people have only been exposed to two different cultures, they will always compare one against the other and they will always favor their own culture. After living in three different cultures, we no longer compare one culture against another, but realize that there are many different cultures and value systems. One is not right and the other is wrong – we are just different and we value different things.
Most people are not willing to do what they have to do in order to get what they really want in life. In order to be successful, it takes hard work, personal growth, and saying no to a lot of opportunities to just have fun. Leaders didn’t get where they are because of luck, they worked hard when everyone else wanted to party or leisure. Those who are diligently working towards a goal will be ahead of others who do not work for it and they will achieve their goals.
All throughout history, we see that individuals who were bold to speak against the popular beliefs were able to be a part of changing history. God is looking for those individuals who dare to believe him and stand up for His Word whether that is popular or not. When Martin Luther nailed the 91 thesis’ on the Wittenburg door, he risked his life in order to stand up for what he believed in. As a result, Northern Europe changed forever, and today that heritage is also the foundation for the North American society.
What Africa needs is not another handout, but rather people who are willing to invest in training the locals how to be good leaders. When the local leaders are able to fix their broken systems, Africa will begin to prosper.
Training leaders in Africa will not produce the most grand or emotionally stirring pictures, but it WILL produce the results that Africa is looking for.
Throwing money at poverty is keeping people in bondage to the giver – the poor will always be looking for the next person who can come and give them money. This is what is currently keeping Africa in poverty. There is a dependency syndrome that plagues Africa that has been created as a result of the magnitude of foreign and humanitarian aid that Africa has received. The solution requires much harder work than handing out money or aid. The solution is changing people’s thinking and empowering the locals through knowledge and training. That is what Safari Mission does – training people through teaching, practical training, and coaching.
Giving poor people money as a solution to their poverty is the most ineffective way to help a poor person. A poor person does not just need food today and shoes this month, they need food EVERY day and shoes all their lives. Teaching them how to become producers in their society so they can create their own income is the only way to get people out of poverty. When you empower them with that knowledge, people will be able to provide for their own need and get out of poverty.
True change in a person’s life comes from within. If you want a person to act differently, they will need to learn how to think differently, talk differently, and prioritize differently. If you want to get a person out of poverty, you need to teach that person how to be a good worker so they can get and keep a good job, how to steward their money wisely, and how to prioritize their life in a way that makes them producers in society.