Grace & Light’s first retail outlet, a charity shop selling second hand goods, has opened at our headquarters site in Jos.

The building was dedicated during our 2016 annual conference and is now providing regular income that is helping to fund both ongoing HIV/AIDS outreach activities and future construction projects on the site.

Income is predominantly from sales of books donated by the UK charity Book Aid – bookshelves line much of the shop and are stacked with books for sale.

The shop also has used clothes, shoes, kitchen utensils and other household items donated by supporters in Nigeria. These items are proving popular with local people who would not otherwise be able to afford them.

Opening hours are Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm. Kefas Usman, Solomon Ibrahim and Cindy John work in the shop full time serving customers, sorting and pricing donations, cleaning and providing security when the shop is closed.

Revenues are being used to fund test kits, support for people who are HIV positive and home-based care. Some has also been earmarked for plans to strengthen the perimeter wall around the headquarters site and for future building projects.

International coordinator Tassie Ghata said that the response in Jos has been positive. “We are piloting the Western concept of charity shops in Nigeria. Local people are supportive and visit when they hear, via word of mouth, that new things have been donated. Both books and household goods are popular.”

The team would like more regular donations from within Nigeria and overseas. Contact your country representative if you have items and clothing you are willing to donate.

Tassie and the team will also be trialling the Western concept of volunteer staff members and inviting local supporters to donate their time for a morning or afternoon one day a week and work alongside Kefas, Solomon and Cindy in the shop. Contact Tassie Ghata for more information at tassie.ghata@graceandlight.org.

Charity shop team: Solomon Ibrahim, Cindy John and Kefas Usman