Danjuma, Duasala

Duasala Danjuma is an international Global Mission Fellow with the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries, engaged in a two-year term of service.  

The Global Mission Fellows program takes young adults ages 20-30 out of their home environments and places them in new contexts for mission experience and service. The program has a strong emphasis on faith and justice. Global Mission Fellows become active parts of their new local communities. They connect the church in mission across cultural and geographical boundaries. They grow in personal and social holiness and become strong young leaders working to build just communities in a peaceful world. 

Duasala is a member of ATC/Nukkai United Methodist Church, Jalingo, in the Southern Nigeria Annual Conference. He served as children’s ministry vice president, youth Bible study secretary and adult finance committee member. 

He earned Bachelor of Arts and master’s degrees in human rights, peace and development at Africa University, Mutare, Zimbabwe. 

Duasala believes strongly that preaching God’s word cannot be separated from living the preached word. Entering Africa University, he became involved in a social ministry that collected and provided food, clothing and toiletries to orphans, older adults and street children.  

“I served twice as the Volunteers in Mission outreach coordinator,” he recalled. He also worked in reuniting families of people battling drug addiction and participated in designing and implementing intervention programs such as skills acquisition.  

As he completed his undergraduate studies, Duasala became interested in human rights, wondering how he could become an effective activist, “alongside the role of development and peace in the promotion of human rights,” he said. He decided to begin coursework for a master’s degee in human rights, peace and development. 

Next, he sought a way to build and strengthen his advocacy skills in real-life situations and to promote development and peace, which he described as “inevitable factors that allow for the enjoyment and exercise of human rights.” 

Duasala is excited about being a Global Mission Fellow. 

“Serving as a fellow,” he said, “will give me the opportunity to practice activism, especially for street and homeless people, and to offer direct services to them. Becoming a fellow will prepare me for a leadership role, especially [acquiring] professional skills on human rights issues.  

“The world needs leaders who are willing to take practical steps in addressing the ever-increasing social problems facing humanity,” Duasala asserted. “Jesus did not transform the world by feeding people’s spiritual life with the gospel alone. Jesus also transformed the world by speaking against social injustices.” 

Duasala expressed hope that Global Mission Fellows would prepare him as he anticipates “becoming an effective human right defender who works with economically, politically and socially marginalized persons or communities.” 

He strives to follow Isaiah 1:17, NRSVUE: “Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.” He is particularly drawn to fighting structural injustices in terms of oppression, gender-based violence, gender inequality and racism.  

“It is part of my Christian obligation to be an advocate against injustices,” Duasala said.