Norway’s Canvassing Program Closes After 58 Years

The initiative helped hundreds of foreign students earn money for tuition.

October 2, 2023 | Tor Tjeransen, Norwegian Union, for Trans-European Division News

After 58 years of operation, the student literature evangelist program at Norsk Bokforlag, the Norwegian Seventh-day Adventist publishing house, has officially closed its doors. The final colporteur has returned his equipment, marking the end of an era.

For nearly six decades, students from several African countries traveled throughout Norway, diligently selling books on behalf of the publishing house. However, this time-honored tradition has come to an end.

Emotions run deep for Josephat Mobagi from Kenya and his 31 fellow students who participated in this year’s program. Before they return home to continue their studies, they can be seen at the publisher’s premises settling their accounts. While the prospect of reuniting with their families after three months in Norway brings a sense of joy, an underlying sadness permeates the atmosphere. The student program has been an indispensable source of income, enabling many of them to pursue their education.

A Fruitful Summer

The decision to close the program is separate from the students’ efforts. “They are real heroes. It takes enormous self-discipline, mental strength, and trust in God to continue day after day to sell books door-to-door,” leaders commented. In fact, for some colporteurs, this was their best summer.

Josephat Mobagi, an experienced canvasser, reflected, “This has been my best year yet.” He participated in the program every year from 2016 to 2019 but was paused during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, other circumstances prevented his return to Norway. This year, he managed to secure the necessary funds for a flight to Norway and the US$600 visa fee for a student work permit.

“I consider it a tremendous privilege to have been part of this program,” Mobagi remarked. He embraced this final opportunity to make the most of it.

Despite covering Norwegian taxes and expenses for accommodation, moped rentals, fuel, and travel costs, the students return home with substantial earnings. Norway’s salary levels greatly surpass those in their home countries of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, where economic conditions continue to be challenging.

Dickson Kengere, who has a wife and children in Kenya, reveals that the money he earned through the student program supports his studies and medical treatment for his father-in-law, who was diagnosed with leukaemia.

“This program has been an enormous blessing for me and my family,” Dickson, a trained pastor currently studying at Kisii University in Kenya, said. He hopes for another opportunity one day to come to Norway and sell books.

Financial Struggles

While the program generated income for canvassers, the picture for the Norwegian Publishing House was quite different. The publishing house’s accounts have been in the red for several years. In 2017, Norwegian authorities mandated a minimum wage guarantee for the students, which had to be paid by the publishing house regardless of the number of books sold. Unfortunately, this meant that, on occasion, the program operated at a loss, and the deficit had to be picked up by the Norwegian Union.

To mitigate this, the house decided not to print new books for the program in 2022 and 2023, instead focusing on selling existing stock. Despite efforts to make the program profitable, it continued to operate at a loss. With a heavy heart, the Union Executive decided that 2023 would be the final year of the student literature evangelist program.

“It was not justifiable to continue a program where the church had to spend large sums of money to cover deficits. The risk in the program has increased every year, putting other activities and mission projects at risk, so we had to prioritize differently,” Victor Marley, president of the Norwegian Union Conference, said.

A Long-standing Tradition

This marks the end of a tradition that has benefited countless African students and contributed to both the church and society. “We are very pleased that the student literature evangelist programme of the Norwegian Publishing House has been a blessing to so many people in Africa for 58 years,” Jóhann E. Jóhannsson, treasurer of the Norwegian Union Conference, said.

Carlos Tenold, who has overseen the program since 1996, and Terje Wollan Dahl, former director of the Norwegian Publishing House, are helping settle the accounts for the last group of students from Africa. Sadly, it is for the last time.

The mopeds used by the canvassers have been sold, and the warehouse is nearly empty. An era has ended, leaving Tenold and Dahl with heavy hearts.

This story is based on the version posted on the Trans-European Division news site.