Giving a Handup

We are glad that the families in Emganwini have stared a revolving fund project that allows individuals to borrow money and use it to start or grow a small homebased business. These are the families that were relying on the Care Baskets that we were helping them with. We all realized that they could not live a life depending on handouts. We helped them set up a small fund where they take turns to borrow from so that they can build a small homebased business. We started with a group of seven families and gave them seed money of only USD100. This is actually turning to be a big hand up!

 Representatives from the families meet once a week, on a Saturday to exchange ideas and to encourage each other. Some of the business ventures that they are involved in include buying and selling used cooking oil, buying and selling firewood, buying and selling mopane worms and buying and selling vegetables. Now that they have started these small businesses, they will need coaching and mentoring in doing good business practices like maintaining records etc.  

 When they come together, they also take time to do a bible study using the Discovery Bible Study Method, where they have guided questions that help them dig deeper into the Word of God and discover the truths of God’s word for themselves. We have encouraged them to go back home and lead their families to do the same study.  They call their Group Abalamdeli Baka Jehova which means Followers of God. They say their name reminds them that while they are building their livelihoods, they are still disciples of Christ.

 There are several other families that are eager to start similar projects.