Twenty- two small businesses up and running! Twenty-two women able to provide for their families.

For the past three weeks Reuben, Rehema and myself have been buying and handing out all the essentials for our 22 women to start their small businesses. We have now finished passing out clothes, kitenge, conga, small fish, rice, beans, sugar, chickens, potatoes, cassava, etc. The women have all now officially started up their businesses and everyone is reporting back that they are doing very well.

We will be visiting each women's business once a month for the next year. We want to show our support as well as offer assistance if things are not going well. We are not only helping these women to start businesses but we are going to do everything we can to make sure her business succeeds. In two months  I hope that we can have enough donations to replenish the initial capital of the business and to start every women up with a savings account. That way if the women's business has a bad month she can still afford to feed her family, pay her rent and pay school tuitions.

 We helped 22 women start up businesses and those 22 women are now on their way to being able to support the 100 children and grandchildren they are raising. These 100 children will now be able to attend school and with an education they will then be able to get a good job or start their own business and send their children to school. We started with 22 women but we are hoping that helping these 22 women we can break the cycle of poverty in their families for generations to come.

We could not do any of this without or amazing donors! Thank you for making a difference in these women lives, in their children's lives and helping us to break the cycle!

Naomi (who has been working with Jackline on her brand new sewing machine) with her mothers kitenge for her small business

Naomi's sewing machine and the kitenge she is currently making quilts with.

Olva and her chickens

Stela's daughter with her chickens

Hadija receiving her kitenge

Leonia with her kitenge

At the market buying potatoes

Amina with her potatoes

Salma getting her potatoes

Agnes at the market

 Chicku and Mayassa have started up a small jewelry business. They sell their jewelry to tourists, volunteers and on our Etsy store.

 A chicken coup and chickens for Alfonsia

Chickens and chicken coup for Esta and her family

Stela with her bag of rice

Mama Mary introducing her rooster to her chickens:)

Hadija with her rooster

At the market

Amina with her fish

Mayassa getting her sugar

Hadija with  two of her grandchildren

The women picking out their clothing from all our wonderful clothing donations!

A special thank you from all the women in our Believe in Me Program. Thank you for believing in them, so they could believe in themselves.

Maria, Leonia, Hadija, Zianabu, Anna, Fatuma, Alfonsia, Olva, Nuru, Naomi, Anna Pescari, Stela, Esta, Mayassa, Chiku, Hadija Omari, Agnes, Halima, Amina, Fatuma Ibraheim, Amina Rashidu, Salma, and Halima Ramazani