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Key Person: Bob Abdalla
Recently Nairobi has seen increased political unrest, with many lives being lost and businesses unable to open in the slums and Kisumu. Bob has said that the opposition party are demonstrating every Monday and Thursday.
This project has changed slightly from setting up a small business for eight women to running sewing and embroidery courses. The courses run for six months and the women receive a sewing machine at the end of the course.
The women have also started up a ‘merry-go-round’ loan programme where they all meet up once a month and contribute to one woman and then another woman benefits the next month.
Achieng is a widow with four children. She had lost hope in living after they were chased away from their home by those accusing her of killing her husband. Bob met her while preaching in the slums. She received Christ in her heart and they helped her get a tin house and she started a tailoring shop. By God's grace it is doing well, she runs it and she is able to feed her children who are also now attending school.
Monica is an elderly grandmother of six children. Her son and his wife both passed away tragically. Bob was able to help her establish a shop selling second hand clothes and embroidery table cloths. It has been going well with her and she was able to recruit other women in selling this product. We praise the Lord as two of her grandchildren are now going to high school.
This project has brought together the less fortunate women and they are excited that they are also valued in the community. Many have come to know the Lord and have joined to serve in their respective churches as well. Many are seeing changes, and they are excited for the great help being done to the women. They desire to live for the Lord who has shown mercy through BHW.
One challenge with the merry-go-round programme is when onewomen chooses to not participate.
The political unrest is a challenge as the women are unable to open their business on the days the opposition party is demonstrating. It is becoming unsafe.
The rising cost of living is also a major issue as the increase in the cost of the materials is decreasing the profit margins.
Last year the women struggled to make a profit due to frequent illness and the rising living costs.
1) The women are able to feed themselves and their families, take their children to school and make minor repairs to their tin houses with their incomes.
2) The initiative the women have taken to start up the ‘merry-go-round’ loan programme
We will be visiting Kenya in September and will review the impact of these sewing and embroidery courses before making a decision whether to continue funding these into the future.