In July 2018, Tearfund Canada CEO Wayne Johnson travelled through Kenya, Rwanda, and Ethiopia. He witnessed God’s love in action through our close partnerships with local churches and on-the-ground organizations, namely Fadhili Trust in Kenya and Terepeza Development Association in Ethiopia.
There, he met face-to-face with women and men whose lives have taken a turn for the better because of Village Savings groups and conservation agriculture, supported by generous people throughout Canada.
Every single person Wayne met already had the strength and determination they needed to transform their own lives—what they lacked was the right opportunities, information, and skills to make the necessary change.
Tearfund’s church partners empower women and men to use what God has already provided to exit poverty, no matter how small it may seem at first glance. Rather than providing handouts, our local partners are showing people how pooling tiny amounts of their own money opens up new possibilities.
Training in resilient agriculture improves food production and protects the soil, and people who were once stuck in generations of poverty are experiencing transformed lives. They now have access to loans, new ideas for cooperating with neighbours, and are multiplying scarce resources to support their families and communities.
When we see tens of thousands of people taking part in savings groups and resilient agriculture – doing business, breaking free from corrupt money lenders, and joining forces with neighbours to improve their communities — we see those excited faces of empowerment from Kenya and Ethiopia echoed.
We thank God for our partnership with you that is making all of this possible.
