Changing Lives Through Savings
The woman who multiplied her income 20x
Meet Kanini
Kanini lives in a small rural village in Kenya with her three children. Only a few years ago, Kanini worked twelve hours a day, six days a week, in an attempt to provide for her family. She performed chores for other families, washed clothes, and even tilled fields in the hot Kenyan sun.
But at the end of the week she only was able to earn approximately two dollars – barely enough to even feed her three children, let alone send them to school.
Little did Kanini know that her life, and the life of her children, would change forever.
One morning, one of Kanini’s neighbours mentioned that she had joined a group at her local church. She explained how they would meet together weekly to save bits of money, and how the group provided her with a way to buy new seeds for her small farm. Before and after each meeting, the group would pray, giving thanks and recognizing that all they had came from God our Father.
Kanini was intrigued, and it didn’t take long until she joined her own Village Savings and Loans group and began to contribute as much as she could each week. After a short time, Kanini was able to take out a small loan from the group to set up a small shop selling fruits, vegetables, and charcoal. As Kanini dedicated her time to learning how to save, her level of income slowly grew. Eventually, she was able to devote herself to the business full time. It transformed her life.
Kanini multiplied her income an astounding 20 times over, earning over $40 a week compared to $2 before! Her children are no longer hungry and she is able to send them to school.
Village Savings groups are quietly revolutionizing the lives of the extreme poor through rural Africa, and are a powerful tool to help the poor escape poverty long term. Instead of handouts, these groups unleash people’s own God-given skills and resources so that they can escape poverty for good.
With its local church partners, Tearfund runs these groups as a part of a holistic approach to help families escape extreme poverty. Run at local churches, and combined with prayer and biblical study, Village Savings groups are transforming the lives of the poor not just physically, but spiritually as well.
Kanini’s life is forever changed by the generosity of donors like you!
