The Church that Shone the Light and Hope of Jesus
After her husband tragically passed, Veronica found light and hope through the local church.
During the hot Tanzanian nights, Veronica Msongo’s three teenaged children squeezed into a small room, legs cramped against each other, the room sticky with sweat.
The four walls of their mud-brick house barely left space for the family to breathe, and when Veronica’s husband tragically passed one December, so did any hopes of a new start.
Veronica was left with no land, no income, and no direction for where to go next.
Their family of five had been scraping by for some time, managing to get through with the little income they had from working rented farmland. But only a month after the tragedy struck, Veronica could no longer afford to send her children to school, let alone feed them.
“I failed, because I was highly dependent on my husband during his life,” Veronica explained. “That’s why soon after his death I was not able to meet some basic needs.” Veronica felt hopeless—how was she supposed to get a job anywhere or start a business if she couldn’t even afford clothing for her children?
Then, two months later, someone in the village approached Veronica and invited her to attend a Village Savings and Loans (VSL) group run through the local church. These groups allow women to save money and take out loans in a safe, trusted community. Being able to take out loans allows people to start businesses, pay for unexpected expenses, and even send their children to school.
For Veronica, it seemed too good to be true. She had spent months hiding her face, weighed down by heavy shame and embarrassment. Attending a large group like this was terrifying—but this group welcomed her with the open arms of Jesus.
Veronica watched as mothers in positions like hers took out loans, started businesses, and fed their children. These women had faces that glowed. They didn’t shy away in embarrassment, but humbly asked for help. Seeing how these lives had been transformed, she took a chance and joined this group, too.
Through this VSL group, named “Good Neighbourhood,” she had the opportunity to make an income through a salt-making group, which she then put toward savings. When she received her first loan, she was able to send her daughter back to school and bought a farm piglet! And miraculously, within only three months, she was able to pay back the loan. Things were starting to look up for Veronica. “I was very disappointed in life after my husband passed away, but I am so grateful now. This program gave me a light and hope”.
As she grew her business, she continued to grow her savings. With the second loan that she took out, she was able to buy the materials to construct a whole new house! And just last year, the house finished its construction and the family of four was able to move in. “I now avoid the embarrassment of my 3 children sharing a single room, and now the house has a living room and three bedrooms,” she shares, face beaming. She never thought that she would be able to build a new house, let alone have enough food to feed her family!
Her life has completely changed. Seeing the radical effects of joining the Village Savings group, she also joined in all the other programs that the church offered through Tearfund’s training. Now, with the two acres of farmland she was able to buy, she practices conservation agriculture techniques. She also has her own kitchen garden, and owns a fuel-saving stove that she adores: “This stove made cooking easier and saved time… Also, there is no longer the challenge of smoke inside the kitchen compared to a traditional stove!”
She is thriving, happy, and forever grateful to the church that brought her in. Now, she has become a program ambassador for the church, helping to start three new VSL groups, and inspiring others to join these activities, too!
Where Veronica once felt the heavy weight of failure and shame, she now enthusiastically tells her story of “light and of hope.”
Tearfund works to bring the light and hope of Jesus to people like Veronica through sustainable, long-term solutions. Will you help transform lives and help people reach their God-given potential with us?
