More updates

Susan, my contact in Kenya, is doing sterling work.
A recent email tells me about progress to date and reveals so much about her vision.
She writes:
 "The sewing ladies are doing well , I have assigned them to help in mentoring the two ladies (Munyazi and Naomi) on record keeping , saving the profits and setting the price of commodities depending on changes of goods in the market. They are now my role models.
I also told them to support each other i.e buy goods and services from each other as a way of promoting our group.

Mrs Bembaji is fairing on well, her boda boda business is doing well ,its income is ksh 2,000/= per week, she now has ksh 20,000/= in her bank account. She can now go to the bank alone and deposit money something that she had not done in her life, she feels empowered with knowledge and financially. her sons are now concentrating on studies and no longer go out to sell water as they used to do in the past to feed their families. they look clean ,healthy and well kept.

The sewing ladies are now looking for order to stitch clothes for people with family functions who want to dress in clothes that look similar .this has boosted them over the school holidays and it has also kept them busy."

There is so much to love in this.
The fact that the first group of ladies are now being used as "role models".
The initiative in using these ladies to mentor the newest business set-ups.
Susan's encouragement of all of these ladies to use each other for goods and services - another way of supporting each other.
The fact that she has enabled Mrs Bembaji (who set up the first boda boda business) to run her own finances, and that Susan can appreciate the change in Mrs Bembaji in being able to manage her own finances.
The fact that the sewing ladies are constantly looking for new business opportunities and doing so increasingly independently.

This is all so good.

Poverty to potential

The latest business to be set up belongs to the Mwambire family.

.They live in Barawa village in Utange and have 10 children. Mrs Mwambire is currently pregnant again. 

 Kache is 39 years old and  married to Erick  who is 48yrs old.  Kache is a house wife while Erick is a casual laborer. They have ten children"

Emmanuel is 21 yrs old and a casual laborer

Pendo is 19 and at secondary school.

Tom (17), Davis (14), Gabriel ((12) and Musa (9) are all at Utange Primary school.

Hussein (7), Mercy (5) and Katuma (4) are old enough to be at school but have never attended school.  

Polyne, who is one, is currently the youngest child.

When Susan asked the parents about a business idea .they suggested we buy for them a stone cutting machine for cutting stones at the quarry, a generatorand a starter stock of fuel.  All this will cost less than £500.

Susan has already arranged to meet Mrs. Mwambire on Monday at school together with the headteacher. because her situation is "pathetic".  Susan hopes that she and the head teacher will be able to advise her well. They want Hussein, Mercy and Katuma to join Utange primary next term. 

I have agreed to provide funding for the business and also to buy uniform and shoes for the younger children so that they can start school. 

This is how we change lives, on family at a time.

Star Wars bag

These bags with embroidered panels are always popular.  I love the slogan on this one.

Star Wars fans - get it quickly; it is a one off!