Here’s one for all the accountants out there; a tale of sound finances, forward planning and excellent money management. What’s even better is that it comes from Ethiopia, a country plagued by poverty.
Run by Kale Heywet Church (KHC), the Nazareth Community Development Project is in the business of changing lives. Whether it is physical, emotional, social or spiritual needs, the Tearfund partner gets to the heart of the matter. By setting up self-help groups the project encourages people to discover unexplored potential and trust in their own abilities to change situations for the better.
It all began in 2002. KHC started working in Nazareth with a small group of disempowered people hindered by their sense of insecurity and lack of direction. They encouraged the group to save – a suggestion greeted with doubt and cynicism. How could they save when they had so little already?
Five years later and the group has grown and multiplied many times over. So have their savings, which now total over £30,000. Today, with 146 groups established, there are as many as 20,000 people in just one town who directly benefit from the project.
As well as the savings, there are other headlines worth noting; school attendance has increased and the community has contributed 20% of the building costs of 68 new houses. The families of those members of self-help groups have become stronger and more stable and the social status of women has increased dramatically. What’s more, about 50% of members have voluntarily been tested for HIV in an attempt to encourage other community members to follow suit.
Everyday miracles: sometimes all it takes is hard work and commitment.