The donations collected by branches in honour of Lady Day and the monies raised through the sale of Make a Mother’s Day Cards travel far and wide in support of Mothers’ Union programs around the world.
Two such programs are the Mothers’ Union Literacy and Financial Education (LFEP) and the Savings and Credit Groups. These programs empower women to seek business success. There are many stories to tell as a result of these programs. Jane Sida’s tea stall in South Sudan is one of those stories…
Jane has three children aged five, three and one. When her husband left, she had no income and did not know how to manage. She was scared that she would not be able to provide for her children and struggled to buy food.
Beginning in 2010, Jane was part of the Mothers’ Union Literacy and Financial Education Program (LFEP) in South Sudan. The LFEP empowers women to learn business skills and become entrepreneurs, increase their families’ well-being, and become self-reliant.
Jane was accredited literate and, as a result, she and other community members in a local Unity group formed the Village Savings and Loan Association that is supported by Mothers’ Union. Members of this association save together, support each other and offer small loans to one another to start micro businesses. They also learn business skills, and the group facilitators use Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools to challenge the participants’ attitudes to fatalism, poverty and dependency. Jane’s fellow Unity group members supported her and prayed for her. This helped give Jane the confidence to learn the business skills she needed.
Through her membership in literacy and savings groups run by Mothers’ Union, Jane Sida managed to set up a successful tea stall and support her children after her husband left her.
Jane took a loan of SSP 10,000 (about $45) to start a tea stall. She learned through business skills training that she should survey potential customers, to identify and prioritise people’s needs. Jane sells spiced black tea, hibiscus tea and coffee. Each week, she makes a profit of about SSP 6,000 ($25). Half of this profit feeds her children, whom she now feels have more than enough to eat. ‘We are healthy and have enough to eat, due to my income.’ Jane said that she dreams of expanding her business when there is peace in South Sudan.
Being part of her Unity group and their fellowship has made Jane read the Bible more often. As a result, Jane said she feels closer to Jesus. Since her neighbours have seen her struggle and emerge from poverty and now able to provide for her family, they will come and share their burdens with her, so she can pray for and encourage them.
Locally Mothers’ Union is involved in and supports many different projects. This one story is an example of how, as the last line of the Mothers’ Union prayer says, we “…reach out as your (God’s) hands across the world.”
Submitted by Mary Stone with material from the Mothers’ Union Connected magazine, Spring 2021
