Dear Friends,

I was talking with a friend this week about how Five Talents didn’t set out specifically to empower women. We listened 21 years ago to bishops from the global south who asked that we do something tangible to help their congregations who were living in extreme poverty. And so, we set out on this journey of helping those most poor to learn, to save, and to start their own businesses.

A Voice for the Voiceless

We encouraged our partners around the world to open up the programs to both men and women, Christians and non-Christians. And then it happened. Eighty percent of the people who joined were women, many widows, many with six or more children. In their parts of the world, many of these women had “no voice.” No say in the decisions being made within their families or their communities. But many of these women were brave. They were ready to fight for the lives of their children. They wanted a better life for their children than had been possible for themselves.

And to the surprise of many, a lot of the husbands were pleased! One man commented that for years his wife and he had little to talk about. “She spent all her time cooking with our daughters, gathering firewood, and gathering water. But now that she has started a business and goes regularly to the market, I enjoy talking with her at the end of the day about what she has been hearing and what she has seen.”

Skills and Tools for Business Development

Please enjoy this story about Mary, an empowered female entrepreneur from South Sudan. Mary is a great example of a mother who is proud of what she has accomplished, who is more involved in her local church, and who can now can provide a better life for her children.

Also, please join us Wednesday to learn more about women's empowerment through our virtual town hall with Claudette, our Program Coordinator from Burundi. You can register for free by clicking here.

Until next Monday morning,

Dale Stanton-Hoyle,
Executive Director