Dear friends,
I hope you received a letter in the mail recently sharing a story about a single mom named Amer from South Sudan. If you haven’t read the letter yet, you can find out more about Amer below. Because of you, Amer is filled with hope that she can survive even during a global pandemic.
We rejoice that Amer is able to feed her children through this crisis. However, we remain deeply concerned for communities in eastern Africa where accessible health care is dangerously limited. Also, in these regions of extreme poverty that rely on the day-to-day life of a cash economy, one day lost at the market quickly translates to no meals on the table. The work of Five Talents is more important than ever now, and your partnership is at the heart of our work.
One of our local trainers tells us she is preparing for a significant increase in the demand to form new savings groups in her region as people see their neighbors’ businesses bouncing back faster as a result of belonging to a Five Talents Group. These savings groups are a lifeline for our members.
We train our members to plan ahead for times like these - and in that spirit, we ask you to consider a monthly gift to Five Talents to help us plan ahead in these extraordinary times. Monthly support helps us wisely steward our programs to make a lasting impact.
$20 per month can provide training for two entrepreneurs to join a savings group, to access financial training for their business, and most important, to provide for their families at this most critical time. We ask this knowing that some in our communities are also facing financial challenges and have to make difficult decisions about their giving. Whatever the amount, every gift makes a difference that uplifts men, women, and children living in dire circumstances.
In a time where so much of our activities have been limited, this is something you can act on today at www.fivetalents.org/donate. Or give us a call at 703-472-7679 to set up your monthly support. Thank you for your partnership to love and care for those in great need!
With heartfelt gratitude,
Dale Stanton-Hoyle,
Executive Director
Amer a single mom from South Sudan shared, “I am a widow and a mother of four children. My only hope for living during these hard times is our savings group. I get loans from my group (although meetings were temporary suspended). I use this loan to do a small business to feed my family. I am lucky that I joined this saving group. The few weeks we closed business and we stayed home, most of the people who were not in any group spent all their capital and they can’t come back to business. I am lucky that my group has advanced money for me to continue with the business.”