Women to Women - New Hope International

Women to Women
Women are an important part of any community, whether here in Australia or in a developing
country. When they come together across the oceans it generates some exciting results. A group of
Christian business women in Kampala, Uganda formed the Women of Destiny (WOD) with the aim of
bringing women from the whole community together and assist in empowering them with skills to
generate income. This would help with paying for school fees and generally support the family.
Some of the areas the leaders are mentoring other women are bead making, mushroom growing,
detergent making, rug making, hospitality, breeding pigs and chickens for eggs and meat.
Here in Australia, the Summerland Point Baptist Community church commenced the Women of
Worth (WOW) with the aim of building relationships with women in the community. They also
wanted to look outside themselves and reach out their hands in friendship and support to women in
developing countries. Through NHI, God joined the two together and during 2014 we have seen a
growing and stimulating relationship between the two groups. The WOW group place a Donations
box at each of their monthly meetings. This group, formed predominately of pensioners, has raised
around $3500 in nine months! This is an amazing show of generosity and caring. WOD has
established a Savings and Loans Fund with the donations. The first round of loans have been taken
out by four women from WOD, with three building pigpens and breeding pigs and the fourth raising
egg-laying chickens. Irene, a 16 year old school student, is seen above with her first litter of piglets.
She will gift two piglets to another woman to start her Piggery business as a way of paying back the
Loan and thus helping someone else start a business. We salute their initiative!
In another show of support, their unique paper beads (see below) have been brought to Australia
and sold here for a fair price, with 100% profits returning to these very creative and skilled women.
Mosquito nets and Mamma Packs have also been provided to assist these women with these very
basic needs in their community. Currently we are working with them in developing cloth sanitary
pads in the hope that all the girls in the vocational schools will be able to either machine or hand
sew a set. In time, a business for those with sewing machines and skills may develop.
Women from all walks of life, communities, churches and from all nations are keen to work together
in friendship and support. These relationships bring creativity, encouragement and understanding,
as they explore their potential and possibilities. This is a powerful and wonderful story of reaching
out with the love of Jesus in a spirit of generosity to achieve lasting benefits for many.
Barbara Langford