Success stories quoted by Ashleigh Tania Joseph – AfricaWorks Regional
February 2010
Anabela is one of our greatest success stories. Anabela was a volunteer for the World Relief HIV/AIDS program since 2003. She was chosen by 20 pastors who’s focus was on caring for the sick and orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Unfortunately being a volunteer meant she earned no real income. In 2007 through our partnership with World Relief Anabela was introduced to the poultry business and was economically empowered through a loan from AfricaWorks. Together with the AfricaWorks poultry development program, Anabela’s new found business savvy took her from being unemployed, to owning 250 chickens earning around US$50 per month, to now owning a depot for chicken supplies. She now earns around US$1000 per cycle (60 days). She accomplished this all in the space of 3 years.
Anabela distributing chicken feed from the container she uses as her storage facility for her business.
Anabela cares for 5 sick HIV/AIDS people, and 11 orphans. She ensures the provision of 6 essential services to orphans, health, safety & security, education, food & nutrition, psychosocial support and civil rights and responsibilities. Anabela has also mobilized 30 volunteers for whom she also supplies their chicken businesses with inputs and technical support. These volunteers help 180 orphaned children.
Today those 20 pastors focus has snow balled. Not only can Anabela provide for her own family but she continues caring for the sick and orphaned and has mobilized more people to press towards assisting those in need
May 2009
Piedade is one of our many success stories. She represents a perfect example of the growth we at AfricaWorks strive towards. Piedade is 43 years old and a volunteer in the World Relief HIV/AIDS program. She has been with AfricaWorks since 2007. Piedade has positively shown great capacity, so much so, Africa-Works decided to promote Piedade giving her one of her very own chicken houses, as well as another in partnership with another client. Each of these houses consists of 300 chickens. Prior to this, she was working with 3 clients in one chicken house.
Piedade also displayed great business potential and thus was also awarded the opportunity to start her own animal feed business from which she supplies all other AfricaWorks clients in the area. With her new found business savvy, Piedade has expanded outside of her projects with AfricaWorks, using her profits to begin her own brick making business.
Piedade is an encouragement to what we at AfricaWorks do. Economic empowerment is only the primary goal; economic growth is what we strive towards.
May 2009
Nhatine is one of our new sites. The land is still filled with bush as can be seen in the insert. The channels have been dug and a new pump just installed.
I was so moved by my travel to Nhatine, there was such a great spirit of joyfulness and excitement amongst the farmers. I watched as they cleared the ground around the new pump whilst singing and dancing.
I had the opportunity of speaking to the vice president of the association Dancille Ngombe who had this to say:
[I got involved with this project because I was hungry, my family was suffering… I am very happy with AfricaWorks and the job they started… We were suffering without a pump and we didn't know what to do… we are very very happy, we will never suffer from hunger anymore… I am starting to develop in my life now, I cannot suffer anymore]
We are encouraged and waiting to see the progress in Nhatine and looking forward to expanding in similar ways in other areas.
February 2009
Anastacia Bombi, is a mother of 4 children who currently has a chicken house in Xai-Xai. She explained to us:
[The money we are getting from our chicken project has helped buy soap to keep us clean, we have been able to buy books for our children for school, and we don't have to borrow from people if we need to go to the hospital…. The whole community is benefitting too, because now they have access to chickens close to their homes]
February 2009
Fernando Joao Chauque has 8 children of his own and helps and supports the sick and orphaned by HIV/AIDS. He lives in Guija and is involved in crop production. He explained:
[What we are producing now, we are able to help the sick people and orphaned with… this makes us very happy because before we were not able to help the sick and orphaned as much…]
He continued:
[The projects came at just the right time because it is dry everywhere… it was an amazing thing to happen in this town because many people did not have anything to eat… and the orphans have benefitted from it as well]
February 2009
Carmoni Joao Saveca is a 51 year old man with 10 children and is in the micro-credit program. Carmoni told us how the loans for AfricaWorks have helped him:
Before I had nothing in my life… I then started working with AfricaWorks… I have seen a
lot of change in my life because before I could not get the goods to sell... But now I can help my family… now I have also been able to buy blocks to start building myself a house… I can buy food and other things we need and put my children in school now.]
Carmoni told us that he now has one child in standard twelve whom he is very proud of. He also now has his own shop with enough goods to fill it with and feels assured knowing that if he needs a loan, he can always rely on the services of AfricaWorks.
