Meet the Women of Project Biashara: Mary Muthoni

Project Biashara (“business” in Swahili) is one of the primary ministries of New Hope Initiative in the slum of Kibera, in Nairobi, Kenya. The project grants micro-loans to women to provide capital in starting small businesses. These businesses range from selling produce, to making jewelry, to even starting hair salons. There are about 50 women involved with Project Biashara and they are now able to better support their families and raise their children. Mary Muthoni is one of the many women involved with Project Biashara. She is 65 and has eight children (Thiongo, Wambua, Mburu, Wajiuru, Njoronge, Njau, Nyokabi, Ngathoni, and Wairinu (passed away)) and four grandchildren (Joyce, Dennis, Pauline, and Brian). She sells sweet potatoes and casaba for her business.

Through Project Biashara, Mary uses her profits to cover rent, purchase clothes and food, help pay for her children’s school fees, and cover the costs for her diabetes medication.* Her business also allows her to spread God’s love throughout the community. As a Christian businesswoman, she is a positive role model for the community and is now able to tithe and give offerings to her church. Project Biashara is truly a blessing in Mary’s life, but it does not mean that life is without its difficulties.

When the economic crisis hit in the United States just a couple of years ago, the entire world felt the impact. The devaluation of the Kenyan currency through massive inflation has led to a much higher cost of living throughout the country. This change is magnified in regions like Kibera, making it difficult for Mary to sell her produce. As a result, it is more challenging for her to purchase the essentials that she needs.

Regardless of the current challenges in her life, Mary is very grateful for Project Biashara and everything God has done in her life since she first came to Christ 10 years ago. She asks that you keep her and her family in your prayers. Please pray that her diabetes stabilizes and for overall better health. Also, pray for her children and grandchildren, that they would receive clothes and the school fees needed to further their education and pave their way out of poverty. Lastly, pray that God opens doors for her business and her witness. God is more powerful than a difficult economic time and Mary knows that He will continue to work wonders in her life.

* At the time of the interview with Mary, she and many other women had to pay for their medications. Since most of the medications were imported from other nations, the cost was quite expensive. Mary often had to choose between purchasing her medication or food. If she took her medication without food and on an empty stomach, she would get sick. However, if she didn’t take her medicine, her diabetic symptoms worsen. Now, as a result of your support, New Hope Initiative is able to provide the medication for women like Mary. She will not have to make a decision between medicine or food in the future.

By Michael Holmes

A Word From The Directors

We are just finishing our very busy summer travel season and have had the pleasure of hosting 10 teams since late May! Every group has brought something special to the table and we have seen the work progress in nearly every facet of ministry. I am always amazed at the incredible heart, passion, and talents of the ministry partners God sends us. These trips are more than just mission vacations, but are vital to the ongoing work of New Hope Initiative. Without question our greatest tool in expanding the work of NHI is our short - term exposure experiences. The vast majority of our trips are group-specific trips where a church, school, or other organization brings a team from a single entity. However, in January we are going to have two open enrollments trips to Africa. From January 8 to 17, 2013 we will open enrollment for a trip going to the Kibera Slum of Nairobi, Kenya. The second trip will be to our NHI orphanage in Sierra Leone West Africa. This trip will be from January 17 to January 27, 2013. Both of these trips will be life-changing experiences. If you are interested in more details, contact Sandy Baird at s.baird@newhopeinitiative.org.

By Sandy and Karen Baird - Directors of New Hope Initiative

Construction Boom

During the past few weeks, two New Hope Initiative projects in East Africa saw construction of vital facilities accelerate at an incredible pace. We are currently about 60% complete on a large new wing for our medical center in Arusha, Tanzania. This new wing will house the very first charitable x-ray service in all of northern Tanzania. In addition to the x-ray facilities, the second level of our new building will also house an expanded lab and diagnostic section. This allows us to offer a greater range of services at much faster speeds. When we move the lab from its current position in the main wing, we will have the space to add a third doctor, increasing our capacity to see more patients on a daily basis. This is an exciting new development for our medical center and will double our usable square footage. We would ask you to pray for this project, as we are currently about $25,000 dollars short of the needed funds to bring the project to a timely completion.

Our second major project this summer is the completion of our new church construction in Kibera. The facility was under roof and usable last fall, however code restrictions in Nairobi have prevented the Kibera congregation from fully utilizing the building. This summer we added flooring, finished carpentry, painted, installed a septic system, and finished the Pastor's housing in the basement. The facility is now 90% complete and we are excited to report that the Kibera church is now using the facility on a weekly basis. We are thankful for the help that several of our summer teams brought to this project. It is exciting to see the ministries in both Arusha and Kibera going forward in these tangible and visible ways.

By Sandy Baird - Director of New Hope Initiative

A Little Girl Named Irene

Irene has lived her entire 12 years in a small village in northern Tanzania. Her community is rurally poor, however her family provides a loving and happy environment for young Irene.  When her health began to rapidly decline in June, the tranquility of Irene's family shattered. Her mother took her to a local clinic, but their lack of expertise and her family's financial situation prevented her from receiving the required treatment. As Irene's strength continued to fade, her mother became increasingly desperate, fearing for her little girl's life.  She made the decision to try a clinic 2.5 hours away in Arusha where, according to the talk, the facilities and staff were excellent and where you could be treated even if your financial resources were meager. Irene and her mom took the arduous bus journey, made even more difficult by her severely weakened condition. They arrived at New Hope Initiative’s Clinic in the Olorien neighborhood of Arusha, where she saw Dr. Byemba and his staff immediately. Following in-house blood work, she was diagnosed with malaria, a urinary tract infection, an amoeba, and an umbilical hernia. The staff gave her mother all the necessary medications and, for the first time in weeks, Irene’s mom was finally confident that her daughter would recover.

Little Irene’s dramatic story was 1 of 134 similar stories that day, of hopeless people receiving a healing touch from the amazing staff of New Hope Initiative’s Medical Clinic. Thank you, ministry partners, for saving little Irene and for making the ending of this difficult story a happy one.

By Sandy Baird - Director of New Hope Initiative

Sierra Leone Update

I-pods, computers, video games, and cell phones; many children in the U.S. are continually looking for the next great gadget to bring them happiness. How about the children in the Karen Baird’s Children Home in Sierra Leone? What brings them overwhelming joy? Bibles. That’s right, God’s Word. The children have been longing for their very own Bibles since I first met them four years ago. These children have seen their world and lives transformed because of the love of God. They have seen and interacted with multiple missionary groups that have come in the name of Christ to help them develop both physically and spiritually. As my pastor says, “The Bible is not for information only, but for transformation through application.” The children have had their lives transformed, but I pray that with their own Bibles they will learn more, apply it to their lives, and grow spiritually. Pastor Rogers and his staff are determined to see these children become the Christian leaders that their country needs in order to spread the Gospel. They know that God can accomplish all things and He has a plan for them. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). I would like to thank Grace Community Church in Texas for raising the funding required to provide the children with Bibles.

The rainy season has descended upon Sierra Leone. With an average of 19 feet of rain a year; the rains are both a blessing and a hindrance. The rains are welcomed for the farming projects Pastor Rogers has implemented. With four more acres cleared and planted, the rains will ensure that the crops take root. We’ve planted a second crop of cassava and potatoes, as well as ground nuts (similar to peanuts) and leaf vegetables. The first harvest of cassava has begun and the processing of the root. All the children assist with clearing, planting, and weeding.

The rains have halted the progress of the Pig Project. We began production of mud blocks for the structure, but the rains prevented the blocks from drying properly, and in some cases washed them away completely. While initially disappointing, the delay will allow an architect in Massachusetts to finish researching, designing, and shipping the plans of a proper structure to Pastor Rogers. He and his staff are also able to learn more about raising pigs from other local farmers and from books that were sent over in March. Despite unexpected challenges, God continues to keep His hand on all the projects at the Home.

The rains also increase the mosquito population. We can expect many of the children to contract malaria. The only protection they have is from bed nets that stifle any breeze that may give them relief from the heat. God willing, the clinic will have the proper medication and an adequate supply.

Please continue to pray for the following: the children and staff of the orphanage, an increase in the monthly support raised for the Home (a minimum of an additional $500 a month is needed to cover the costs of schooling), completion of Pastor Rogers’ house, and success of all the farming projects. Thank you to all who participate in the project and support it financially. God is blessing this project! Hope is realized by the hopeless and the Gospel of Christ is being spread. Check out New Hope Initiative on YouTube to see the work being accomplished.

By Phil d’Entremont - Project Director: Sierra Leone