Fighting poverty
Hey everyone!  Sorry it has been a little while since I have updated my blog.  I have been super busy with all the little projects I am doing.  I have been working hard with Care for Life.  We have hundreds of families that we are working with right now.  I am working on a few big projects to help these families better their financial situation.  I am working with 16 associations that have about 15-25 families each and each association has a saving program.  In Mozambique you can make a lot of money if you have capital to invest in businesses but the problem is everyone in the associations we work with are very poor.  However when you bring 15-25 families together each week saving together after 6 months to a year you will have a decent sum of money that can go into bigger investment opportunities and then everyone who has participated will receive a part of the profit.  Each family has certain saving goals that they make for each week and at the end of the week they give it to the leadership of the association who then deposits the money in the bank.  Also members of the association can take out micro-credit loans to start their small businesses from the group money that is saved and then they have to pay it back with a  small percentage over time.  Anyways this system is amazing because it is all ran by leaders that the association elects amongst themselves.  Last night I had the opportunity to attend an association meeting and they have only had one savings meeting and between the 20 families they have already saved $60!  It may not seem like a lot to an american but that is big money here.  If they can continue saving at that rate of a couple dollars a family per week then within less then a year they will have over $1,000 that they can use to start an association economic project.  With that kind of money they can easily start a business together and help double most of the families monthly income. Anyways long story short I am working on potential economic projects that the associations can do that will be extremely profitable for them.
Also I am doing some of my own business ventures here.  I am invested in several smaller scale businesses that will be profitable but the main purpose is to help certain people who have the potential to help others if they were in a better financial position.  Time and time again I am blown away by how willing the people are to help one another once they are in a position too.
Poverty here is more extreme than I could have imagined.  I have met several people who are dying right now do to certain ilnesses and would be able to live if they just had the financial capabilities to get medical treatment needed.  The poverty here would break your heart.  It has humbled these people to the point that as soon as they become capable of helping they immediately start helping those around them.  Africans have their weaknesses but they are honestly the most amazing people in the entire world.  They don't worry about many of the dumb things that we worry about as americans  Their goal is to put food on the table for their family and survive.  If they can accomplish these simple things then they are happy and if they accomplish more than that then they immediately start helping those around them who are struggling.  It has been such a good thing for me to be back here and remember whats important in life.  Although I am helping them.....it is nothing in comparison to how much they are helping and teaching me.  They make me want to become a better person and they help me remember what is most important in life.  I love them!  Anyways here are a few photos!  Love you guys!