Beyond Stories: Malawi - Hanna Telela
Savings Groups
Hope International believes “families in poverty have the God-given talents and skills to provide for their families.” However, the understanding of saving money and access to banking is not very prevalent in Malawi. Many people live on what they earn day to day and struggle to plan for the future. Northridge happily partners with Hope International to help strengthen families, end poverty, and seek justice in the name of the gospel. Check out this video to learn more about how Hope International helps families in poverty through the local church.
As the video mentioned, Savings Group programs are groups of individuals who save their money together in partnership with the local church. As they build a secure sum of money, members often take out loans from their group to pay for household expenses or invest in businesses. Hanna Telela, a woman in Southern Malawi, found a deeper faith with God through these savings groups after tragedy hit in her life. Her story will be in next week’s email.
Hanna’s Story
Hanna Telela, a woman in southern Malawi was able to find a deeper faith in God with the help of a Savings Group through Hope International. Hanna and her husband lived on the edge of survival, farming the land for much of their lives. Now, nearing their 70’s, they’d hoped to rest, but their daughter tragically died giving birth, and they were suddenly raising their three grandchildren, Rose, Bonwell, and the new baby named Miracle.
Last June, Hanna experienced loss again with the passing of her husband. Without her husband, Hanna felt the full weight of providing for her grandchildren alone. She decided to join Ruth’s Savings Group through her church. Members of the group meet regularly to pray, save monthly, and lend each other small loans as needed.
She and her group worked hard saving every little bit of money they could. Hanna used 70,000 Kwacha (about $87 USD) that she’d saved through her group and bought two 110 lb bags, one of rice and one of beans. She set up a small roadside business to sell goods to passersby and successfully made the income she needed for herself and her family. She no longer needed to rely on physical labor from farming and could remain near her home with the children.
Hanna Telela and her grandson, Miracle
“My life has really changed, and I am at ease, Hanna says, laughing. “Being part of the Savings Group has made me feel free, I am now closer to God because I constantly hear the word of God, which makes me feel good, I know God is in control,” explained Hanna. “I also feel like this because I believe God is the one taking care of these children through the Savings Group,” she added.
Hanna shared, “I feel good about the future because even if I die today, my grandchildren will have something, I have so much from this group including building them a house, I am sure they will be proud that their grandmother loved them.”
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Over 1.7 billion adults worldwide don’t have access to a simple savings account or ways to invest in their small business. Hope International sees the God-given potential in each of these women and men, and we want them to see it, too. As a church, we give to organizations like Hope International that will equip families in poverty with Christ-centered financial services and the hope of the gospel!
