“By faith we are saved” is not just a Bible verse to Helena. It is a statement of her experiencing a kind of salvation through her Zoe Empowers working group called Faith. Just one year ago, Helena was a young Liberian woman struggling as an impoverished provider for her three younger siblings. Then, along with other young orphans in her village, she was invited to join Faith by community leaders. She didn’t know what to expect, but her life has transformed beyond her wildest dreams.
A school dropout because of her poverty, Helena had few options for supporting her family. She often worked for others for very low wages. Through Zoe Empowers, she received training in business and financial management. Zoe Empowers provided a micro-grant for her to buy kitchen utensils, which she now sells in the market. In only six months, she was transformed from exploited worker to entrepreneur. Now she supports her family’s needs. Last year, Zoe Empowers provided a school uniform for her youngest brother to return to school. This year, Helena will be proud to buy his uniform with her own money.
Additionally, Helena and her family have planted a new variety of cassava (a root vegetable) on their family land. After eating only three times a week, today her family is harvesting an abundance of food and eating nutritious meals every day.
Transformed from poverty and exploitation to productivity and enterprise, Helena found fulfillment of her faith through ZOE. When she leads her group in prayer, her joy is evident to all.