How do you measure empowerment? One powerful action taken this year by young people in the Zoe Empowers Kenya program reveals what true empowerment means to ZOE.
The orphans and vulnerable children in ZOE’s three-year empowerment program spoke with ZOE’s local staff saying, “We are amazed at how generous people helped us have a chance at life. Can we also give so that more orphans will have the same chance?”
The local staff members in Kenya were surprised. Even though Zoe Empowers has a different approach through empowering orphans to help themselves, it had not occurred to the staff that these young people, who only a few years ago were starving and sometimes homeless, would become donors.
At the children’s request, Zoe Empowers staff organized a ‘Thanksgiving’ event where 510 current participants and past graduates gathered to give thanks for what God has done in their lives. At the event, they donated over $7,100 to help more orphans enter the program! The staff members were stunned. The politicians and local leaders were stunned. No one had ever heard of a mission project where the orphans themselves became donors to the program.
Reegan, Zoe Empowers Chief Program Officer shared, “It’s incredible to see how happy the children were. One child told me that he gave money to reach out to the needy because someone from somewhere reached out to him.”
Fridah, a first-year member of the Neema Kawene group, contributed $20. She had been the recipient of a house through a micro-grant from Zoe Empowers and she shared how happy she was for the opportunity to support another homeless orphan to have a place to sleep.
Anisia, a second-year member of the Winners Gituampiu group, gave her donation and expressed how grateful she was to have been supported by ZOE. She no longer toils in farms owned by other people because has her own business. Anisia is thankful to know that another orphan living in extreme poverty will be able to start a business.
Foida, who is a member of the Faith Akui group, currently runs a successful shop.She understands the challenges of being orphaned and poor because she was once a young caregiver without a stable source of income. She gave her donation to reach out to an orphan who may be in a similar situation of desperate need.
This opportunity to give back is priceless to these young people. They have regained a sense of lost dignity through the opportunity to help make dreams come true for others.
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