By Louise and the Dream Team | Director
I want to update you as to the SHG project. We have now reached
So, as you can see KTD196 has been working hard. Your support has given 1,417 ladies and their children a new life, a new hope, a new future. Imagine! Just for a moment how that feels. Not for them, but for you! You have done this through your support of KTD196. You have made a way for these ladies to become financially secure. You should feel very satisfied with yourself.
I want to share a story about Petronela, who is a member of the Witness Self Help Group, which was founded in 2022. She is a single mother of four children (three boys and one girl). Petronela is currently living with her mother and children as she doesn’t have a place of her own yet. Her children are still in school and living with her. Petronela had started a small business selling snacks at a local primary school, which was going well and helped support her family with extra income.
On the week of September 9th, Petronela and her family experienced a tragic event.
While she was selling snacks at a school, she received a call to go back home immediately. When she arrived, she found her house engulfed in flames. Despite the efforts of neighbors using buckets of water to put out the fire, they lost everything, including their 3-bedroom house. The losses included money left from the loan she took from the SHG group, clothes, furniture, and important documents. Thankfully, her 87-year-old mother who is partially blind and deaf was unharmed. Family relatives offered them accommodation after the fire.
When the women in her SHG group learned about the tragedy, they held an emergency meeting to discuss how to help Petronela during this difficult time. Now remember, these ladies are the poorest of the poor. Petronella had just taken a loan of R5,000-00 on Monday the 9th September and hadn’t used all the capital that was given to her by the group.
The group decided to extend her loan period and reassured her not to stress about the loan.
The SHG group also connected Petronela with the ward councilor, who provided them with portable tin roof houses to reside in much like a garden shed. They are slowly recovering most of the things they lost in the fire.
Petronela is grateful for the support shown by the SHG women. She attends the SHG meetings every Monday and sees the group as more than just a social group, but as a family.
Petronela is continuing with her small business selling snacks at a local school and reported that she won’t stop now. Some members of the SHG have even donated food and clothes for her and her children, for which she is very thankful for. Petronela is one of the SHG members who have been chosen to be part of the new Cluster Level Association (CLA).
Her resilience is amazing.
She has hope, because of you.
She has a future, because of you.
Thank you
Louise
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