Even though it was the day of the funeral of the husband of a group member, over 60 women (and one man) met at the church in Lumakanda Village to welcome us with song, testimony, tea, and donuts. These women were all members of the Visionary Women’s Centre in western Kenya, working to gain greater social and economic justice for themselves and all women in their community. When we first arrived, people were still taking tea, and so we waited while they finished eating and dri

Emmanuel’s band bought their instruments with a Manyamula COMSIP Cooperative low-interest loan. They have since paid it back, after playing gigs around the village. “Feel welcome, feel welcome!” The band – with keyboard, a drum kit, and a whole line of singers – sang us into the full meeting hall.  The music, the dancing, the warm smiles certainly made us feel very welcome. Boyd and I settled in to meet and share with the members of the Manyamula COMSIP Cooperative (formerly

The grant reports from the latest cohort of SIA Community Grants and Small Business Fund groups are set to come in later this week! Until I have those stories (of a women’s loan group in Ghana, a technical school in Kenya, and a motorcycle in Malawi) to share with you, I hope you’ll enjoy these SIA-related tidbits to brighten your week: More about grants vs loans Following up on my presentation about grants vs loans last week and a conversation I had with some friends earlier

Here are the top seven moments and photos from my recent trip to the Camps Farthest Out International (CFOI) Camp in Peru. For more about CFOI, please visit their website. Our founder, Del Anderson, was a past President of CFOI and many of our grantees have come through this connection. Opening Ceremony 1. Meeting of Cultures This 5-day camp held in Lima, Peru was an international meeting of over 200 CFOI campers! There were representatives from 20 different countries! As som

Watch this video and be instantly transported to Manyamula Village, Malawi. Boyd and I were greeted with singing, dancing, and testimonies of SIA’s impact in their community. We welcome you to join in on the celebration! *See the transcript below. I am Linly Nkhata, Vice-Treasurer [of the Manyamula Savings and Loans Group]. I come from Sacara Village. I am also thankful for the [Spirit in Action] Small Business Fund and it has assisted me. I started a small grocery. Inside of

My new house is right across the Yale Divinity School and today I joined the community for their daily worship service. The moment the music started I began to get teary-eyed and I remained that way for the whole 30-minute prayer and praise service. I felt so surrounded by power and goodness and I realized how often those feelings come along with music for me. Mark Miller and the Marquand Gospel Choir sang an amazing service filled with joy, gratitude, relinquishment, and eve