True Vineyard Ministries has had
an astonishing year as we continued answering the call of the Bible to serve
widows and abandoned women in Northern Rwanda. God’s healing is evidenced in
their relationships with one another, their children and with Jesus Christ.
The 44 women who currently work
for True Vineyard Ministries create Handspun
Hope, high-quality yarn and products crafted from the wool of our own flock
of Merino sheep. The products are then marketed in the U.S. to socially-responsible
business partners. The women are paid an above fair-wage salary and are provided
with healthcare and school fees for the children under their care. This year,
True Vineyard has assisted in the education of 96 children, by providing tuition,
uniforms and materials. Additionally, the women are offered individual
counseling due to each having varied degrees of loss and suffering from extreme
poverty and ethnic-based violence.
In 2015 we implemented a microfinance
program to encourage the women to dream big and plan for long-term financial
freedom. Our hope is that the ministry can become a springboard for launching
qualified women into their own businesses, while bringing other women into the
fold of transformational employment. For many of our ladies who still suffer
from Post Traumatic Stress due to genocide, HIV and debilitating poverty, this
concept has sometimes been difficult to grasp. However, through these loans, entrepreneurial
leadership is being cultivated among
the first courageous borrowers.
Daphrose, a single mother
employed by True Vineyard, dreamed of owning her own cow and selling milk. In
March she applied for a microfinance loan to purchase her first cow and began
selling milk to her neighbors. Her motivation to be successful has led her to
grow her business to assist in providing milk to a local school.
Thanks to the funds Jacqueline
borrowed from the microfinance program, she bought a piece of land where she is
growing potatoes and beans that she can sell. With her profits she has been
able to repair the roof of her house and purchase beds for her four children.
During 2015 we saw tremendous
progress on our new workspace, Gihunga
Center, in Rwanda. Construction
has continued during the dry seasons as finances have permitted. In approximately
60 days, construction will be completed and the ladies can finally relocate to
their new workspace. The beautiful new center, complete with gazebos and wool-washing
stations, will provide closer proximity to most of the ladies’ homes, allowing
for more quality time with their children. Ample space will also allow us to begin
hiring more impoverished women in need of steady employment.
One of the greatest ways we saw
God advancing our ministry in 2015 was stateside with the relocation of Vineyard Marketplace, our fair-trade African
boutique. Moving into a high-traffic area allowed us to significantly increase
the financial impact to our artisan partners across Africa, comprised mostly of
widows and single mothers. Through Vineyard
Marketplace, we are financially supporting thousands of artisans though the
purchase of ethically-sourced products. Paying fair prices allow these artisans
to feed their families, and in most cases, educate their children.
God has done incredible things
through True Vineyard Ministries throughout 2015. I’ve witnessed lives
transformed, hearts healed and promising futures created for Rwandan mothers
and their children. These critical accomplishments absolutely could not be done
without financially compassionate partners.
As we prepare to move into our
new building and increase the number of widows and abandoned women we employ,
please prayerfully consider partnering with us in 2016 through a monthly widow
sponsorship or year-end gift. Hope is on the rise in Rwanda but we deeply
desire to see more lives transformed. The hope you give when you partner with
us will support innovation, unification, healing, education and health. Please
join us by being a Hope Giver to even
more women in 2016.
On behalf of the Board of
Directors and the entire True Vineyard Ministries team I wish you a very Merry
Christmas. May it truly be a season of hope and peace.
Blessings,
Diana
Wiley
Executive
Director
