In the News

Sonia Harter Patterson, a 1988 graduate of Chambersburg Area Senior High School, is the new executive director of Five Talents, a growing Christian microenterprise development organization. Patterson, daughter of the Rev. Dr. William Harter, Chambersburg, Pa., and the late Linda Harter, brings 15 years of experience in developing business, non-governmental and community relations in the United States, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. tendered a reception last night for Five Talents International, an organization that offers microcredit programs in developing countries like the Philippines. ...Ambassador Cuisia extolled the work of the organization and support provided by its benefactors for transforming the lives of many poor families in the Philippines and complementing the work of the Aquino Administration in its mandate to create jobs and fight poverty.

The first time April Young traveled to Uganda to host a basic business skills seminar, 600 people showed up. "Women walked 10 miles through the fields," she recalls. "These people are so hungry for this knowledge, they sacrifice time and treasure to come [even though] they are one paycheck away from starvation." Since then, Young has returned to Africa four times as chairperson of Five Talents, a faith-based organization that helps women in developing countries start and operate small businesses.

Mary's song promises that God brings about wondrous reversals in the world: showing favor to the uncredentialed and ignored ("the lowly"); rendering ineffectual the machinations of the arrogant ("scattering the proud in the thoughts of their hearts"); bringing down those who exploit positions of power; lifting up the poor. Reflect on the Occupy Real Estate movement organizing in East New York as you hear the Magnificat sung by this Judean woman who had to shelter in a stable on the night she gave birth. Consider the transformative potential of micro-lending and other empowerment practices supported by Five Talents and other NGOs dedicated to ending poverty.

Step into the shoes of Priscilla, a 52-year-old woman in the new Republic of South Sudan who recently learned to write her name. As a girl, she never had a chance to attend school, and so Priscilla struggled through much of her life seeking sense of purpose and dignity. Twenty-five years of civil war - and countless other factors - had locked her out of a world of opportunity.

Priscilla had almost given up hope. But thanks to a program that combines microfinance and literacy training, she can now read the names and numbers on her cell phone. What's more, she has started a small business – with no financial help at all from her husband.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the number of charities, each devoted to a cause that appears paramount? How do you choose one to dedicate your time and resources to? Cue: Five Talents! Through its use of micro-credit programs, and business initiatives, Five Talents promotes entrepreneurship in communities in Third World countries. It also teaches business skills with the goal that the recipients, over time, will be able to become financially independent.

Five Talents is relieved that the Referendum in January to create the new country of South Sudan was relatively peaceful, and we are moving ahead quickly with the Literacy and Financial Education Program (LFEP) in six Episcopal dioceses in Sudan. The original training was accomplished in September of 2010, and since then there have been nearly 40 groups formed with over 700 members within the six program areas that include Khartoum, Renk, Lainya, Juba, Wau and Malakal.

What sets Five Talents apart from other micro-lending organizations? Among other things, they identify and support indigenous partner organizations that serve their communities with integrity and transparency, and insist on regular reporting and visits to ensure good stewardship of donors’ generosity, making sure the programs in place are effective. They also provide Biblically-based business training to help their clients start small businesses and begin to build their future.

Held in Nairobi, Kenya, last week, the inaugural assembly of the Anglican Alliance for Development, Relief and Advocacy reached a consensus on three immediate mandates.

The conference heard presentations on microfinance from Peterson Kamau of Five Talents, the church's microfinance institution, and Moses Ochieng of the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor, a consortium of donors and development agencies offering basic financial services to people in impoverished countries.