Moureen was left with no land and no means of supporting herself and her six children after her husband died. Having nowhere to turn, she ran to her church, where she joined a Savings Group and learned how to start her first business. 

Now, she has many businesses. In her store, she sells cereals, cassava chips, cooking oil, tomatoes, silver fish, onions, milk, and cabbage along with mandazi (donuts) that she makes herself. She also runs a charcoal briquette business, and cultivates eight acres of crops including groundnut, maize, and soybeans. Her business ventures enabled her to send her children to school, and all of her children are active in her businesses. 

Moureen tells us: Without this group, I may be dead. My children would have gone to other districts or become street kids. The children could not have been educated. Why am I in a group? It is where I share the word of God. It has encouraged me that I am in Christ! 

When my husband died, I reflected and said ‘How will I support myself, just a mere woman?’ So I ran to the church. I did self-reflection, concluding, ‘now I must do something so I can feed these children! God has given me the strength and the brain. I must use this to do something for my children and grandchildren.’ 

I read the Book of Proverbs. In 31:10 it says, ‘a noble wife, she works and never gets tired. She gets up early and she looks after her children. She distributes roles and responsibilities for work. She goes to look for land and she buys it. She goes far to look for food for her children.’ I looked at this verse and I decided I should be this woman! 

And so, I started waking up at 4 a.m. I started giving my children roles very early. I get into the car and travel to get what I need. When I come back, I find my children with their money they have earned. One from mandazi, one from selling chips, another one working in the store. We count the money together and we rejoice! We rejoice for what God has provided.

Through her businesses, Moureen has been able to provide for her family, educate her children, and invest in land — and she remains involved in her Savings Group as the group’s treasurer. The key for Moureen has been educating her children. When they are educated, she hopes they can obtain employment and also help provide for their family needs. 

She says: When my energy goes down, they will take on my responsibilities. And when I die, they have somewhere to stay because this is my land. I am teaching them to use their brains as I have used my brain.