Artisans 1-10
My name is Herbert, and I live in the village of Kapsabet with my wife and five children. I am a pastor, but, because we live in a poor area, we struggle as a family to make ends meet. I used to wonder how my children would get the education that they needed, because I could not afford to put them in school, but now I have an answer. I am making business envelops for the Paper Project, and now my children are in school. Now, I can make paper in the mornings and minister to the congregation in the afternoons. God is good, and I praise Him for this project.
There are many days that my life has been difficult, because I cannot provide for my children. However, I believe that those days are now coming to an end. My name is Judit Chavela. I am from the Luhya tribe and a leader in the Free Methodist church. My six children are now able to attend school because of the Paper Project. I am making business envelopes and enjoy my work. Thank you for your assistance to me and my family.
Elizabeth is from the Kalenjin tribe in Kenya, she is a 46-year-old, single mother of one. Elizabeth lives in Eldoret, Kenya. She runs a pre-school as a ministry from her home. This project will help her to pay the school fees for her daughter and also to help reach more children through her ministry. Elizabeth has no other source of income. She quit her teaching job to serve the lord through her ministry. She says she is now living by faith. Elizabeth has an artificial hip from a car accident in 1995. She said it is hard for her to bend and to walk long distances thus limiting her to what she can do to generate an income.
Life is often hard when I know that I can’t provide for my family, but it is my prayer that those days are in the past. My name is Isaack, I have a wife and three children, and we live in the city of Nairobi. I am a pastor of the Free Methodist church, but, because I pastor a poor area, I do not have a source of income…until now. I have been trained to make business envelopes, and I am using this income to provide my children with an education as well as to buy them new clothes occasionally. Thank you for your help in seeing that my family moves forward.
Jambo! My name is Romana Samoei, and I live in Chebaiywa village in Kenya. Thank you for helping my family and being interested in my life. I am from the Kalenjin tribe, and I am saved. My husband passed away suddenly in 1994, leaving me with my 11 children to take care of. Since that time, it has been difficult to have the means to provide for my family’s needs, but God has been faithful. I live in a grass-thatched roof hut with no electricity, running water or telephone. Although I just began making envelopes last month, the income that I am receiving is allowing me to provide for my family’s basic needs, and I am able to contribute more to the church! I still depend on maize production and poultry-rearing to provide the income for my family, but papermaking is supplementing the other necessities that we have in order to live! Thank you for helping my family and sharing in life’s joys and struggles!
Being the husband and father in the house, I have a high responsibility to provide for my family. My name is Abraham Chumo, I am married with four sons. We live in the village of Chebaiywa in a small home with a grass-thatched roof. Until I joined the Alcoholics Anonymous group, I used to daily drink alcohol. Since joining the AA group, God has saved me from that life and has blessed me abundantly. I am now making envelopes for the Paper Project, and I have been selected as one of the managers for the project. I take pride in my work, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to now provide my family with an income.
I have always desired to use the creativity that God has given me to help my family, but I have never known how. My name is Zibia, I am from the Luhya tribe, and I live with my husband and four children in the village of Musudzu. In the beginning of 2002, I was trained to make business envelopes from recycled paper, and this has really helped my family, and I am able to use my creativity to help my family. The Paper Project has moved my life forward, and I am thankful for the opportunity I have to work hard for my family.
Do you ever worry about where the funds will come from in order to pay for the next meal that you are to provide for your family? My name is Nuru, I’m married and a mother of three children, and this is a common struggle for me. I live in the village of Chebaiywa in a grass-thatched roof with no electricity or running water. Although we have little, God continues to provide. God’s provision has been seen as I make envelopes for the Paper Project. The income that I receive from making envelopes is allowing me to pay for my children to go to school, for my family’s food and to pay for medical bills in case of any emergencies. It’s incredible! Thank you for blessing my life and helping our family break the chains of poverty.