Sowing Hope continues to live up to its name and mission.
On April 26 the sewing school held a graduation of the 28 students who had studied for 8 months to be able to know how to make basic women’s dresses. This is a huge event with snacks and sodas, singing and dancing and a visit from local authorities.
Sowing Hope, through your gifts, provides part of the cost and the graduates pay part to receive a new treadle sewing machine. This represents a positive opportunity for these precious people to begin to start making money with a skill that corresponds to the needs of the community. Hopefully, they will be able to provide for their families in ways that were not possible before. In this way, together with the team in Burundi, we are sowing hope.
Another graduation for 26 is planned for the 15th of August. Here are ways you can help out:
•$100 will purchase a new sewing machine for a graduate.
•$25 will help pay the educational costs for a new student for 4 months.
•$10 will pay for scissors, measuring tape & grad expenses for a graduate.
Gifts can be sent to Sowing Hope via our website or checks to our address below.
Another way we are sowing hope is in the relaunching of the farming project. This was held up because it was impossible to find land to rent last year for the rice growing season, but after searching a bit further out from the city (Bujumbura), they have been able to find rentable land. The women have planted soy and corn and hope to harvest in late July or early August. They have found another plot to rent where they hope to plant rice in September. Sowing hope in this way has a very tangible result in women being able to feed their families and have a little cash as well.
The situation in Burundi is very critical at the moment with inflation running at about 20% and the Burundi Franc has lost 1/5 of its value because of devaluation. Gas is almost impossible to obtain and when found it is very expensive. Together this is a huge problem for a people who are already living one of the poorest countries on earth. Please join us in praying for financial relief and spiritual hope for Burundi!
Warmly,
Tim & Leslie Boettcher