POSTCARD FROM AFRICA-- July 2024

EMPOWERED TO EMPOWER

Meet Thenjiwe Busakwe. In 2021 we started our Women’s Empowerment Program (WEP) with 20 candidates from different communities in the Western Cape of South Africa. These women came from different walks of life, none of them had any source of income, most of them came from backgrounds of lack, abuse and discrimination. These circumstances had caused harm to their soul.

Thenjiwe was one of these women. She was dealing with emotional hurts, one of which was that she had just lost her sister to breast cancer.  Thenjiwe was left with the responsibility of taking care of her late sister's children, while being unemployed.

Her life started changing by being part of the WEP. In her own words: "I joined the program being in that space of loss in my life. I questioned God about many things, even about my existence. For me the WEP was a lifeline that came at the right time. I got to know myself, found healing and learnt how to dream again. Every WEP session was special – like a revival. I had worked with teens before in my community but because I was hurt, I was fallen and not effective and impactful. The WEP program helped me up again. I was truly empowered to live!”

The WEP program has now been extended to the Church in various communities in Cape Town, Thenjiwe became a suitable candidate to lead and facilitate the program that is now run by her local church. As a graduate of WEP, she is able to understand and relate well with women who are in similar situations that she was in. Thenjiwe, a woman who once questioned God about her existence, is now heralding a message of hope to other women who are on the verge of giving up in life.

Thenjiwe has recently been chosen to be one of the leaders in the Mfuleni Pastors Forum. She is the first woman to ever be elected to this forum. What great work God has done in her life.

Thank you for your support and involvement in our Women’s Empowerment Program. Your support means the world to women like Thenjiwe.