Monday, October 12, 2009

Ripple Report: Hope is Spreading in Tanzania

by Aly Lewis

I'd like to start the week by reviving our Plant With Purpose Ripple Reports. This week's report features the inspiring story Dina Kokerie, a mother of five school age children from the village of Ashira in Tanzania. After Dina’s husband abandoned the family, she was left in a desperate situation. Unable to provide for her family’s needs, she was forced to borrow money from relatives. After hearing how Plant With Purpose's work had benefited the nearby village of Masia Mamba, she took the initiative to gather a group of 40 people and invited Plant With Purpose to help them form a Village Community Bank in Ashira. She is now secretary of the group, which meets weekly to encourage consistent savings and be trained in small business and agricultural skills.

The results in Dina’s life have been dramatic. Using the money from her goat breeding business she started with a VICOBA loan, Dina now supports her five children and is able to pay for all their school fees—which amount to over $1,000 a year! Even better, she says, “Now I can look to the future with confidence, since I am able to stand on my own. I am so happy that Plant With Purpose has come to my community.”

This week's Ripple Report is dedicated to all of the talented and proactive community members that seek us out to improve their lives and transform their communities. Click here to see how you can partner with farmers from around the world on this journey of hope.

We wish you the best, Dina!

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