Africa - June/July 2013

Imagine 24 wonderful days in Africa!  That's what eight PEER Servants volunteers were able to enjoy at least parts of traveling with PEER Servants President, Todd Engelsen, in June and July.

Canga, Todd, Herma

First stop - South Africa and our partnership with Aloga Financial Services in the Greater Pretoria area.  PEER Servants Board member, Dr. Herma Williams, and PEER Servants Aloga Relationship Manager, Canga Kamwambe, were PEER Servants' threesome for this leg of the trip.  The primary purpose for our time with Aloga was to act as consultants as they considered merging with Ikussasa Trust, another South African Christian microfinance organization.  We're excited about the prospects of the two organizations becoming one and having much greater impact in extending the kingdom than either could have alone.  When we weren't consulting and training on mergers, we were visiting Aloga's microfinance clients, including the "Women of Integrity", pictured here with Dr. Williams.  These women have come together to form a small cooperative where they can do much more together than they could separately.  As seamstresses, they can now purchase better equipment, attract larger orders, and have great fellowship together while they work.  Aloga has stepped in and provided them the access to credit they have needed to grow their business.  There are hundreds more clients like these Women of Integrity who Aloga is empowering through their products and services.  We can't wait to see how the merger allows them to eventually reach thousands.

Aloga's Clients - "Women of Integrity", with PEER Servants Board Member, Dr. Herma Williams

PEER Servants Volunteer, Jim Martin

Next stop - Mongu, Zambia.  Mongu is in Zambia's Western Province, considered the materially poorest province in the country.  There PEER Servants CEMFIN Relationship Manager, Jim Martin (pictured), and
Todd Engelsen met with our newest microfinance partner, CEMFIN.  CEMFIN just started making their first loans over a year ago, so the focus of this trip was building the team needed to allow the organization to grow and flourish.  Our meetings and training on team building went exceptionally well and we left Mongu encouraged that CEMFIN will be able to grow.  We have always been impressed with CEMFIN's clients - they are eager to grow, and appreciative of the products and services CEMFIN is making available to them to do so.

CEMFIN's Board of Directors and Advisors - just part of the team dedicated to CEMFIN's growing impact

Final stop - Arua, Uganda.  Arua is in the northwestern corner of Uganda, a stone's throw from the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) and South Sudan.  It is now one of the most peaceful places on earth.  It's

PEER Servants Volunteers and CAFECC Staff and Clients

the headquarters for our Ugandan microfinance partner, CAFECC, and five volunteers (PEER Servants Team Uganda member Bob Uhlig, daughter Jessica Uhlig, Rob Krieg, PEER Servants Internship Director Patrice Jenkins, and husband Dave Jenkins) joined Todd Engelsen and PEER Servants Intern, Ryan Shenk, on this final leg of the Africa trip.  There were many objectives for the time with CAFECC - capturing the stories of transformation in the lives of the CAFECC clients, providing consulting and training in new product development and how to access funds beyond donated equity (e.g., savings deposits and debt financing, including Kiva), helping CAFECC in updating their own website, and much, much more.  It wasn't all work and no pleasure!  We took time to celebrate the Executive Director, Patrick Obiga's, forthcoming wedding and enjoyed hearing the accounting of how many cows, goats, and more it was going to take to win the hand of his beautiful bride, Evelyn, from her family.  We also took a day to treat the extremely dedicated and hardworking CAFECC staff to Murchison Falls, a local game reserve, and saw elephants, hippos, giraffes, and much more during our game drive, including a boat cruise on the Nile.  We were so encouraged by the time with CAFECC.  They, like Aloga in South Africa, are already extending the kingdom to hundreds in this part of Uganda, and plan to soon extend that to thousands as God leads.

Some of CAFECC's new clients, being trained in how to run an effective business prior to applying for a loan

Africa is one of the most diverse continents on the planet, but what is common throughout Africa is an exceptional commitment to hospitality and community.  We were blessed in each of these 24 days by both.