Projects
Kingsley, Lliongwe, Malawi
Details
Recipient: Kingsley KumtumanjiLocation: Llongwe, Malawi
Project: Grocery Kiosk
Loan Amount: $315USD
Loan Date: December 2007
Kingsley is the second entrepreneur in Malawi to be awarded a micro loan from Fresh Start. Kingsley worships with Jay and Laura Stoms in Lilongwe, Malawi. He applied to Fresh Start for a loan to open a grocery kiosk. He now has several of these kiosks and is able to support his young family. Fresh Start requires the repayment of its loans in two years. Kingsley makes payments face to face with Jay, our onsite representative.
Juston, Bolero, Malawi
Details
Recipient: Juston MkumbwaLocation: Bolero, Malawi
Project: Bean Merchant
Loan Amount: $200USD
Loan Date: July 2007
Juston, the first entrepreneur to secure a loan from Fresh Start lives in Bolero, Malawi, several hours to the north of Kingsley and the Stoms. He is a bean merchant, driving a truck over the Zambia border to purchase beans, then returning to sell them in his draught-ridden region. He is now able to support his family. He makes payments to the Reverend Samson Mereka, who is the Malawi director for Good Samaritan Counseling Ministries, headquartered in Beaverton less than a mile from Evergreen’s site. Samson has visited with members of Fresh Start in Beaverton and has used his former experience as a businessman to help arrange the terms and features of the loans we offer in Malawi.
(This is where you begin singing “It’s a Small World After All,” as you read the rest of this article.) This past year, Juston made his first loan payment to Samson. The following Sunday, he brought his first tithe from selling beans to the church worship meeting. The impoverished church erupted in praise and thanksgiving to God for this monetary tithe. It just so happened that Evergreen member, Jeff Boden’s sister, Jill and her daughter, from Beaverton, were in the throng of worshippers, visiting with a team from Good Samaritan Ministries. Samson Mereka told his congregation that the guests were from Beaverton, Oregon. Juston assumed that the guests were from Evergreen and so he approached Jill, wringing her hand and begging her to thank her fellow church members for cutting the loan, saving his family. Jill had no knowledge of Fresh Start. She returned to Oregon and told Bettie Mitchell, the international director of Good Samaritan Ministries about Juston. Bettie said, “Oh, that would be Evergreen Presbyterian Church up the hill. They have a group working with Samson to offer micro loans….” (You may stop singing now.)