Uganda (MNN) — It’s hard enough to get a restaurant off the ground. It’s even harder when you’re a mother in Uganda with no training or resources.
However, Resti Kawuki wasn’t alone when she started her new restaurant. Thanks to the Family Empowerment Program with Every Child Ministries (ECM), Kawuki was given biblical business training and resources to become a small business owner.
Mark Luckey with ECM says, “We helped her to start up this little restaurant and it’s gone crazy. She’s very outgoing and has a big smile on her face and people love to come in. She knows how now to run the business and so she’s needing to expand her business because of all the new customers!”
Kawuki plans to invest in more tables, chairs, charcoal stoves, saucepans, utensils and cutlery since her restaurant business is booming.
With the income generated from her new restaurant, Luckey says, “She supports her kids, is able to send them to school, is able to save some money every month, [and] is able to care for her family the way she wants to. She just needed a helping hand.”
(Photo courtesy of Every Child Ministries)
The Family Empowerment Program is fairly new to ECM’s ministry model. But they saw a need to go farther than individual child sponsorships in places like Uganda.
Luckey explains, “Staff would often say, ‘In this home, there are three other kids and a mom or a grandparent, or mom and dad. They’re all really struggling — and they’re super happy that one of their kids is having his or her needs met — but could we do more? Could we do something to help the family?'”
With ECM’s Family Empowerment Program, parents and caretakers learn biblical business skills over the course of two years and support to start their own business.
“God has set certain principles how to run a business,” says Luckey. “There’s a worldly way to do that, and there’s a godly, biblical way to do that. So we teach them from a biblical perspective and we ingrain that in them through Bible studies and…tell them how a follower of Jesus would conduct himself or herself in the business community.”
Click here to support ECM’s Family Empowerment Program!
Then, pray for other parents in Uganda like Kawuki entering the Family Empowerment Program. Ask God to encourage them in the coursework and grow them in relationship with the Provider, Jesus Christ. Pray for these small businesses to be a platform for community enrichment and the Gospel!
Header photo of Resty Kawuki, courtesy of Every Child Ministries.
