When her husband died, Floretta was unsure of her future and devastated by her loss. “I was so depressed. Whenever I got money from the family, I would drink. I became a drunkard.”
Adila, the local group facilitator, recognised this hopelessness and encouraged her to join a savings group. “[At first] I didn’t want to join because I worried I only had enough money to drink, not to save. But my neighbors kept suggesting it, encouraging me until I finally agreed. We started saving together. I even decided it was better to save, and I gave up drinking so that I could save more.”
With the confidence and discipline that being a part of the community brought her, Floretta revived her small business selling avocados, bananas and peanuts. After a year, she took a loan to buy a goat and some chickens. “The goats multiplied and grew my income,” she explains. At the next share-out, she used her savings to repair her broken, leaking home. Selling goats enabled her to buy iron sheets for a proper roof. “Now my home is very good. I thank God for that. I also thank God that I gave up drinking.”
Floretta values her community for saving her when she felt at her lowest and wants to help others in the same way. “I would like to support others going through what I did. And I have a dream to have a bigger shop to improve my income.”
From Brokenness to Hope
Floretta’s story is a powerful picture of restoration. Through the encouragement of her community and the opportunity to save, she has restored her hope – rebuilding her home, strengthening her livelihood and finding a place in her community.
By investing in Five Talents, you empower women like Floretta to step into new opportunities with resilience and faith, shaping a stronger future for the next generation.