Believe
Celebrate women who are empowering the next generation
Through this story, we celebrate Librada, an empowered woman who is empowering other women to believe.
Librada lives in Ñemby, Paraguay with her husband and three children. She runs a small store out of her home and sells meat, sodas and used clothing.
Financially enslaved to a loan shark, she would work hard during the day, only to see her hard-earned money vanish when the loan shark would come by at the end of the day to collect all that she had worked for.
One day, her neighbour invited her to join a trust group. It was Diaconia’s microfinance program, which allowed her to receive micro-loans, vocational training and business training. The trust group, called “The Workers”, provided her with a community of women who are meant to encourage each other and hold each other accountable.
“I started with a $90 loan and thank God, I have never been late for a payment,” Librada said. With each loan cycle, she is able to invest more money into her business.
Now that she has seen her business grow and successfully pay off her loans, she has been able to help empower other women in her group.
“I recently had the privilege to help two women who were going through a difficult time. I covered their payment, and later they paid me back. The important thing is that we work to help each other,” she explained.
She is currently the breadwinner for her family, as her business is her family’s main source of income. Her husband’s income goes toward paying their old debts.
“As the chaplain for my group, I get to share the Word of God in our meetings to reach the spiritual need. At any time they come to me, call me or message me, asking for prayer and to find answers. I am available at any time of the day to serve, because my family supports the ministry.”
Librada has also been able to lead some women to come to faith. “We are now starting a home church in our community, our pastor has asked my husband and I to lead it. I will have an opportunity to take people there from my “workers” trust group to be discipled.”
Librada has been empowered through the Diaconia micro-loan program and has been using her position to empower other women to believe.
“I want to tell women out there to come and to do what I did: to stop working with usurers [loan sharks] so that they can see the fruit of their hard work.”
The cycle of empowerment continues.
Your gift can provide:
- Financial training and a micro-loan for one woman for one month for $25
- Training and materials for 4 chaplains for one month for $100
- Vocational training for 20 women for one month for $150
- Financial training and micro-loans for 10 women for one month for $250
