"Shalom Widows Hope Fund".

By

"Shalom Widows Hope Fund".                                                                                    August issue

The Shalom Widows Ministry is part of the community development arm of Shalom Namutere Project. In 2022, we observed that a reasonable number of the women we were empowering were widows. We held our first meeting with the widows to listen to them and provide a space to process their grief. Read about the first meeting and findings from the widows' meeting. 

Over the last few years, we have been trying to come alongside the widows in response to their needs. 

 Through our partnership with Apollos Training, we have conducted several trainings, ranging from basic Christian discipleship to skills development.

We provided magnifying reading glasses to women who have had impaired vision for years and cannot read. See here. 

Starting from where they are- in 2024, the widows were encouraged to start with what they have. They discussed starting some savings groups and round table banking. 

Currently, we have 3 groups. One group has started group savings schemes, where they run a revolving fund and regularly share the savings. Through this fund, one of them reports that she has been able to keep poultry, which is multiplying as she plows in her revolving fund. 

 One reported starting a piggery, which she says has sold two pigs so far, and she was able to purchase iron sheets to put up her small house. One of the ladies shared that she used the money to increase her chapati(flat bread) income and pay school fees for her children. Poultry and piggery seem to be among the agribusinesses that are thriving. 

We believe the three existing groups have strong potential to generate income and meet some of their immediate needs, fostering optimism about their future. 

In response to their efforts, we held a summer garage sale, called 'Shalom Widows Hope Fund,' mobilized friends to donate items, and raised capital.  

Shalom Widows Hope Fund

Our ultimate goal is to improve widows' livelihoods through access to microfinance, business training, and business mentorship.

The garage sale raised  $1,500, which we are starting to roll out for microcredit. We hope to first inject capital into the widows' existing ventures. Second, we will strengthen the existing savings and investment groups and allow them to provide accountability and community. 
Third, we are rolling out a program to equip the widows with entrepreneurship and basic financial management skills.  Fourth, we hope to create a sustainable revolving loan fund to continue supporting the existing widows. simply need capital to grow the small projects they already have.

The first loan will be interest-free with a 3% administration fee. The second and subsequent loans will be 5% annual interest to strengthen the revolving fund. Larger loan amounts will be available after successful repayment and group evaluation. 



      Invitation to invest:  We would like to invite you to come alongside. 

           Your gift moves through four steps:

      1. Capital: Inject working capital directly into the small businesses the widows already run. 

     2. Community: Strengthen the savings and investment groups that already provide the widows with accountability and support. 

3. Training: Equip the widows with entrepreneurship and basic financial management skills. 

4. Sustainability: Build a revolving loan fund that continues to support widows long after the first gift. 

Here is how to give.  

For USA Donors 

1. To mail your donation, please make your check payable to Christian Ministry Alliance, with a notation for Fund FS3045, and mail to: P.O. Box 7735, Goodyear, AZ 85338

2. If you are giving from a Donor-Advised Fund or Private Charity: Follow these steps:

 Find "Christian Ministry Alliance" in your grant portal. (Goodyear, AZ|EIN: 46-3408177)
In your grant portal, designate the gift by including the name of the associate or FSO, with a notation for Fund FS3045

3. Checks through director:  payable to “Robert Ngolobe”  Mail to: 1423 Wesley Court, Mundelein, IL 60060

4. Venmo to @Robert-Ngolobe

5.PayPal to ngoloberobert@gmail.com

6. Zelle-ngoloberobert@gmail.com or 6084492247

7. Wiring instructions to give to our Ugandan bank:

Equity Bank Uganda LTD

Equity Bank 

Plot 34, Kampala Road,

P.O. Box 10184 Kampala, Uganda

Account Name: Shalom Namutere Project

Account Number: 1044200926314

SWIFT: EQBLUGKA

NB: We have a full proposal for the project in case you know somewhere we can forward it. 



Robert Ngolobe Edube 
Shalom Director 



Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 26, 2026 at 10:00 AM

    True religion is “to look after orphans and widows in their distress”

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Note

A BRIGHT SPARK OF HOPE!!

By
Image
Special Issue: From the Director's Desk.  When I took a team of five people at the beginning of 2024, I was simply doing what I love: bringing people alongside me . It’s almost the best way to tell the story of Shalom, because pictures alone don’t do us justice. This time, I want to share about Waswa (not his real name). After only a few days of Waswa’s involvement with the teachers at Shalom Care, I could see a bright spark of enthusiasm. But what came next was truly amazing. After our trip, he sent me a book that became a great encouragement for my work with the community. Here’s a portion of his letter: "‘Children of the Dust Bowl’ is a book I used to teach about the Great Depression of the 1930s. About halfway through the book, Leo Hart is introduced. He realizes that a large segment of his community is not receiving the education and healthcare they deserve. Instead of just complaining, he decides to do something about it. After our trip, I instantly saw you as a present...
Read more »https://shalomdvp608.blogspot.com/

WIDOW CARE- SHALOM NAMUTERE COMMUNITY PROJECT RESPONDS TO WIDOWS IN THE COMMUNITY.

By
Image
We Responded by Inquiring. As a project, we are careful not to respond to the effects of poverty, but to work daily toward addressing its causes. We observe the economic, political, social, and spiritual systems that contribute significantly to the effects we deal with. But first we needed to listen. In our first formal meeting on 19th March 2022, we partnered with one of our friend (Doreen) who has been trained in trauma counseling. For the first time, the widows had a chance to talk about their grief. Most of them were very thankful for that chance. This meeting was to listen to them, appreciate their stories, give them hope, and understand how we could help and support them to thrive. Here is what we found. a) Their current efforts. Small-scale livestock keeping - some raise poultry, ducks, and goats, though only on a limited scale. Subsistence farming/day labor - the majority dig to earn a living, either on their own land or by hiring themselves out to dig for others. Micro- bu...
Read more »https://shalomdvp608.blogspot.com/