Story number 4 for 31 Dec 2002

(Bangladesh)–Meanwhile, a women’s group that was started in the mid 90’s in the urban slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh has successfully expanded. Kristen VanderBerg with the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, says they started a savings and loan project where women could save money, invest it and then use it to help others. “We really want to help empower communities so that they can help each other escape poverty for the long term. So this women’s group is one way that we carry out that ministry.” The Paira (Pie-ra) women recently graduated from the program but decided to keep it going in the name of Christ. “They set some new goals for themselves such as learning about health to help continue caring for their children, starting an adult literacy program, they wanted to start a scholarship program for three families that were even more poor in their communities so that their children can go to school.”