There is great reward when we embrace others in need and equip them with skills (not handouts) so that dignity and sustainability can be passed on to others!
Without an investment there can be no return. From prayer to a variety of caring actions, the door to make a difference is open for you, your family, and your friends.
I will crush poverty with HOPE!
Your network is a powerful tool! Explore the incredible difference you can make when you advance the cause through your office, church, small group, VBS, school, clubs, business, alumni networks, family, the web, social media, and more.
Benedict
So Benedict decided to get a second job as a cane cutter, but this meant long days in dirty, humid farms, chopping sugar cane only when it was ready to be harvested. The 14-hour days required an extraordinary amount of energy, determination, and stamina. Because of the stress caused by the difficult work and the delay in getting paid, many men resorted to smoking marijuana to get through their days, while others drank a local moonshine called changa'a, meaning “kill me quick.” But Benedict avoided joining the other men and looked daily to God to give him the strength to endure this challenging time.
Still unable to provide for his family, Benedict tried carpentry instead, but that came with its own set of financial challenges. If he did not have any orders on a particular day, his family would not eat. Eventually, he set up a small account with a nearby shop so he could get food on credit, paying it back once he had an order for furniture. This solved the immediate problem, but it forced him into a cycle of never-ending debt.
Then in 2000, a unique opportunity opened up for Benedict to be a visiting preacher at another church. After the church services, some of his friends told him about an ELI agricultural training being held nearby. Benedict wondered if God was doing something to answer his prayers. Farming had the potential to be an excellent source of income. If the right skills were learned and applied, he could support his family; he even thought of providing training to other pastors and church-goers. Without hesitation, Benedict attended the training.
One of the many ideas Benedict learned was a technique for helping farmers protect their hard-earned crops from being destroyed by weevils. ELI's proprietary air-tight bags were a God-send to thousands of farmers who no longer lost 20-50% of their harvests due to insect infestation. Benedict's passion and commitment allowed him to slowly build a client base, and over time he built a thriving small business as a reputable local distributor of the ELITE (ELI Triple Enclosure) grain-storage bags. He has now sold over 5,000 bags, which equates to over 500,000 lbs. of grains rescued from destruction!
Benedict is now ministering at a church in Nakaywa, Kenya and continues to share his knowledge of farming techniques with other pastors. Then, they can pass it along to their congregations. To date, he has helped over 1,200 people—including children and widows—with his farming skills!
Currently, Benedict continues to pastor and farm, and he loves to share with others, "I am empowering lives today with my life. And now I often visit and serve in Uganda, which is international. So, I am empowering lives internationally--I AM ELI!"
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Ignite World Changers
How You Can Impact One Person
$10 provides in-village awareness workshops
$60 provides 5 days of life-skill training
$35 provides a year's worth of coaching & mentoring
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Empowering Villages with Hope!
$25/month or $300/year empowers emerging leaders to impact their villages
(for every 25 people who give $25/month, another village can be empowered)
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Empowering Villages with HOPE!
$90 trains a woman to leave illegal brewing
$250 provides a village outreach/evangelism weekend
$1,800 empowers a village cohort to lead a community
$8,000 provides Family HOPE to an entire village
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Sign Up HereBenedict
So Benedict decided to get a second job as a cane cutter, but this meant long days in dirty, humid farms, chopping sugar cane only when it was ready to be harvested. The 14-hour days required an extraordinary amount of energy, determination, and stamina. Because of the stress caused by the difficult work and the delay in getting paid, many men resorted to smoking marijuana to get through their days, while others drank a local moonshine called changa'a, meaning “kill me quick.” But Benedict avoided joining the other men and looked daily to God to give him the strength to endure this challenging time.
Still unable to provide for his family, Benedict tried carpentry instead, but that came with its own set of financial challenges. If he did not have any orders on a particular day, his family would not eat. Eventually, he set up a small account with a nearby shop so he could get food on credit, paying it back once he had an order for furniture. This solved the immediate problem, but it forced him into a cycle of never-ending debt.
Then in 2000, a unique opportunity opened up for Benedict to be a visiting preacher at another church. After the church services, some of his friends told him about an ELI agricultural training being held nearby. Benedict wondered if God was doing something to answer his prayers. Farming had the potential to be an excellent source of income. If the right skills were learned and applied, he could support his family; he even thought of providing training to other pastors and church-goers. Without hesitation, Benedict attended the training.
One of the many ideas Benedict learned was a technique for helping farmers protect their hard-earned crops from being destroyed by weevils. ELI's proprietary air-tight bags were a God-send to thousands of farmers who no longer lost 20-50% of their harvests due to insect infestation. Benedict's passion and commitment allowed him to slowly build a client base, and over time he built a thriving small business as a reputable local distributor of the ELITE (ELI Triple Enclosure) grain-storage bags. He has now sold over 5,000 bags, which equates to over 500,000 lbs. of grains rescued from destruction!
Benedict is now ministering at a church in Nakaywa, Kenya and continues to share his knowledge of farming techniques with other pastors. Then, they can pass it along to their congregations. To date, he has helped over 1,200 people—including children and widows—with his farming skills!
Currently, Benedict continues to pastor and farm, and he loves to share with others, "I am empowering lives today with my life. And now I often visit and serve in Uganda, which is international. So, I am empowering lives internationally--I AM ELI!"
Change the Future
Empowering Villages with Hope!
$25/month or $300/year empowers emerging leaders to impact their villages
(for every 25 people who give $25/month, another village can be empowered)
Ignite World Changers
Empowering Villages with HOPE!
$90 trains a woman to leave illegal brewing
$250 provides a village outreach/evangelism weekend
$1,800 empowers a village cohort to lead a community
$8,000 provides Family HOPE to an entire village
How You Can Impact One Person
$10 provides in-village awareness workshops
$60 provides 5 days of life-skill training
$35 provides a year's worth of coaching & mentoring