In this edition of To the Ends of the World, the Institute’s Finance Ministry highlights two examples of using our temporal goods to spread the love of Christ to vulnerable communities.
The first example is a small monetary donation to SEFRAS to help combat hunger in Brazil. We learned about SEFRAS through our Brazilian Sisters. In response to a worsening hunger crisis brought on by the health and economic crises in Brazil, our Sisters and lay collaborators at Associação Madre Cabrini teamed with SEFRAS to help feed thousands of people.
The second is an impact investment, meaning we expect repayment of our invested capital plus interest. Our investment in One Acre Fund provides resources to smallholder farmers in remote areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, where crop yields and access to financing lag those of the rest of the world. Marked improvements in the lives of farmers help surrounding communities prosper; farmers invest in education, build businesses, and help neighbors in need. Edina Mkolomi of Tanzania is one of those farmers.
Prior to joining One Acre Fund, Edna used to harvest about five maize bags per season, often struggling to feed her four children. Since enrolling with One Acre Fund, she now harvests 20 bags and is able to pay school fees after selling the surplus maize. Despite the pandemic, Edna is assured of getting farm inputs on credit for the next season.
“My home has become hunger-free since I joined One Acre Fund”, Edna said.
Gregory Lane and Kayoko Lyons,
on behalf of the Generalate Finance Team