Partnership Overview

This project was established to support vulnerable women and children in the Kisumi Village. It currently runs training courses in tailoring and small business development for vulnerable women. Once trained, the women establish and run their own small tailoring businesses which provides them with an income to financially support themselves and their families. 

Following the success of the initial tailoring training in their local community, in 2023 Bob and Lilian extended this out to the areas where they have affiliated churches. There is so much desperate need and so the tailoring training and business support model is now being replicated in other areas. 

They offer training in both sewing and embroidery to vulnerable women in the slums who are struggling to provide for their families and young women who have dropped out of school. 

The course can take several months to a year depending on how much the participant can commit. Once they have completed their training, they are given a sewing machine to start their own business in their local markets. Once the women’s businesses are established a table banking model will begin to help other women form their own business. 

Background

For many years the church in Kisumu has had to deal with poor families and children. This was compounded by the post-election violence in 2008 as many people in the community and the church were killed or ran away and never returned. Currently there are around 20 children being assisted with education costs. This is a large burden for the church. Part of the solution to this is to empower a few women to start up a small business where they can sell embroidery products and food items. 

History of Partnership

BHW's New Partnership Facilitator has known Bob and Lillian Abdalla since 2005 when Bob was part of the team at MCO-OCC (KEN01b) and a church planter and pastor with them in Kisumu. He first met Bob when BHW introduced MCO-OCC to Harvest Partnership (INT05) and we were involved in training their people. Since that time he has caught up with Bob on numerous occasions and in 2009 BHW provided funds to enable them to re-establish their tailoring and materials business after it was destroyed in the post-election violence (KEN05).  

BHW remained in contact and during a visit to Kenya in 2016 Pastor Bob alerted us to the needs in this community. In May 2017 funds were provided to commence the embroidery business. 

Beneficiaries

Initially the beneficiaries were the eight women and their families who now have another income source in the home. Subsequent to that, they have trained around 20 women in tailoring and supporting them in the establishment and running of their tailoring businesses. This will now expand to vulnerable women linked to the affiliate churches that are trained. 

The church and Pastor Bob will also benefit as some of the financial burden will be lifted.  

What We Like About The Partnership

We know Bob and Lillian and have been in partnership with them previously (KEN05). 

Lillian has run a successful partnership in the past. 

This is a church-based programme and we will be assisting the church as a bi-product of the partnership. This is a very evangelistic church and is reaching out constantly.  

Key People

Bob and Lillian Abdalla

Bob and Lilian have three children, one girl and two boys. Bob is a pastor and a church planter. In 2005 he was trained in church planting movement (CPM) although had planted a number of formal churches including the church in Kisumu prior to that. Following the training he began a number of churches in houses as a means of reaching out from the formal church. The progress has been such that he leaves the main church for most of the month and travels to train other leaders and to share his experience about multiplying churches through home outreach and discipleship centres. His work takes him to churches around Kenya and neighbouring countries.

Lilian lost her mother before her marriage and was exposed to the practical experience of loss of parental love. She saw the widows in the church and the community struggling to survive and developed a passion for holistic development, both spiritual and physical. She mostly works with women who are despised by society making them more desperate, especially at times when they lose their husbands. Lillian and Bob mobilize and train them with skills and they are encouraged to establish small enterprises and income generating activities.

Vision And Annual Strategy

Vision 

The vision is to see vulnerable families in the church empowered economically so they can become self-sustaining. 

Strategy

The idea is that in the future the children will become economically self-sustaining because they have an education. Along with that, the business will be operating well and providing for the families of those involved. 

Personal Testimony

Real "Life Change" Stories

Farijah comes from a Muslim background. He was thrown out with his mother who is a Christian after the death of her husband. He came to Bob and Lillian's home fellowship with his sickly mother. He was very dirty, and Bob remembers fighting back tears as Lillian gave him bath, wondering how anyone could let a child get so filthy. Farijah was constantly tired and hungry. His biggest need was the need to know that someone loved him, and that God loved him. Today he loves the Lord and goes to school.

Auma lost her sickly husband who left her with four children. Bob and Lillian met her during their rural evangelism and led her to the Lord. She is lame and weak and has nobody to help her raise her children. She is encouraged with a small business selling vegetables and the help she received to put up a small tin house to live in.