Mandate eNewsletter, 2007 No. 1

MISSIONARY EMPOWERS BOLIVIAN CHURCH
by Tom Waddell, Five Talents International and South American Missionary Society

Blanca works as a cleaning lady and desperately wanted to earn more income to support her family. Blanca's husband moved to another part of the country and provides no financial support, so Blanca has to support her five children on her own. In order to augment her income, Blanca wanted to learn business skills and gain access to capital in order to invest in a microenterprise.

Tom and Linda Waddell went to Bolivia as missionaries with the South American Missionary Society in order to help people like Blanca. Tom and Linda had been trained by the Chalmers Center on how to undertake a holistic ministry to the poor utilizing the principles and practices of Christian microenterprise development and microfinance. Their call to the mission field was to teach the leadership in the Diocese of the Anglican Church of Bolivia how to minister to the poor in a way that is faithful to Scripture, treats people with integrity, and leads to sustainability.

Armed with the tools they were taught at the Chalmers Center, Tom and Linda helped to start savings and credit groups to minister to the poor in the context of the local church.

SAVINGS AND CREDIT GROUPS FACILITATE OUTREACH
The Waddells' outreach in the local parish began with a series of workshops that gave instruction on how such financial systems could help meet people's material and spiritual needs. Afterwards, some 22 individuals decided to form two savings and credit groups, based on an existing model widely known in Bolivia as a "pasanaku." However, these new groups were designed with intentional spiritual transformation at their core.

Since some members wanted to save more money than others did, two groups were formed. This allowed some to participate in both groups. These groups decided that each member would save the equivalent of roughly $7 bi-weekly. One group had 14 members and the other 12. Each group elected their own leaders. The groups functioned as follows: each individual brought the same amount of money to each meeting; all the funds were pooled; and on a rotating basis, by luck of the draw, one person took the entire "financial pot" at each meeting. During these meetings, the Waddells taught spiritual formation and a Biblical worldview, business skills, and life skills.

After each group member had gotten the "financial pot," 19 individuals expressed an interest in forming a more powerful savings and loan association in which the members' mandatory savings would be pooled and kept "in the pot" instead of being given out immediately. As the pool of capital grew to sufficient size, and after a waiting period of six months, the association began to make loans of $100-$300. After one year, this association now has 38 members representing 38 households and has a vision of growing into a more formalized savings and credit cooperative.

Blanca took out a loan to buy a cart that she used to cook hamburgers, which she sold during days of festivals and other events. This has provided the additional income needed to support her family.

The success of this savings and loan association has encouraged other parishes in the diocese to establish their own savings and credit groups. Tom has been asked by the bishop to return to Bolivia to provide additional training in these parishes in order to build the foundation of helping people experience the fullness of living in the Kingdom of God.

For more information about the Chalmers Center, visit us at www.chalmers.org.

11/07