seed effect loan orientation seminar

Hello Seed Effecters! As you know, this week Team Seed Effect is in Kajo Keji, South Sudan hosting our first Loan Orientation Seminar for a group of 20 women. After months of research, training, and laying the foundation for our Seed Loan Program, we are less than a week away from issuing our first loans and could not be more excited to introduce you to this amazing group of women in just a few days! For now, here are some details about the women, their families, and their businesses...

Out of the 20 women in attendance, only five can read and write and two have actually received no formal education whatsoever.

There are 6 types of businesses represented in this group including:

• “Food stuff” Vendor (onions, beans, vegetables)
• Hotel/restaurant
• Fish Vendor
• Tailoring shop
• Bakery
• Import food and clothing store

Collectively, these women have over 60 children that they are supporting with their small businesses and are eager to earn a larger income to better provide for their families!

That’s all of the details I’ll share for now, but continue to check back for more updates as we near Loan Day!

Thanks again for your prayers and support. For more up-to-date posts on our progress, check us out on Facebook or follow us on Twitter!

leaving on a jet plane

(In this photo: Poni, a Sudanese wife and mother, runs a restaurant near Wudu market in Kajo Keji. Although she works hard, Poni does not currently make enough profit to put all of her children in school. In an effort to better provide for her family, she will be attending Seed Effect's upcoming Loan Orientation Seminar and applying for a loan to invest in her business.)

In less than 48 hours, Team Seed Effect (Stateside) will be on a plane to Sudan… After months of hard work laying the foundation for our Seed Loan Program, we are ready to launch to a group of eager entrepreneurs!

Before we give the details of our trip, however, we’d first like to thank all you Seed Effecters out there who have partnered with us to make this a reality for the women and men of Kajo Keji County, South Sudan. God has used your generous support, faithful prayers, and willingness to invest in the lives of the poor in a mighty way as we now embark on an incredible journey to plant the seeds that overcome spiritual and physical poverty in the lives of these individuals!

We ask now that you would please join us in praying for this community- that God will reveal himself to them through Seed Effect’s loan program and that we will be willing and able to serve as the hands and feet of Christ by empowering them with the tools to generate an income to provide essentials like food, clean water, adequate healthcare and school fees for their families.

Now for the trip… During our stay, we will be working with the Sudan team to host our first Seed Effect Loan Orientation Seminar for a group of 15 potential clients that have qualified for our program based upon poverty status and other criteria. The goal of this seminar is to train them in microfinance and sound business practices and also help them to develop a viable growth strategy and plan for their business. Upon completion of the seminar, these entrepreneurs will be eligible to work with our Loan Officers to apply for a loan. Our goal is to soft launch the program to this initial group with a follow-up launch to the community within the next 6 weeks.

In addition to the seminar, Trey Hill will be shooting footage for an upcoming Seed Effect video, the entire Seed Effect team will spend a couple of days in the field with the e3 Partners church planting team, and we will be working hard to implement the educational component of our Seed Loan Program.

With so much to accomplish in the next few weeks, we would love it if you would join us in praying for this trip, Team Seed Effect, our future clients, and the implementation of our Seed Loan Program!

Again, thank you so much for your ongoing support and partnership! Oh, and be sure to become a fan of Seed Effect on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date as we're on the field.