Walking in the early morning hours through the streets of Goma, Bahati reaches the storehouses to restock her palm and peanut oils. Over nine years ago, Bahati had found herself unable to ever provide for her family. Her husband, an alcoholic, owned a hardware store, but rarely, if ever, brought home any of the proceeds. Her friends came together and provided her oil to sell in the market. She began walking each morning to the storehouse to pick up oil on credit, man a stand all day in the market and repay the cost of the oil that evening—typically being left with just enough to provide a small meal for her family. Over time, her business developed to the point where she didn’t have to pick up the oil on credit, but the family still teetered on the edge of poverty without a safety net to protect them in an emergency.

When the volcanic eruption wiped out her house, Bahati did not have savings to fix the roof. Instead, they lived unprotected from the elements, forced to sleep in neighboring homes when it rained. After the volcano, Bahati resumed buying oil on credit—until she joined Hekima.

Now on her fifth loan cycle, Bahati has increased the size and sustainability of her business. She has been able to put a tarpaulin over her house to protect her family from the rain, to buy new clothes for her children and provide other household goods for her family.

Everything she has been given, she attributes to God’s blessing in her life. Bahati is an active member in her church, attending prayer meetings on Thursday and Saturday and church on Sunday. She serves as the President of her church women’s group. Her prayers for her husband were answered when he became a Christian and was baptized three years ago.

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Congo
Population Density:
N/A

Infant Mortality Rate:
92.87 deaths for 1000 live births

Average Daily wage:
Less than $2/day

Those 15 and over who can read and write:
65.5%

Religion:
20% of the population is Protestant

Prayer Request

• Pray for Bahati's safety as she walks to and from the market.
• Pray for Bahati's four children - hat they would grow in the knowledge of God.
• Pray that God would bless Bahati’s business and enable her to continue providing for his family.
• Pray for Bahati's church, that they would continue to respond to the needs of their community.