Charity with Dignity

You may hear us talk about maintaining the dignity of the poor. Part of having dignity is knowing that you are a valuable, capable human being; and seeing the fruits of your own labor helps build such knowledge.

That’s why microenterprise projects are so beneficial. Instead of a providing handout, they provide a ‘hand up.’ Poor but ambitious people, given a tiny amount of starting capital and a little hands-on training, can generate the income they need to better their lives. Once they pay off their microloan, these entrepreneurs can take pride in being totally self sufficient. Well, semi-self sufficient. They still rely on customers and on God, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The women in this photo are at the hair-washing station outside their Cosmetology Training School in Ethiopia – part of the Bruh Tesfa Women’s Outreach Project. Once trained, these young women, who come from some rather desperate circumstances, can begin to take charge of their lives and look forward to a productive future — with dignity!

-Nola B.