Spring 2023 Matching Gift Opportunity

Since 2015, SowHope has worked in South Sudan, partnering with incredible local leaders to fund successful projects in microfinance, leadership and small business training, agricultural production, chicken rearing, and building a grain grind mill. In 2018, SowHope’s first partner in South Sudan, Mary, wanted to retire. She had been an influential and unwavering leader, so SowHope was concerned about the future. However, a new leader rose up, Rhoda, who has been mentored by Mary. Rhoda immediately garnered respect from the community and began her own projects. Recently, she championed a supermarket project that has provided easy access to essential items for 5,000 people who live in the area in addition to giving business training and employment for the local women’s group who is now running the market. Before, women had to walk 6 miles away to purchase food, cleaning supplies, and medicine. The women farmers would incur heavy expenses from transporting their products to town for sale, significantly cutting into their profit margins. In Rhoda’s words, this project has ”enlightened the community about the progress women can make when given a small opportunity. It has increased the dignity of the women in the cooperative and change has come. Now more women want to join.”

The Need
The supermarket project has been wonderfully successful over the last two years. However, extreme challenges have arisen, including record inflation and massive flooding that destroyed food harvests. Additionally, the World Food Program has stopped giving food in the city and many families are struggling with hunger as the supermarket struggles with keeping a small stock of goods.

Call to Action
Now, with your help, Rhoda is determined to boost the economic stability of the women small business owners and the community by providing additional stock for the supermarket and more small business training. This will also allow for the grain grinding mill to be continually stocked with grains, which the entire community can access. The project aims to economically impact an additional 500 women by helping them become wholesalers at the grocery store over the next two years.

The supermarket has already meant so much to the community, serving everyone in the area regardless of clan or economic class. The women’s group running the market were even by the local government to participate in the city’s International Women’s Day celebrating by the government because they are contributing to the economic development of the area. One woman stated, ”I earn a living and have been able to build a shelter with roofing for my family. My husband loves me so much, saying that I am not just a woman, but a breadwinner of the family. He considers all my ideas and decisions which had never happened before since we got married. We now have peace in our home.”

Please consider joining with SowHope donors by giving generously toward the $25,000 matching gift and doubling your impact today.