Gordon Robertson takes us to Niger where Operation Blessing helps a young widow struggling to feed and shelter her children.

NAIMEY, Niger – A young widow, Houera was struggling just to keep her seven children fed and sheltered.

“We really suffered when my husband died,” she said. “I had no work; we had a problem with food.”

Thankfully, a “big” business plan was about to change her family’s life.

As part of an animal fattening project to help farmers buy and raise livestock, Houera received micro loans from Operation Blessing to purchase a cow and three sheep. Houera diligently cared for the animals—knowing that they could help provide for her children.

“I stayed patient when things were tough,” she said. To aid her efforts, Houera also used what she knew of farming to plant crops such as peanuts, millet, corn and beans that could both feed her children and the animals.

Soon, Houera was able to sell her fattened cow at a profit—allowing her to feed her children and keep them in school. And she has plans to improve her family’s situation further by investing in more livestock, and eventually beginning her own business selling spices.

“If someone can gain something small and manage it well, it can really help them,” she said. “Everything is good for us now. We thank God because I now have activities that help to feed and clothe my children.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP

This microenterprise venture is one of many Operation Blessing projects touching lives around the world. You can be a part of improving the quality of life for impoverished communities by supporting these and other life-changing programs.