Dear Friends,

Welcome! We are truly amazed at the overwhelming support we have received in our maiden year. What began as a mere idea from a spiritual partnership formed over 20 years ago with a community across the world has quickly evolved into a pilot microfinance program in the rural town of Kibwezi, Kenya.

Beyond the clear economic benefits of creating income-generating opportunities for a hardworking rural community, we are driven by the remarkable positive effects microfinance can have in the areas of literacy, health, community involvement and leadership. We expect our program to prove particularly beneficial to women, who will make up the majority of loan recipients.

We are pleased to share some exciting news about the first training sessions already underway for 77 clients who have organized themselves into four peer groups. After successful completion of their training, these groups will be granted access to credit and can begin building their microenterprises. There is potential to increase the number of participants to 130 if and when funds become available.

I will be traveling to Kenya during this exciting time of our pilot program launch and will be joined by other members of our team and supportive friends from the Burke Presbyterian Church. WAF will work side by side with our partner organization, Efforts of the Poor in Development, Kenya (EPID-Kenya), led by Samuel Mote and Linus Muyaga.

This is only the beginning of our journey. With each successful client and peer group — and a growing network of supporters — we look forward to expanding in the coming years.

Thank you for your interest and support!

Sincerely,
James A. K. Munthali