A Widow and Baby are Given a New Chance
Pope Francis Center Rescues At-Risk Mothers
It was hard enough before her husband was killed. Riak was caring for her baby while suffering a crippling condition that left her on crutches in order to move about. Now with the loss of her husband, she suddenly found herself a single mother.
The news was devastating. Alternating between grief and fear, Riak wondered how she would survive. Her physical disability prevented her from being able to farm to grow food. How would she care for her infant, with no income and no assistance? Riak felt hopeless.
Being a single mother in this part of the world can be a life sentence to poverty, hunger, and poor health – for both mother and child. With few job opportunities, single mothers struggle to survive and feed their children. They have no health care if either one gets sick. Their outlook is often bleak.
One community in Nzara is working to change this outlook and stop the cycle of illness and poverty. The Pope Francis Center for Peace and Wellness is dedicated to rescuing women in crisis like Riak, and the children affected by these tragic situations.
Through the generosity of our donors, the Center is able to intervene at the root cause of a family’s distress – to provide meaningful solutions for a sustainable future, and empower individuals to become self-sufficient.
The Center offers skills training to help widows and single mothers find employment. A food assistance program keeps families safe from the debilitating effects of malnutrition that can stunt a child’s growth permanently. Its medical care program treats children born with HIV and tracks their progress to help them thrive, go to school, and become successful adults.
The program offers widows and single mothers microfinance loans to launch small businesses, along with training in basic finance and management, so they can support themselves and invest for the future. Some of these small businesses grow to be so successful, the benefactor ends up with more than she needs, and is able to help support extended family and others in need.
Children in the Center’s program are able to attend and complete school and may even go on to college. Some have returned to lead in their communities and help others in the program break the cycle of poverty.
Riak’s life was turned around when she was introduced to the Pope Francis Center. At first it was difficult for her to believe. But then incredible joy and relief sank in. She realized she was not alone in her struggle. And her situation was not hopeless after all.
With the immediate care provided by the Center, Riak no longer has to worry how she’ll feed her baby. The center offers food assistance until a family like hers is on their feet. Riak will receive skills training so she can obtain employment that’s suitable to her physical constraints. She may even be taught how to run her own small business.
Because of the Center, she and her baby can look forward to a future with hope and possibility. A future that is changing for many every day, because your partnership supports programs that save.
These stories of Lives Saved are made possible because of generous donors like you who support facilities like the Pope Francis Center for Peace and Wellness. Each year, the lives of women and children in crisis are being transformed from despair to hope. Thank you for making a difference.
Would you like to pray for us? Sign up for our email prayer group to receive weekly emails sharing important needs to pray for. You’ll join a faith community around the globe praying to bring hope and help to suffering people in a forgotten part of the world. Find out more here.