Most families living in extreme poverty have very little opportunity to grow economically. Even if the will and grit to persue entrepeneurship is there, the start-up funds are not. Micro-lending is an increasingly integral part of international community development. Individuals wanting to start a small business are able to borrow the start up costs and pay them back with low-interest. Instead of building dependence on outside help , micro-loans create financial independence for families desiring to better their own future.
Fortunately Forward Edge has been blessed to be able to provide small business owners in Nicaragua with micro-loans to help them grow their businesses. It’s amazing to see what the gift of a small loan with little interest can do.
Jelin, Belkis, Cristhian, and Martiza live in Managua, Nicaragua. They are all mothers seeking to improve the lives of their families, and have begun the journey of starting their own small businesses. They are dedicated hard workers with amazing perseverance.
A Tiny Grocery Store
Jelin, a mother of two, joined our Entrepreneurship Development Training Program and learned how to create a business plan. She learned about basic business principles and accounting, and used her loan to start a tiny grocery store! She sells staples like rice, eggs, soap and vegetables. She described to us the impact the micro-loan program has made on her family, “This loan has allowed me to generate income from my own home. Now I can take care of my housework and my young children, without having to leave them to go to work. Thank you so much for this opportunity!” Jelin used to work cleaning and folding laundry to support herself and her children. This almost replaces the money she earned working outside the home, and she now gets to stay home and take care of her children every day.
Clothes, Medicine and Rugs for Sale
Belkis lives with her husband and two little children in a small, sheet-metal home. She and her husband sell over the counter medicine, rugs, and other items. She received a $100 loan to help her increase her inventory and therefore grow her sales and income. Belkis also received business training and help creating a business plan. She is grateful for this support and hopes it will help fulfill her dream of providing more nutritious meals to her children and improving their housing conditions.
Cristhian is also a young married woman with two small children. She has begun a business selling new and used clothing. She shares that she is very thankful because before receiving this loan, her income was going solely to the exorbitant interest of a loan she had received elsewhere. Her dream is to see her children grow healthy and educated.
A Produce Market and Cell Phone Repair
Martiza, a mother of five, joined our Entrepreneurship Development Training Program and was taught how to conduct an analysis of her neighborhood, create a business plan, and start a small produce market. Her bestsellers are watermelon, pineapples, bananas, onions, peppers, chayotes, potatoes and carrots. Her son is skilled at cell phone repair, and with a second loan Martiza also added a cell phone accessory and repair business. Her income has increased from $2.38 each day to $16.28 each day! She shared, “These loans have helped me a lot. You supported me when I needed it most.”
We’re thankful for these stories and the many more to come. When we equip people with the resources they need to succeed, the sky truly is the limit!
Nancy, our Director of Development and long-time short-term missionary, shares her experience with the “Women of the Word” program in Kampala, Uganda. These resilient women, who migrated to a new area after facing unimaginable hardships, have come together to build a supportive community and empower one another. Discover how their journey of faith and perseverance is creating lasting change in their lives and in their community.
By Melanie Kruse Off On a Mission Trip I’ve never been on a mission trip like this. This was the first time we served with Forward Edge and the first time our two daughters had joined us, but that’s not what made it different. On this trip I didn’t cry.
Relationships are everything. And it’s not just those in the U.S. reaching out to other countries; it’s the entire Global Church engaging with and learning from each other. As an organization, we seek to foster and steward those vital relationships. Recently, the director of our Uganda children’s program, Bonny Lugayizi,
Our children’s programs had wonderful Christmas programs full of food, music, celebration, and the true meaning of Christmas – in fact at least 13 people were saved through these programs! Oaxaca Haiti Kenya Uganda Ghana Cuba Oaxaca Haiti Kenya Uganda Ghana Cuba In Oaxaca, families were invited for a delicious
12 yrs. old
Entered the Program: February 2025
Violeta lives with her mother, stepfather and younger brother, Elias (also in the program) in a three-bedroom concrete house with a concrete roof and concrete and dirt floors. She currently shares a bedroom with her brother. The kitchen is in an adobe room separate from the house and the family cooks with wood. They access water from a hose on their property and the bathroom is outdoors.
Violeta’s mother used to live in Mexico City with father, but he abandoned her when she became pregnant with their second child, who, sadly, died of SIDS. She moved back to her home village where she eventually met Elias’ father. When she got pregnant with Elias, they got married. Violeta’s stepfather has adopted her as his own, and they have a very close relationship. Both of her parents work farming the fields and her mother also cares for the home.
Plus bonus group fundraising ideas!
