Corine’s Story | Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s national lockdown has exacerbated the economic challenges that families are experiencing. Despite the odds, Church Facilitator Corine and her groups started baking buns, and this new baking initiative has flourished. The savings group now supplies their community and others with freshly baked bread. The initiative has empowered Corine and her team not only to continue saving but to support their families, teach others, and start more initiatives in their community. Corine shares, “When we saw that our Savings Group was suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we quickly put our heads together and decided to start a bakery. Our plan was that it would enable us to continue to save, and now, it has even exceeded our expectations by also allowing us to use the income to fend for our families.”

It is easy to see the ingenuity and resourcefulness it took for Corine and her fellow entrepreneurs to pivot and establish a new business in the wake of this pandemic. There was no PPP or stimulus packages available to them. They simply took their resolve, skill, knowledge, and what they had in their hands and worked together to survive – even thrive. Their lives are improving and the cycle of poverty is being broken. It is an honor and a privilege to come alongside them and share their story.

Join Homes for HOPE in our mission to partner with the building industry to invest in underserved families around the world for their holistic flourishing and the glory of God. If you or someone you know would love to start a Homes for HOPE project and be a part of serving entrepreneurs like Corine, please contact Matthew Baehr at 717-719-0313 or mbaehr@homes4hope.org.