From Poverty to Opportunity - Vignettes

Our guests from Opportunity International were informative and inspiring. The harvest centerpieces and snacks were offered by the ladies in the class "Seeing Our Homes Through God's Eyes". With gratitude for the plenty we experience, we can make a difference by offering others a Hand UP rather than a Hand OUT.

The Stool is held up by four legs - In Opportunity International these legs represent:

1. Micro Credit
2. Insurance (Property and Life/Health)
   
3. Banking (savings)
4. Education

A story of a fire in a market in Africa - with small stalls touching each other, the fire spread quickly and couldn't be reached in time to stop. In the news broadcast following the disaster, the story of devastation and loss was different for the 3 merchants who had insurance to re-start their businesses.

A story of a family with a small life insurance policy. A 57-year old widowed mother of 4 didn't have the money to pay a dentist to have a tooth extracted. 3 days after she extracted it herself using a toe nail clipper, she died of tetanus poisoning. Her insurance allowed her two youngest children to remain in school. Her oldest daughter took over her business and her oldest son is working nearby so the family can remain together.

Many other vignettes of courageous people who are helped up and then help others inspire me to make some changes in the way I choose to live.