Was your dad ever your hero? For years, Husein* was just that for his wife and eight children. Every day he would climb mountains to collect heavy piles of wood to make a living.
The family had spent years as refugees in Pakistan. When they returned home to Chiras, a village in Afghanistan, life was very hard. ‘We had to start all over again,’ Husein explains, ‘We could hardly provide the daily needs for our families.’ Eventually Husein became too old and weak to climb the mountains and carry wood. Without an alternative livelihood, their situation seemed hopeless.
Here to Serve
But, thanks to your support and prayers, Tearfund partner Serve Afghanistan was able to help. They gave one goat to each of the 50 poorest families in the village, along with training in animal care and using goat’s milk.
A year later, Husein’s goat gave birth to two baby goats. One was given back to the project, while Husein kept the other. ‘My goat then gave birth again,’ says Husein proudly. He now has 11 goats and one ‘billy goat’ to hire out for breeding.
A brighter future
Things are now very different in Chiras village. Children have improved nutrition thanks to the fresh milk. As the community has become more skillful in making and selling milk products, such as cheese, families can now afford to send their children to school. Importantly the villagers know that, although initially supported by Serve Afghanistan, they have worked through the problems of poverty themselves, and they are now leading the programme.
‘My whole family is so thankful for these changes in our lives!’ says Husein. ‘We can’t imagine how things would have been if Serve Afghanistan had not come to our area.’
* Name changed to protect identity
PLEASE PRAY
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Give thanks for Serve Afghanistan’s work and ask God that it would be able to bring hope to more villages such as Chiras.
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Give thanks for people like Husein working tirelessly to support their families. Pray that Afghans living in poverty would be able to take control of their lives and build brighter futures.
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Lift up the country of Afghanistan and pray for long-term peace, security and recovery from the years of war.