PRECIOUS FREEMAN and her 10 yr. old son Maxwell, waited patiently,  as we met with countless people from the Buduburam Refugee Camp in Ghana.  Everyone had their desperate story.  Finally Precious ventured to ask, “when will it be my turn to receive prayer”?   I answered, “When everyone else is gone, come to my room”

Precious in her room across from the camp.       Maxwell & Precious one year later back in Liberia

I will never forget that night, when Precious came to our little hotel room, across from the camp.  It was the night she met Jesus, when “Everything changed!”  Precious, like many others, fled from Liberia, during the tragedies of the civil wars.   She vowed, ” I will NEVER go back to that God forsaken land, Liberia, where the rebels killed  my mother and my father!”  Precious left our room that night, with a new found hope.  Her face was literally glowing!  I too could feel the peace, and the presence of God everywhere in the room!  I knew from that moment on, Precious and her son, would always be part of our ever-growing Liberian Family!  The next morning, she  met me still smiling!  She could hardly wait to share her heart.   “Usually I go to sleep, and  sleep small.  Then I wake up and I worry, HOW WILL WE MAKE IT?  Last night I slept ALL NIGHT LONG!!  and the PEACE, IT IS STILL WITH ME!“  Maxwell was not in school.  Every day he would go about looking for food.  His mother had a low paying job at the Hotel we stayed at, across from the refugee camp.   We bought her a bag of rice, put Maxwell to school and bought him a new uniform, black shoes and a book bag.   Today he is one of the top students in his class!

Maxwell having chicken dinner with Mama Karen                   Sitting on their bed in Liberia

It was so much fun inviting Maxwell to dinner.  “Tell Maxwell he doesn’t have to go looking for food tomorrow, I am inviting him to have dinner with me!”  I ordered him the biggest plate of chicken and rice,  possible.   I whispered, “You don’t have to finish it, we will package what you can’t eat, and you and mama will eat that later tonight”   I always remember the words of Mother Teresa, “IF YOU CAN’T FEED A HUNDRED PEOPLE, THEN FEED JUST ONE”

Today with a MICRO LOAN,  Precious Freeman has been able to run a successful food stand outside her home.   She has managed to enroll herself in a vocational school where she is taking a 2 yr. course in Business Management and Accounting.   With her profits, Precious is starting to build herself and Maxwell a  house!

Brick by brick, with her little profits, Precious will buy another few bags of cement, so the brick layers can continue to build.  However long it takes, I know she will finish.  “Precious, I am so proud of you!!”  “Whatever your hand finds to do, I know you will prosper, because God is with you!”

Refugee Assistance, Single Mothers Empowerment Program

BUDUBURAM REFUGEE CAMP in Ghana  is a very difficult  place to live.   Over 30,000 people are left stranded here, just  hoping and praying to go back home to Liberia, or any other place, but this camp!   How will they go, they have no money.  Rice is  sold for $60 dollars a bag, they have no jobs.   They buy their drinking water AND their bath water.  There are open sewers, flies and rats.  Diseases of every kind. 

Provision of Hope has a Single Mothers Empowerment Program where we help these single mothers with micro businesses,  just to “try” to survive!  Their children are not in school, unless they find a sponsor.  They all need help!  We have over 70 mothers, with children.

These four single mothers are the next on the list to go home.  

Our goal is to get them HOME FOR CHRISTMAS.  They all have relatives who will help them once they get to Liberia. 

The cost for one adult is $250  Children $75.  They can travel home by bus.  

   Annie Williams and her Daughter Passion     Precious Jopleh & her two children       

Each one of our mothers has a horrific story of how she ESCAPED THE WAR in Liberia, and fled to seek asylum in this refugee camp.  Some were tortured and beaten by rebels.  Often captured and raped.  They ran while others were gunned down, and killed.  It’s been a horror story!   Unimaginable to most of us in North America!      

      Cynthia Boimah and son Emmanuel                       Helen Byrpu and Son Marvin

If you would like to help these mothers home, please fill out  our DONATIONS PAGE and send it with your cheque. 

To donate by credit card phone 250-454-9456 and ask for Karen Barkman.

Always remember, no donation, is ever too small.  TOGETHER WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Refugee Assistance, Single Mothers Empowerment Program

“WHAT AN INCREDIBLE TRIP … best ever!”  Wait a minute, I said that last year.   It’s so rewarding to see the progress from  one year to the next.  There is always so much growth and development.  Thank you to all who sponsor our orphan children and thank you to our LEADERS IN LIBERIA who are faithfully doing the work.  It takes TEAM effort!  ”T”ogether “E”ach “A”ccomplishes “M”ore!!     

 SAMUEL MWANGI with Edward & Jackson              KRIS RILEY and ELAINE CAUDLE with our boys

Everyone is asking if you will be back?   Of course you will be back!  In God’s timing.  Each one of you made an eternal difference in the hearts of our people!!  With your love and your kindness you touched so many lives.  Samuel I knew you would impact Liberia and leave a deposit of God’s heart that could radically transform a nation!!  We look forward to sending some of our boys out to Destiny Bible School in Kenya next year and we look forward to bringing you back!  

KRIS is reading her book “The Story of Henrietta Caterpillar” to the girls at “The Bridge of Hope Girl’s School”   Every where Kris went she had an audience for her story.  It’s an incredible children’s story inspiring children “ to develop the love, gifts and talents that God has given each of them.”  Kris brought a suitcase of her books to hand out to the children in Liberia and the Refugee Camp in Ghana.   To order a copy visit  her website http://www.byheavensdesign.ca/

WE HAVE 4 WIDOW DISTRIBUTION CENTERS WHERE 135 WIDOWS COME TO GET THEIR RICE

ELAINE has offered to work with Pastor Paul in expanding our work with the widows.  This month we  started to add salt, oil, and soap to their portions!  You cannot come and watch our widows worship & pray and not be moved.  Ask Elaine and Kris how it was for them.  I am smiling as I type here,  knowing how undone they both  were that first Saturday.  Yes, they both cried!    These are the ones who have suffered so much through the wars.   They are women strong in faith and courage.   “Pastor Paul, thank you for starting this tremendous work, in honor of your late mother.” 

We spent a week in Ghana at the BUDUBURAM REFUGEE CAMP  visiting our friends there.   

We now have  72 Single mothers that are part of our Single Mothers Empowerment Program on the camp.  As funds come in we empower more with small micro loans.  They said the small business loans were really helping them!   We start them off with 200 – 300 dollars.

SINGLE MOTHERS BUSINESSES ARE STILL GOING STRONG.  THIS IS HELPING THEM TO MAKE IT!

Princess Bolee is running a successful dry goods store.   Leona, Dorcas & Lovetta run a small restaurant.

We just empowered two more single mothers this month.  We still have a  long list of those who are waiting.  Every day they are asking when their turn will come.  Our answer is always the same… “we hope very soon”  If anyone would like to help single mothers feed and clothe their children, this is a great way to help.  Some have even managed to put their children to school.  That’s remarkable on a refugee camp where rice is priced ridiculously high and they all pay for their water  to bathe.

PHONE  250-454-9456  to donate by credit card

Or fill out our DONATIONS PAGE and send it with your cheque or money order.

Single Mothers Empowerment Program, Trip Updates

REMEMBER US O LORD…

… is the prayer on the lips of these SINGLE MOTHERS as they march through the BUDUBURAM REFUGEE CAMP … inviting everyone to join them for their upcoming conference!!

The Theme of the Conference was REMEMBER US O LORD…taken from Lamentations 5:1-15

“REMEMBER , O LORD, what has happened to us, LOOK and SEE our DISGRACE….we have become ORPHANS and FATHERLESS, our MOTHERS like WIDOWS.   We must buy the water we drink, our wood can be had only at a price.  Our skin is hot as an oven, feverish from hunger.”   This is a reality for these women on the refugee camp.  They really do buy their water, their skin does become hot and feverish because of hunger!

 Let us join our hearts and prayers with them to say, “There is one who neither slumbers nor sleeps.  He will not let your foot slip—The Lord watches over you–The Lord is your shade at your right hand — The Lord will keep you from all harm — He will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore!”   He really has not forgotten you!!

HEAR OUR CRY FOR HELP O LORD, COME AND RESCUE US!  SHOW YOUR MERCY ON US ALMIGHTY GOD!

Everyone is talking about this weekend….”HOW GOD CAME AND TOUCHED THEIR LIVES!!!”

The women were thrilled to serve meat pies and cokes to the many guests who came to join them.

Our Leaders Leona, Bernice and Linda send their deepest gratitude!  They were so encouraged by your love and your prayers.  “Please tell them how much it means to us!!”

Single Mothers Empowerment Program

KUMBA BWAH fled from Liberia in 1996 during one of Africa’s bloodiest civil wars.  They say over 200,000 were killed and millions of others ran for their lives.

Today, as a result of this brutal war Kumba finds herself alone, without her children, in the Buduburam Refugee Camp in Ghana.   Her only hope is to one day find her children and be reunited with them.

Just recently she was told her son has been found in Loffa County, Liberia!  Kumba is praying daily that she can find the means to return home.   She will need 200 USD and 100 USD for her Grandson Eric.  If you are able to help her resettle, please contact us.  You can email karen@provisionofhope.com or phone 250-454-9456.  Please read her story, as it was told to Bernice Williams one of Provison of Hope Leaders for the Single Mothers Empowerment Program.

  “On April  6 1996 there was a heavy war that was fought in Liberia, which made me and my family  flee from our home.  While we were escaping, from the war, my oldest son was killed in front of me.

I began to cry.  While I was crying one of the rebels told me to shut up. I could not shut up, so he took his cutlass and attacked me. My leg began to bleed. The rebel  started beating me with his gun. In the process the government soldiers attacked the place where we were.  This was how all the rebels ran away and my family and I began to run for our lives too.   I was limping and dragging my bleeding leg.  When we walked a long way and got very tired we reached to some bush area and slept there.  We started our journey the next day. We walked till we reached the Guinea border. At the border there was a heavy rocket launch that made many lose their lives. After that, I could not see my husband and children. They were all missing!

I ran into the bush for two weeks searching desperately for my family. I was like a mad woman!  My leg was still bleeding so I took my blouse and tied it on my leg to stop the bleeding. I was in so much pain and so frustrated.

The rebels later attacked the Guinea side. I heard a firing sound while I was in search for my children. I really did not want to move, I only wanted to find my children.  I never feared about gun shot any more if it could kill me, only I feared not finding my children.

I later met a lady  in the bush. She was running away from gun fire, she saw me and stopped to ask me what I am doing there.  I told her I am in search of my missing children. She felt for me and wept with me. She said we should run and leave that place because when rebels see us they will kill us. She encouraged me  and we started to run to the border side,  passing among the gun shots that were flying around us.  With God’s help we were able to cross the border to reach Guinea.  While in Guinea I had sleepless nights worrying about my children. I searched in Guinea for my children but I could not find them.

Some of the refugees in Guinea told me to go to Ghana maybe I could find my children there,  since refugees fled there too.  They put together transportation this is how I was able to get to Ghana. I searched for them in Ghana but I still could not find them.  I am believing that God will locate my children to me one day. I later started planting potatoes and carrying  them to the market for sale to make my living. Presently I am suffering from high blood pressure due to the worry of my children.

I will keep believing that God will help me to find my children.’

Single Mothers Empowerment Program

As a REFUGEE on the BUDUBURAM REFUGEE CAMP, life is very hard.

War has adverse effects on everyone, but the people who suffer most are the women and children.

Provision of Hope Empowerment Leaders Single Mothers with children on the Refugee Camp

We can CHOOSE one or two options.  We can give handouts for food, housing and medicine or we can give them micro loans to enable them to do small business on the camp.   We have over 50 single mothers  who are all part of the Provision of Hope Prayer Group.  They gather every single Saturdayto worship and to pray.  What a powerful group of women!!  Presently we are at No. 15 on the empowerment list.  Our goal is to empower each one.

Marthaline sells used clothing Maybel Mulbah sells dry goods Cinneh Johnson in Nursing School

When these mothers can provide for their own needs, it gives them self worth and confidence.

“I feel like I am somebody, with meaning and purpose to my life”  “ I can feed my children and that makes me very happy”   These women have come alive with HOPE and a FUTURE.

Our Vision is to pray together, to seek the face of the Lord together, then follow His commands.

Single Mothers waiting for our needed help

We will empower women both spiritually and physically enabling them to provide for their own family needs, then go beyond themselves to help the needy in their society.

We were just there in Ghana with these women, and we saw for ourselves what a difference this is making.  Many times they go to bed hungry, or their children are sick with no medical help.  We also know that handouts are not the solution to their poverty.

MICRO LOANS ARE BETTER THAN HANDOUTS!

If you would like to donate to assist these single mothers through our Single Mothers Empowerment Program,

Contact:  Karen Barkman 250-454-9456 or email karen@provisionofhope.com

or go to our Donations Page

Micro Loans, Newsletters, Single Mothers Empowerment Program Single Mothers Empowerment Program