Before joining Seed Effect, Pamela and her family faced a lot of challenges, especially paying for food and school fees. Pamela shared that her husband was an alcoholic and that he had been very unsupportive of her and the children. This deeply affected their household, as he always quarreled with them when he returned home from drinking.

Pamela shared her story of transformation, beginning with a visit to church. There, she learned about Seed Effect during a Sunday church service when one of the Seed Effect Community Based Facilitators (CBFs) came to introduce the program to the community.

Shortly after this, the Seed Effect team returned to form groups and train new members. Pamela joined the Apoka Poka Pee Seed Effect group, and while learning about how to run a savings group, they also gathered for Bible study, which explored restoring the four key relationships that were broken (relationship between God and man, man with himself, man with others, and man with the environment).

She began saving diligently with others, and as their numbers grew, they soon gained access to small loans. With her first loan, she started selling tomatoes, onions, and cooking oil. This opportunity marked a turning point in her life. With each successful transaction, her confidence grew, and she started taking smaller loans to gradually expand her business. Pamela shared,

“Through Seed Effect, I gained access to financial tools. Through weekly saving and taking loans from my group as needed, my finances have been boosted. From the borrowing, I was able to start up a wholesale of market vending dealing in different products like silverfish, tomatoes, cabbage, cooking oil, and others, which has brought financial returns. This helped in paying school fees and buying food. My business saves time for our community members. They no longer have to go far distances to source the items they need.”

Pamela’s business became a lifeline, helping her provide food, support her children’s education, and even bring stability to her home. The financial freedom eased her husband’s stress, and the Bible study helped strengthen Pamela’s faith. She began sharing the word of God with her family members and her husband accepted Jesus, stopped drinking, and became a supportive husband to the family.

Pamela was filled with pride as she spoke of her children’s happiness and her own newfound joy, “My children are happy, and I am happy too,” she said as she reflected on the journey that had not only uplifted her family but brought renewed hope and purpose into their lives.