Simon is a husband, father to six children, and pastor of Sudan Penticostal Church. 

A member of Emmanuel Seed Effect Savings and Loan Group, Simon serves on the leadership team as the Spiritual Integration Leader of their group.

Simon, Seed Effect Member & Spiritual Integration Leader

‘“First of all, I really thank Seed Effect so much. We have so many savings groups here in the settlement, but they neglect the word of God. But Seed Effect, when they came, the first thing they introduced was the word of God.

And that is what I love about Seed Effect. And for sure, the word of God has united all of us. We are not only one denomination here, we are different denominations and faiths, including Muslims. And even for the first time a Muslim is now praying like a Christian because of Seed Effect.

Now we are one, because of Seed Effect.

“What we basically learned are the 4 key relationships that Seed Effect taught to us as a group. One is having a relationship with God. By sin our relationships have been broken, but now through Seed Effect we are mending and repairing those relationships. Two, our relationship amongst ourselves and others. You know, we came from South Sudan because of conflict and some of us, we hate ourselves, we hate each other. But now because of Seed Effect, we are able to love each other, because the Bible says, ‘to love your neighbor, as you love yourself.’ Then lastly, our relationship with the environment (creation). We need to keep the environment clean. We need to utilize the environment.

These are the things that we are really appreciating Seed Effect for, especially in my role as spiritual integration leader. 

‘Emmanual’ Seed Effect group celebrates their share out

Additionally, Seed Effect has helped us learn to save. There is a phrase in Swahili, and it says ‘If you have 10 thousand, use it all, then hide (or throw away) the plan that you have (for saving). But this is very wrong, but now Seed Effect has been able to teach us how to save, so that when you have 10, use 5, save 5.

Let me touch a little bit on our first share-out we had last week. It was amazing. You know the culture of saving is not ours, as mentioned earlier, but when Seed Effect came with the idea of savings, we asked them a question, “Are you going to support us? Where are we going to get money to do the saving?” The Seed Effect staff said, “Start with what you have.” What do you have, that is the question. Then we looked around and said okay and we started saving, saving, saving. When we shared-out we realized that we had 8,187,900 shillings! That’s a lot of money! From nowhere! And when we shared out, everybody in the group has a plan for what they are going to do with their share out and savings.

Me personally, I have a son in college, and that saving has allowed me to complete the last year of payment towards graduation, because of savings. My children are able to go to good schools, better private schools now, because of Seed Effect.

This next year our prayer is for every person in the group to save at least 1.5 million shillings. That is our aim! 

Seed Effect has done a lot, and our prayer is that Seed Effect should continue to grow to help support and empower others.”

‘Emmanual’ Seed Effect Savings & Loan Group