In circumstances she never would have chosen, Colette did what no one in her community had and became the leader no one knew they needed.
A woman in Burkina Faso named Colette lived every day wondering how she was going to provide for her family. To make matters worse, her newborn was deathly ill.
What she needed was support, but she felt ashamed to ask for it. And to whom would she even turn, anyway?
Then one day, a non-profit came to her village seeking to help the most needy and vulnerable through education, discipleship, agricultural programs, and loans to encourage entrepreneurship.
Perhaps this was the break Colette was hoping for. When Creative Warriors ascertained Colette’s situation, they agreed to help her with a loan so she could start a baking business.
But Colette didn’t tell them about her baby’s dire need.
So, while Creative Warriors returned home to start the loan processes, Colette did what she could: she waited.
By the time Colette’s financial breakthrough came through, her baby had passed away only a couple days before.
Colette was devastated. And when Creative Warriors learned what had happened, they were too.
With the loan in hand and an hole in her heart, Colette vowed she’d never be in this position again. No more preventable loss. No more poverty. No more death and destruction.
So began her rise from the ashes. Starting her baking business was challenging, but her zeal motivated her through the long nights and trying days. Once the business was succeeding, she began a chicken farm, then a money transferring business.
The community began to notice. Other women watched the change in Colette’s situation. If a mustard seed of faith and lot of hard work could lead them out of poverty, they wanted it too. Many accepted loans and began their own businesses for their families.
Soon, the men took notice. The women in their lives were different, their situations improved, their hope fuller than it had ever been. And in turn, the men's respect for the women grew.
And the amount of the loan that changed a community?
Only $300.
Some people are handed hardship or help. Colette received both, and her determination shaped an outcome she never expected.
