WE RISE BY LIFTING OTHERS We were created for community. We were designed to live together, share together and grow together. We are living in an increasingly individualistic society. In our efforts to please ourselves we are seeing our sense of community spirit reduced. But we were created for community. We were designed to live together, share together and grow together.

RICH IN COMMUNITY Many communities may be materially poor, but rich in community. The Salvation Army is utilising this natural resource through the development of local savings groups. In some of the poorest parts of the world, many people may be materially poor but they are often rich in community. It is this natural resource that we are utilising for a number of savings groups which are rising up in different communities all around the world.  

SAVING GROUPS Women meet weekly to share together & save small amounts of money They use this communal fund to build their businesses They also receive training on a wide range of relevant topics. In these groups women meet weekly to share together and save small amounts of money.   This develops a communal fund that each of them can draw on to build their businesses and as a form of insurance against any unexpected costs (such as healthcare). At the meetings there are also training sessions on a wide variety of topics, including reading and writing, numeracy, first aid, gender equality and business training. That means these groups are investing in their future - both with their time and with their money. This helps them to build up a bank of knowledge and income which will equip them and their children to defeat their material poverty.

MALAWI In Malawi, nearly half of women can’t read or write This makes it hard to run businesses They are also often cheated in the local market. In Malawi, where nearly 50% of women are illiterate, the groups are particularly focusing on reading and writing skills in order to give members the skills they need to set up their own businesses. Without these basic skills women are unable to calculate their costs and profits, and when going to the shops they are often cheated as they do not know how to count their money.  

FANNIE JOHN ‘Before I could not write my name, but now I can.’ ‘I am happy that now when my children are reading, I can help them. My children even brag about me saying, “My mother can read now!”’ Fannie John is one of the women involved in the project. She explained how she has been helped through this project:   ‘Before I could not write my name, but now I can. I can also pick out the different parts of a word, and write words. I hope by the end of school I will know everything. I am happy that now when my children are reading, I can help them. My children even brag about me saying, “My mother can read now!”’

TOGETHER WE RISE We can help women become: Social entrepreneurs Social activists Empowered to bring about social change. By engaging in these projects women not only become social entrepreneurs, but also social activists, empowered to bring about change in their communities.

SUPPORT NOW With your help we can continue to support communities to rise up and tackle their own poverty together. Give a donation to support this important & empowering work Rise up as a group and raise funds together. With your help we can continue to support communities to rise up and tackle their own poverty together.   Give a donation to your local Adult and Family Ministries group or Salvation Army corps. Rise up as a group and raise funds together – for ideas go to www.salvationarmy.org.uk/togetherwerise

CONTACT SAID UK www.salvationarmy.org.uk/id id@salvationarmy.org.uk youtube.com/salvationarmyid +44 (0)20 7367 4777 www.salvationarmy.org.uk/id id@salvationarmy.org.uk facebook.com/SAIDUK @SAIDUK You can also keep up to date with all of the latest international development work happening all around the world on the SAID UK website, or through Facebook and Twitter.