“Be diligent in serving the poor. Love the poor, honor them, my children, as you would honor Christ Himself.”
St. Louise de Marillac
A Ministry of Hope: Walking with Microfinancing Partners in Africa
(From left) S. Cj Willie meets with Jacinta Mbele and Osedo Wycliffe, participants in the Children of the Universe Project. This project provides materials for teachers that introduce them and their students to the work of Thomas Berry.
Sister of Charity Cj Willie recently returned from a five-week trip to Africa to visit microfinancing projects in Kenya, Zanzibar, and Tanzania, accompanying long-standing microfinancing partners and witnessing firsthand the transformative impact of this ministry.
S. Cj joined S. Toni Temporiti, CPPS, who first introduced her to microfinancing 15 years ago and continues to lead efforts through the African Ministry Fund. Together, they visited communities where small loans are opening doors to education, stability, and self-sufficiency.
In Juja, Kenya, they celebrated the blessing of Elizabeth House, a new initiative connected to the Star of Hope Orphanage, home to 147 children. While the orphanage provides care through childhood, young adults must leave at age 18. Elizabeth House offers a path forward, providing 15 apartment units whose rental income will fund university or trade school education for these young people.
“It is hard to believe a year’s university tuition is just $1,300,” S. Cj noted. “Yet even that is out of reach for so many without support.”
Throughout their travels, Sisters Cj and Toni met with dozens of microfinancing groups – each one unique, yet united by a shared commitment to building a better future. Members begin by learning to save, pooling their resources before receiving matching funds that allow them to begin borrowing.
What follows are stories of ingenuity and determination: women starting sewing businesses, families selling fruits and vegetables by the roadside, others raising chickens for eggs or securing school fees for their children. Each group establishes its own structure, leadership, and loan terms, fostering both accountability and pride.
“Microfinancing offers a hand up, not a handout,” S. Cj said. “People are proud of what they have accomplished – and rightly so.”
One particularly moving gathering on Feb. 7, 2026, brought together 400 members from 70 microfinancing groups across Kenya for a first-ever conference of its kind. Some had traveled more than 10 hours to attend. Through shared presentations and small group discussions, participants spoke candidly about their challenges and successes, strengthening both their skills and their sense of community.
The journey also brought S. Cj face-to-face with some of the most vulnerable populations. In Naivasha, she met with a group of women seeking to leave prostitution behind. Driven by the need to support their families, many had few alternatives. Now with support from the African Ministry Fund, and the leadership of a woman named Patience, a former sex worker herself, they are working toward new opportunities and independence.
In Tanzania, the Sisters’ ministries extend to orphanages, schools, and outreach to those living on the margins. In Moshi, S. Cj visited an orphanage caring for 47 children, including 17 under the age of 2, many abandoned or surrendered by families unable to provide for them. The stories, she said, were heartbreaking.
S. Cj with students at the Amani School for street children.
Yet even in the face of such hardship, signs of hope abound. At Amani School for street children in Kenya, students welcomed visitors with joyful song and dance. In Maji ya Chai in Tanzania, a sewing group funded through the ministry produces school uniforms, creating both income and opportunity.
S. Cj witnessed the ripple effects of small investments made with great care. She also encountered the fragility of progress. The sudden closure of a local USAID-supported program has already begun to impact access to HIV medications, food assistance, and education, reminding her how quickly gains can be reversed without sustained support. Still, what remains most striking is the resilience of the people themselves.
Across countries and cultures, S. Cj experienced deep hospitality and a shared commitment to lifting one another up. Whether gathered in village meetings, classrooms, or modest homes, individuals spoke not only of their own needs, but of their hopes for their children and their communities.
This ministry, grounded in presence, partnership, and trust, continues to respond to the signs of the times with compassion and courage. Even the smallest acts – when rooted in love – can grow into something life-changing.
(From left) Sisters Cj Willie and Toni Temporiti, CPPS, meet with a small microfinancing group in Moshi, Tanzania.
S. Cj visits with a member of the Maasai tribe.
S. Cj is pictured with women involved in various microfinancing projects she and S. Toni have supported.
S. Cj discusses a future project with Mole Shefu in Zanzibar.
Sisters Toni Temporiti, CPPS, (left) and Cj Willie (second from right) wear African dresses gifted by the Sisters at the CPPS Motherhouse in honor of their 50th jubilees. The celebration included drumming, song and dance.
A vibrant starfish found in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Zanzibar.
Contact Us
The post A Ministry of Hope first appeared on Sisters of Charity.