Help Us Keep Families Together
When mothers and families face extreme poverty, illness, or social exclusion, they may feel compelled to give up their children as a life-saving act. That is why ACE programs protect families in crisis, restore vulnerable children to family, and strengthen communities through economic empowerment and education.
This giving season, join us in creating lasting change for children and families.
Our goal is to raise $100,000 for our programs. Every gift will be matched until December 31!
Nandi is the eldest of eight siblings. As the eldest child, she faced an overwhelming burden early in life. Forced to grow up too soon and help her parents, Nandi left school in the ninth grade. She began cleaning homes, earning money to send her younger siblings to school. Despite her efforts, her family continued to struggle.
Nandi’s determination did not wane. She started a small business selling chitenge fabric. The business did well enough that she was able to support her siblings and open her home to other family members in need. She also started taking a catering course to expand her options. In spite of all of her work, the challenges Nandi faced became overwhelming when she became pregnant with twins.
To make matters worse, her husband lost his job around the same time. Unable to continue her studies, Nandi reluctantly returned to domestic work to make ends meet. The weight of responsibility felt crushing. Her greatest fear was whether or not she would be able to feed her children.
That’s when ACE’s Family Preservation & Empowerment Program (FPEP) stepped in to partner with Nandi. Equipped with training and resources, Nandi rebuilt her business and now runs three thriving ventures. Today, she is confident that she can support her family and children as they grow. Nandi also shares her knowledge with others, and serves as a powerful example of resilience and hope in her community.
Meet Nandi & Her Family
Nandi, her twins, and her niece at home
Creating Stronger Families with the Family Preservation and Empowerment Program
Very often, the women and caregivers enrolled in ACE’s Family Preservation and Empowerment Program (FPEP) act as the heads of their household. This means that, aside from their own children, other family members and their children depend on these strong women as pillars of financial and emotional support. Whether it’s due to physical illness, mental illness, a lack of job opportunities, a bad harvest year or drought, a range of factors can place a burden on heads of household that is difficult to weather alone. Oftentimes, all it takes is one bit of bad news to take a family out of relative stability and into a period of extreme hardship. ACE’s programs head off these moments of hardship by empowering women acting as head of household to diversify their skills and better navigate their business endeavors. They also learn to manage and invest funds, pooling money in local savings groups, creating financial safety nets that make the community more resilient as a whole.
Help us empower Nandi and the family members that depend on her.
“In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.” — Alex Haley
FPEP
Our programs guide families from crisis to sustainability through emergency food relief and economic empowerment.
Food Relief
With food security, mothers and caregivers can focus on the next steps of providing for their family.
Skills Training
We teach marketable skills like tailoring, rug making, and goat farming. Participants choose their focus based on interest and market research.
Savings Groups
We help families to develop financial resilience with their neighbors. We lead community savings groups that introduce healthy financial habits and a structure for families to grow their earnings together.
Seed Capital
We provide seed capital to cover the initial expenses of launching a micro-enterprise. Participants receiving coaching from our staff as they establish their businesses and prepare for life after graduation.
We caught up with Modesta, an amazing and entrepreneurial woman who runs a stall at Chaisa Market in Lusaka, Zambia, to see how she and her family were doing since enrolling in ACE's Family Preservation and Empowerment Program (FPEP). Before enrolling in the program, Modesta was struggling to find a way to support her family. Since receiving skills training and seed capital to open up a small produce stall at the local market, Modesta has grown her business considerably. She now sells a variety of produce, dried goods like beans and spices, cooking supplies, and has started making rugs which she sells as well. Not only is she able to support herself and her family, she is also helping to take care of relatives in need. Her grandkids have also begun attending school, and she feels hopeful for the future.
Visiting with Modesta at Chaisa Market
Your gift will change the lives of more strong women like Modesta.
Join the Family.
Even a small gift can have a big impact! Below are some ways your gift will make a difference.
