Rachelle’s

Rachelle, 21, lives with two teenage sisters in Burundi. Their parents were killed in the country’s brutal civil war when she was just 15. While the sisters continued attending school through the generosity of a woman in their village, without regular income, the girls often went days without eating. Once she graduated, Rachelle struggled to find work in an uncertain economy.

Through her church, Rachelle was invited to participate in agricultural training, where she learned small business skills along with sustainable agriculture practices. “These activities influenced my life in many ways,” she says. “I will help my village and the church by teaching them good agriculture techniques that will help the community increase food production.”

Rachelle’s story is just one example of the far-reaching impact of integrated projects. Local churches become agents of transformation, working with their communities to cultivate long-term, hopeful change.