A Story of Empowerment

In 2012, our president, Henry Fisher, was introduced to Vusi Masinga from Shigamani Village. Bishop Masinga had started a church under a tree on land granted to him by the village chief to serve his community. He was a great visionary, and an immediate connection was formed between them. Together, they began making plans for the church and future developments in the village.

As per local culture, a house was required for marriage. Since Bishop Masinga was not married yet, we assisted him in achieving this goal by constructing a house. In December 2014, Bishop Masinga married Gertrude.

At the same time, the construction of a multipurpose building was underway. This structure would serve as both a church and a community center, empowering the locals.

In August 2015, Bishop Masinga passed away, leaving a void in project leadership. Shortly after his passing, a tornado destroyed two of the building’s walls. We encouraged the community to rebuild the walls.

After completion and with new leadership established, we assisted in installing a roof, making the building ready for use.

In June 2019, we dedicated the multipurpose building. During the dedication celebration, an ordination ceremony was held for Pastor Gertrude Mathebula and the elders of the church. Since then, we have been working closely with Pastor Gertrude to empower her and the local leaders, with the aim of transforming Shigamani into a spiritually healthy and self-sustaining community.

In January 2023, we began constructing a new building to serve as the business center, housing a bakery, a supermarket, and our office. We are empowering local people through entrepreneurship to generate income and achieve self-sustainability.

In 2024, we sent several construction teams to South Africa to complete the new building. Meanwhile, we provided training and guidance to local people to manage the businesses.

These initiatives will create jobs, generate income, and transform mindsets. Located on Shigamani’s main road, this hub will serve the village and nearby communities, reducing reliance on distant towns.

Several teams helped us finalize the building, and generous sponsors enabled us to equip and stock the bakery and supermarket. With additional training sessions, we were able to officially launch the new businesses. Today, the bakery produces around 700 loaves of bread per day, supplying not only the people of Shigamani but also six surrounding villages. Currently, the businesses employ 14 local residents.

We acquired land adjacent to the multipurpose building and the current businesses. Our next steps include the construction of the Dunamis House to host mission teams, a training center to equip the local community and neighboring villages, an annex dedicated to expanding the bakery’s production, and the construction of both a butchery and a restaurant.