Empowering women Archives - Cross International

Empowering Women in Rural Uganda: Lydia’s Story

June 2, 2025 by Cross International

As a mother and a grandmother, Lydia is the heart of her household. Over the years, she’s prepared hundreds of meals for her family. And in her home, that’s no small feat. Lydia and her husband Christopher have nine children, some of whom are now adults while the rest are in their teens, and one grandchild. Together the family lives in a small, metal sheet-roofed house in their remote village in southern Uganda.

Lydia cooks for her large family in a tiny space with very basic supplies, and for many years utilized traditional cooking stones that are commonly used by rural Ugandan women. While skilled in this method, Lydia was keenly aware of the hazards of open fire cooking. “The smoke was simply intolerable,” she remembers. “My eyes would burn, and my chest felt heavy. I often worried about the health of my children, who were always around the cooking area.” Lydia and her kids frequently suffered from respiratory infections due to smoke inhalation.

The process was arduous. It took hours each day to collect adequate firewood, leaving minimal time or energy for other activities. The physically-demanding work left Lydia in a constant state of exhaustion, but she pressed on for the sake of her family, trusting God to sustain her. Lydia found comfort in the words of her favorite scripture, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

Feeling like she was stuck in an endless cycle, Lydia began attending a series of community meetings organized by Cross International’s local ministry partner, HEED Uganda, which informed residents about various resources and opportunities. Lydia listened intently as meeting leaders discussed the construction of energy-efficient stoves for individual households at extremely low costs. When she realized this was an option for her home, Lydia was elated!

It took just a few hours for Lydia’s new stove to be built. Cooking with the energy-efficient stove produces far less smoke and requires only a fraction of the firewood that was previously needed. Since the switch, Lydia and her family have been healthier from breathing cleaner air. Meanwhile, fewer trips to collect firewood has freed up time for Lydia to spend on other activities. “I now have more time to tend to my garden and grow vegetables for my family. I even have time to make crafts that I sell at the local market in Kafunda.”

From energy-efficient stoves to safe water to agricultural training and much more, Cross International collaborates with local ministries to equip individuals and transform communities. Lydia has experienced the difference firsthand: “Your generosity has brought hope and empowerment into our lives, and I am deeply grateful.”

It’s the selfless giving of people like you that enables Cross International’s work to continue. Partner with us today to bring vital resources and the hope of Christ to the poorest of the poor!

Hidden Villages: Ending Generational Poverty in Dominican Bateyes

February 7, 2025 by Cross International

Tucked away in pockets of the Dominican Republic, a country known in part for its lush landscape and magnificent coastline with endless white sand beaches, are impoverished villages called bateyes. Poverty is a serious issue throughout the country, but these communities are unique. They began to form in the 1930s, when large numbers of poor Haitians migrated to their neighboring country for seasonal work cutting sugarcane. Though the workers were victims of exploitation and prejudice, many ended up staying permanently for lack of better options.

As the influx from Haiti continued, the government sought to isolate Haitian immigrants away from Dominican society while still slashing production costs for this important crop. Bateyes were the solution. Flimsy shanties to house workers were constructed adjacent to sugarcane fields while armed guards and fences were put in place to prevent people from leaving, essentially creating company-owned villages cutoff from surrounding Dominican towns and cities. Living conditions were awful, lacking running water, electricity, bathrooms, and other basic amenities.

Over the decades, the bateyes became home to hundreds of thousands of first, second, and third-generation Haitians, who despite spending their lives in the Dominican Republic, had no legal claim to citizenship. That made it extraordinarily difficult to access medical care, education, and a wide range of other resources.

When economic demand for sugar in world markets sharply declined in the 21st century, some operations ceased and guards departed, but hundreds of bateyes remain to this day. Thirteen-year-old Dalianiza lives with her family in one of them. Because her parents are both undocumented, their job options are nearly non-existent. Her father is confined to guiding an ox cart in the cane fields, and his wages are barely enough to afford a single meal per day for the family. The sugar company owns their small house, and the only bathrooms are outside the home, shared with the community. Education is typically out of the question for kids like Dalianiza.

While children and families in bateyes may be largely invisible to the outside world, God sees them. In these challenging places, Cross International is committed to bringing lasting change in the name of Jesus. Because of the selfless giving of Cross International friends, Dalianiza and her family regularly receive food through CI’s local partner, Buen Samaritano. Along with other kids in the program, Dalianiza’s BMI (Body Mass Index) is tracked over time to ensure healthy growth. Parents and caregivers even participate in cooking classes in which they learn how to prepare nutritious meals using a variety of foods.

The program has also increased access to healthcare and paved the way for Dalianiza to attend school by covering fees and providing her with necessary items like a uniform, socks, shoes, a backpack, notebooks, and pencils. And crucially, she hears the message of the Gospel from compassionate Christians who point to Jesus as the true source of provision and hope.

There are no quick fixes or easy solutions to address the immense needs in batey communities. Instead, sustainable progress requires patience and dedication. Thank you for joining with Cross International to give Dalianiza and so many others opportunities that were once far out of reach. What a blessing it is to witness transformation unfolding.

Our work ranges from self-help groups that offer low-interest microloans, job training and community support to residential programs that offer career counseling, tutoring and Bible training.

Click here to help more families like Dalianiza thrive.

Sewing a Better Future

December 13, 2024 by Cross International

Within the Eastern Province of Zambia, many single, divorced and widowed women find it exceedingly difficult to provide for their households’ basic needs. Their meager incomes often don’t cover the cost of food, clothing, adequate shelter, education and health care for themselves or their children. As a result, female-headed households are desperate for an alternative means to increase income and provide for their families.

Along with our partner in Zambia, the Kachere Development Program, Cross works to empower women to build sustainable small businesses. Currently, 436 training and business groups, each comprising 15 to 20 women, meet weekly across many Zambian villages.

One of these groups is the Women’s Sewing Project, based in a central location in the Chipangali District. Currently, 20 women run the business, working on manual sewing machines, as there is no electric grid in the area. They sew uniforms or clothes for families or small businesses and have a full-time trainer to help them develop their sewing and business skills. Each woman has her own clients, but they also work as a collective and share resources.

In addition to the work sessions, the women hold self-help group meetings, where they share ideas and resources to help each other improve their livelihoods. Group members borrow money from the group’s savings and abide by the agreed repayment and interest terms. With the help of the Kachere Development Program, we aim to raise the income of the participants by helping them build sustainable sewing businesses.

Is the venture successful? Just ask Dorika Mwale. Before she became involved with the Women’s Sewing Project, her family faced many hardships. They struggled to meet their daily needs. Most days, they only ate one meal.

Dorika’s husband, Aaron, is a seasonal farmer and earns about $30 for the entire harvest, not nearly enough to support their family of six. But self-help groups such as the Women’s Sewing Project ensure that hardworking women like Dorika don’t have to rely on charity or borrow from predatory moneylenders. Instead, she has established a thriving business where she sews clothes, school uniforms and other garments for clients all across the Chipangali District. The training she receives from the Women’s Sewing Project is wide-ranging, and includes business planning, assertiveness training, psychological counseling and spiritual development.

“The Women’s Sewing Project has changed everything!” says Dorika. “For the first time in my life, I have money left over each month to use at my discretion!”

Cross International currently has microenterprise programs in three countries — Zambia, Malawi and Uganda — improving the lives of more than 3,400 men and women, and indirectly providing a better future for more than 7,400 children.

Our work ranges from self-help groups that offer low-interest microloans, job training and community support to residential programs that offer career counseling, tutoring and Bible training.