Beyond Mere Existence

Dear Partners of Assist International:

There is a question that I ponder when a friend or a loved one faces the dreaded disease of cancer. All of a sudden, you think of things you may have never thought of before, like: life and death issues and living beyond mere existence. I think the goal of all of us is to live BEYOND MERE EXISTENCE.

In Jinja, Uganda, we see mothers and children who because of circumstances beyond their control, (the death of a husband and father through war or AIDS) are pondering questions like: "how are we going to survive?"

Widows in Africa are in a panic because the man of the household is gone and they do not have the means to support their own children. Some of the women who lost their husbands felt they had to turn to prostitution so their children would not starve.

Now they have a chance because someone cared. Cheri Reynolds along with her husband Tim (Executive Director of Assist International) and their four sons spent last summer living in Africa. While there, Cheri decided to partner with women who had become her friends to help them be able to put bread on their tables, send their children to school and take steps out of extreme poverty. It's a classic example of moving from mere existence...tackling a problem, and finding a solution.

A.I. currently is partnering with Cheri and her company, Enzi Imports, to set up a women's group in Webuye, Kenya and in Uganda, with cottage industries that will lift women out of poverty and secure their future and their ability to provide for their children. Currently, there are 30 women in Webuye sharing one sewing machine. Assist International is donating many more sewing machines, as well as clothing and beads to help these women start businesses to be able to care for their children and support them in their bid to rise above poverty. If you would like to donate money towards the purchase of a sewing machine, please send your money to Assist International and mark the envelope: Women's Empowerment Fund.

If you want to buy jewelry that lifts a mother and her children from poverty, please visit www.enziimports.com. If you want to know how you can get involved, email Cheri at cheri@enziimports.com. There is a potential of empowering hundreds of women, mothers with tears of joy in their eyes, knowing they now have an opportunity to provide a future for their children.

Assist International does not belong to Bob & Charlene Pagett or a Board of Directors. It belongs to people like you who want an avenue by which you can make a difference. IT'S AN AVENUE THAT CAN EMPOWER ALL OF US FROM MERE EXISTENCE.

-Bob Pagett