Beginnings at Junction Church

One of the church partners where I have been most involved is at Junction Church. It’s so neat to see the excitement that is currently surrounding the program there. They recently had their first weekly meeting and 23 individuals showed up to receive continual business and biblical training. The most encouraging sign? Over 16 of these individuals received microloans! Microloans are usually just a small part of the Paradigm Shift Program with only about 25% of weekly attenders qualifying for a loan. With almost 70% of weekly attenders at Junction receiving loans, it demonstrates the quality and talent of the entrepreneurs in this cycle at Junction.

Here is a quick bit on a few of the entrepreneurs at Junction:

Marcia runs a car wash/café in Diepsloot, plans to use the money to fix a broken water drain that has been giving her trouble for months.

Jans, founder of a production company doing a variety of lighting, sound, photography and event planning, will use the loan to buy his own printer to give clients quicker customer service.

Simon, a driven chicken farmer, is planning on using the funds to expand production from his operations in the North West providence nearer to the larger market of Johannesburg.

I’m excited to spend the next three months to walk side-by-side some of these entrepreneurs, helping them to develop their business skills and also challenge them in their faith.