In the East African country of Mozambique, a group of dedicated women—Otilia, Julieta, Palmira and Maria—are transforming lives through the Tabitha Project, a women-focused ministry that helps to empower marginalized and impoverished communities to overcome social, physical, spiritual and economic challenges. This initiative teaches small business skills like baking, sewing and design, enabling young girls and women to earn money to support themselves and their families.
“We also train them and teach them the Word of God from the Bible so that they can trust God in the running of their businesses,” Otilia shared.
Young girls in these communities face numerous risks, including entering the sex industry, premature marriages, drug use and dropping out of school due to financial constraints. Factors such as the loss of parents, displacement by natural disasters and lack of educational opportunities contribute to these challenges. Tabitha Project encourages girls to pray for their parents and build relationships with them, addressing the struggles many face in connecting with their families.
Tabitha Project supports women of all ages. One woman, Marabda, faced mistreatment from her husband and struggled to provide for her children. Over the course of six months, Otilia, Palmira, Julieta and Maria taught Marabda how to sew and cut clothing designs so that she could start her own business and provide for her five children. “We helped her sew with the Word of God,” Palmira emphasized.
Eliza, another participant, had a passion for teaching women the Word of God but lacked the resources needed to sustain her family. After completing the same course, she saved enough money to buy a sewing machine and now uses her business to share God’s love with other women. Her new skills allow her to provide for her family and send her children to school. “The work that she’s doing is going well and it’s a blessing,” Palmira shared.
Otilia, Julieta, Palmira and Maria serve a group of 12 young women and girls displaced by floods. Combining some of their own money for materials, they taught cooking and knitting skills the girls desired to learn. Two of the group members, Rurdes (12) and Benedita (17), used these skills to start small businesses. Rurdes was motivated to start earning money after watching her mother cry about finances. She sells small cakes and Benedita sells cold drinks. Now, their small businesses help sustain their families and help pay for school expenses.
Adenaria (17) suffered from severe leg wounds and struggled to go to school because of her inability to walk. Her family sought help from witch doctors, but the Tabitha Project team encouraged them to trust in God and seek medical treatment. “We prayed with that young girl,” Maria shared. Today, Adenaria’s wounds are healed, and she has given her life to Jesus. “Now I can see she’s able to work, she’s able to walk, she’s able to go to school,” Maria said. “All these things because they are trusting in Jesus.”
Once a week, the Tabitha Project team visits families to share the love of Christ. They visited Albertina, from a Muslim background, and shared stories of Martha, Mary and Esther from the Bible to demonstrate how God uses women to further His Kingdom. Albertina accepted Jesus, and her husband, though not yet a believer, stopped drinking and began attending church with her. “It was a house that was very difficult for us to approach, but by the grace of God, we managed, and we can see happy faces now,” Julieta exclaimed.
Otilia, Julieta, Palmira and Maria have dedicated their lives to serving Jesus with humble hearts—
“I work with OM because I love serving God and God has helped me to learn sewing and designing,” Otilia said. “It is through OM that I learned these skills, so I want to serve OM through the same skills that they taught me.”
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“It’s a big honor to be here at OM,” Julieta said. “First, I was a cook here but when I was still cooking, the Holy Spirit came to me and said: ‘do missions.’ I also love sharing with women. I have suffered a lot in life, but I overcame. So, I think it is my time to share with others and help them overcome the challenges they are meeting.”
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“I love working with OM because I feel free when I work with women,” Palmira shared. “I have met some challenges that I can also encourage others to overcome as I did.”
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“I was the wife of the pastor; I worked with women in the church,” Maria said. “When I joined OM, I was so involved with women. I liked telling stories, debating together, learning together with the ladies.”
They hope to expand the Tabitha Project within the Zambezia province and into Northern Mozambique, training women to empower others so that once they leave, those women can train other women and grow the ministry.
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