“What struck me was that seemingly little things can make a huge difference,” said Anglican Aid project officer Hannah Grant, on returning from a visit to projects in East Africa.

One example of this was an income generation project being run by Shyira Diocese in Rwanda. Hannah was able to visit on the day that a new group were given piglets. The Shyira Piglet Project is entirely managed through local churches with recipients of the piglets identified as people who are particularly vulnerable.

Archdeacon Jean-Baptiste who is managing one of the projects, said that in the churches he is overseeing there are both rich and poor people. Through the piglet project, those being released from poverty realise that the church is taking care of them.

Though the project is only about 18 months old, Hannah met families whose lives had already dramatically improved through the initiative. One woman said that introducing pig manure as fertiliser has almost doubled her crop yields, boosting her family’s income substantially. Another woman said that she was able to raise her piglets and sell them as mature animals, at a profit. The income meant she was able to buy shoes and other needs for her children. Just one piglet grows to have two litters of 8-12 piglets per year!

At the pig distribution, Hannah saw the recipients vote to start a savings group, where a part of their income would be saved and pooled with others to provide small loans for investment in their businesses. This is being managed through the local church with the group meeting weekly to encourage each other.

Archdeacon Jean Baptiste said that recipients are encouraged to give one piglet from every litter to a needy neighbour, to share the kindness they have received. “So it is going to be a source of harmony, of good fellowship between Christians,” said Jean Baptiste. “They will work together as brothers and sisters.”

Pray:

• that many more families will experience the love of Jesus through the Shyira Piglet Project.