More than just sheep
Sheep are not an easy investment. At least not the ones in Niger. Sheep here are much pickier eaters than goats. In the city it takes a lot of time to find suitable feed for them, or up to $50/month to buy it. They’re easy to catch, and they don’t make a sound when picked up by a stranger, making them a prime target for thieves. And these sheep, I’m told, get sick easily.
But Tuaregs know sheep. And they like them. Because they’re more than just sheep. During follow-up interviews, one beneficiary said that animals are like family. He takes care of them, and they give him courage. He could make up to 10 times his initial investment by selling a fattened ram in 5-7 months during the two largest Muslim festivals. Another beneficiary is an unemployed father of two children. A toddling daughter and a son in primary school who showed his father a welt from being whipped at school. To him, sheep bring a nostalgic solitude of better times in the past. He wiped tears from his eyes after we prayed that these sheep would be a blessing to his entire family.
Please pray with us for the unemployed, the working poor, and the entrepreneurial beneficiaries. May they indeed be blessed by our God and in turn be a blessing to their families and communities. And may they begin to seek and know how much our Lord wants to bless them eternally.
May you be blessed for your part in bringing blessings to Tuaregs in Niger.
Ace
Ace & Cecilia Cheung Niger: 011-227-99-58-54-28 Canada: 1-587-921-4228, BP 12257 Niamey Niger USA
