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MEDA began with a group of Mennonite businesspeople who believed they were called to be faithful in generously sharing their abilities and resources. Over 70 years later, it continues today because of congregations like yours – faithfully sharing their blessings with their brothers and sisters around the globe.
We appreciate the opportunity to stay connected with your congregation. Below are digital resources for you to engage with MEDA’s work, explore the intersection of faith and business, and stay up to date on the impact of your support.
In this newsletter, we shine a spotlight on our project EMERTA which is working to increase decent employment opportunities and the incomes of women and men in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. EMERTA stands for Ethiopians Motivating Entreprises to Rise in Trade and Agribusiness and is in partnership with Global Affairs Canada (GAC). The project was started in 2016 and promotes better agricultural business performances. The EMERTA project is on track to achieve its goal to increase sustainable employment and income generation of women and men this year.
Meet Maheder Admasu, the entrepreneur who developed a business to prepare basic sauces and spice mixes for Ethiopian dishes that could considerably reduce the cooking burden for women. Maheder’s business aligns with the goals of MEDA’s EMERTA project as she has created jobs for 38 employees, 34 of them women. With the support of MEDA, thirty of these jobs are credited to the support from a grant support provided by the EMERTA project. Through her continuous resilience while navigating this journey, Maheder’s simple motto to “smile, keep silent, and work for success.” moves her closer to the realization of her dreams, proving that success is attainable through perseverance and an unwavering commitment to personal growth.
We’d like to ask you to pray with us as we strive to reach more communities and empower more individuals. Pray for God to guide us in expanding our programs. Please join us in praying for the necessary resources and partnerships to continue our mission.
Consider making a gift that will positively impact many others who are a part of MEDA’s projects like EMERTA. Visit our website to contribute and witness the impact of your support!
MEDA’s Stewardship Corner connects faith to stewardship in each newsletter, providing you with the means to live out your faith through actions you take in your personal journey. This issue will touch on Financial Stewardship:
Consider how you can align your financial resources with your faith values. Reflect on your giving habits and prayerfully discern how you can support organizations like MEDA, who are working to empower others through sustainable livelihoods.
By embracing financial stewardship, we can embark on a transformative journey where our financial resources become a source of blessing, impacting the lives of others and aligning with our faith values. Through introspection and prayer, we can pave the way for a more just and compassionate world, where financial decisions are not driven solely by personal gain but by the desire to create a lasting and positive impact on the lives of those around us.
Join MEDA in celebrating 70 years of harnessing the power of business to create sustainable and lasting solutions to poverty for entrepreneurs around the globe! For our 70th anniversary we will be hosting our annual Convention in Toronto, Canada this November from the 2nd to the 5th. Join us in commemorating the past and looking to the future. We could not have done all we have accomplished without your support.
Registration opens July 1st!
The Marketplace magazine explores the intersection of faith and business. It also shows the impact of MEDA’s efforts to create business solutions to poverty in the Global South.
To request a speaker to share about MEDA’s work in your service, please email communications@meda.org.
Passionate about building engagement and awareness of MEDA through your own congregation? Join our community of MEDA Connecters! To learn more, fill out our form below.
MEDA’s origins are rooted in the aftermath of the second World War when thousands of Russian Mennonites fled as refugees to the country of Paraguay.
There, they established strong communities that were grounded in Christian values of peace, justice and entrepreneurship. Many were eager to set up their own businesses, but they lacked financial capital and key resources.
MEDA was born out of the need to provide small businesses with capital, business training, microloans and investment. That’s what we continue to do today.
For over 70 years, MEDA has been creating business solutions to poverty.
Visit our video page for an extensive library on our work around the world.
Join our community and become a catalyst for global change with our fundraising and event resources.
Mennonite Economic Development Associates is an international economic development organization that creates business solutions to poverty.
MEDA International is a Canadian non-share capital not-for-profit corporation incorporated under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act.
Mennonite Economic Development Associates is a 501(c)(3) status non-profit organization in the United States: EIN 23-7398678.
Mennonite Economic Development Associates of Canada is a registered charity in Canada: No. 107 691 057 RR0001.
© 2023 Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA). All Rights Reserved.
