Amie’s Journey from Conversion to Community Impact
Amie was raised in a Muslim family but felt a strong pull towards Christianity from a young age. This desire was realized in 2020 while she pursued her studies in Nutrition and Dietetics at Njala University. During her time there, she encountered Ester from Victory Evangelistic Alliance International Ministries in Bo, who became her spiritual mentor. Under her guidance, Amie deepened her understanding of Christian teachings and eventually accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior.
After completing her studies in 2022, Amie faced the tough reality of being unable to find formal employment. This led to ongoing financial struggles and difficulty in meeting her basic needs. However, her situation changed when she participated in the Business With Purpose– Sierra Leone Tentmakers Training program. This program provided her with essential entrepreneurial skills and start-up capital to establish her own business.
In September 2023, Amie opened a second-hand clothing kiosk in Bo, bringing new opportunities and hope for a better future. As a single mother with a four-year-old child and an elderly mother to support, Amie has found financial independence through her second-hand clothing business. This enterprise provides her with a sustainable income, enabling her to effectively support and provide for her family.
Clothing display at Amie’s kiosk
Sharing Christ as a Businesswoman
Beyond meeting her family's needs, Amie's business has a broader, gospel-centered mission. She utilizes daily interactions with customers at her kiosk to share her faith. After closing her kiosk each evening, Amie makes it a point to attend prayer services at her local church. These moments provide opportunities to invite her customers and employees to join her, often resulting in many accompanying her to church. There, they are introduced to her faith community and the teachings of Jesus. Through these interactions, Amie's business becomes a bridge, connecting non-believers with the gospel of Christ.
Amie's entrepreneurial spirit extends beyond her personal and spiritual life, impacting her community economically as well. Her second-hand clothing business is creating valuable job opportunities within her local area. She employs three individuals who work on a commission basis, earning their livelihood by reselling the clothes she sources. This model not only allows these employees to earn and support their own families but also equips them with valuable sales and business management skills. By fostering a supportive and growth-oriented work environment, Amie contributes to the local economy and helps reduce unemployment in her community.
Seeing the Opportunities in Trials
Amie has faced challenges such as economic crises caused by high fuel prices, which have increased the cost of living and left people with no extra income to spend on clothing. The unpredictability of secondhand clothing quality is also an issue, leading to losses when she can’t recoup the capital invested in clothes. These hardships have not deterred her, however. Instead, they reinforce her resolve to integrate her business with her calling. Amie is exploring the shift to selling new clothes and sees it as a potential to both stabilize her business and continue her outreach. New clothes appeal to working class professionals, providing more opportunities for Amie to discuss faith matters with non-believers.
Amie's business serves as a source of income as well as a platform for ministry. It allows her to actively practice her faith and share the gospel with everyone she meets, from customers to employees. This furthers BWP– SL’s mission to bring Christ-centered business into the marketplaces by aiding entrepreneurs who aim to create positive change in their communities.