Welcome to our first Family Impact supporter newsletter for 2014. Family Impact exists to build families and transform communities! This newsletter unpacks our work with women and some other exciting stories...

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FAMILY IMPACT AFRICA welcomes you to our new newsletter!

If you are receiving this you have either signed up online, or were part of a previous newsletter list and have been added here so that we have one database. We are going for a "new look" for 2014, and communicating more effectively - we hope - with those who are interested in the work, and been part of the journey over the years.
We will be sharing snippets of information on FI here, however there isn't a lot of space so we would encourage you to go to our website or join us on Facebook for more information on each country Family Impact is working in, as well as other stories!
Thank you for your support for FI, and we look forward to keeping you updated as the months go by, you can expect to get a newsletter once a quarter!
Thanks again, and looking forward to the adventure that 2014 brings us!

Lynne Knight (FI Africa Director)

Taking Women's Health to Australian Churches

TEAR Australia are partnering with Family Impact Zimbabwe to deliver the Women’s Health Program in rural communities outside Bulawayo. Lynne Knight the Family Impact Africa Director, travelled around Australia in March, speaking at numerous events hosted by TEAR Australia.

TEAR invited Lynne to help launch the forTomorrow campaign which seeks to inspire and challenge Christians in Australia to their voices in solidarity with women who suffer the burden of poverty and marginalisation around the world. Lynne had the opportunity to share about the amazing impact that the Women’s Health Program is having on the lives of women in Zimbabwe. It was a privilege to serve alongside TEAR as our partner and to inspire and challenge Australian Christians and churches to find ways to stand in solidarity with women who bear the burden of poverty and marginalisation around the world.

Read the article recently published in TEAR’s TARGET magazine about the impact of the Women's Health Program.

For more information on the forTomorrow campaign visit www.fortomorrow.org.au

Lynne shares:

Our vision is for women to see real freedom from the pressures of poverty and family breakdown. To be empowered to see their families strengthened, their “rights” understood and protected, and their health and wellbeing improved. But not for their isolation from men and boys. Together, they can grow: women can become less vulnerable and families strengthened. We see the government, the church and many leaders coming together, united in the fight against poverty that enables the grassroots to be supported and encouraged. In this way we’ll see poverty reduced and communities transformed.

Upcoming Dates

Tunde Fowe our FI Nigeria Director is travelling to the USA this month and will be meeting with churches, donors and resting. Please pray for him and the growth of the work in Nigeria.

Lynne Knight will be in the UK in late April/early May. She will be speaking at churches, meeting with donors and attending the Scripture Union Ministry Conference and the Alpha International Leadership Conference

The Family Impact Africa Annual Board Meeting will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa from 18th to 24th of May. Please pray for all who will be traveling from the UK, USA and around Africa to meet and discuss the vision and direction of FI Africa. Also pray that it is a great time of fellowship, inspiration and encouragement as we share the stories of the impact of the work around Africa.

News from around Africa

At Family Impact we are passionate about building families and transforming communities. Follow the links below to read about some of the programs our committed staff and volunteers have been running around Africa.

Marriage Strengthening in East Africa
Over 100 couples in Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda have attended courses that aim to strengthen their marriages!
http://familyimpact.org/strengthening-marriages-east-africa/

Couples and Singles Weekend in Zimbabwe
A team from Family Impact Zimbabwe received very encouraging feedback after running a couples and singles weekend in a rural area outside Bulawayo.
http://familyimpact.org/church-thanks-couples-singles/

Spotlight on Marriage

The Marriage Course 101 is a course that is being rolled out in collaboration with: Alpha International and Relationship Central. A course adapted from Nicky and Sila Lee’s Marriage Course, for rural Africa. Family Impact was involved in the development of the material, and is now working alongside Alpha in the training of trainers across Africa. We are looking forward to growing our trainers in Africa and sending you stories of the impact of the work! Look out for more in the next newsletter!

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