This is what the Lord has done.
“Some people taking loans are living in [metal] sheets as homes. And you wonder, ‘How are they there with their children?’ So I am praying, as we give them loans and try to bring transformation, we look back and say, ‘This is what the Lord has done spiritually, socially, and economically.’”
– Pastor Stephen Barasa, Partner Ministry Leader of Deliverance Church Kiteezi
Last April, in the first monthly meeting with Deliverance Church Kiteezi in Uganda, the team prayed the TOLI program would bring holistic transformation to people living in extreme poverty – that the church would relentlessly seek the welfare of its neighbors and witness lives transformed in Jesus’ name.
One year later, looking back with gratitude, we can say: this is what the Lord has done.
Today, there are 63 TOLI clients in Uganda, supported by two TOLI Social Workers and a dedicated committee of pastors and volunteers. Through the program, single mothers are sending their children to school, families are replacing leaking roofs with proper sheeting, widows are gaining tools for their farms to flourish, and more people are becoming part of the local church.
It hasn’t been without hardship. There have been challenging election seasons, business displacement, and unexpected loss. But through it all, God has used His people – and three simple tools – to transform lives.
1. Business Training
“I’m 30 years old, and I’ve never had training before. I’m so grateful. I’ll be at the training all three days!”
— Josephine, grocery store owner, Uganda
Pictured: Josephine (middle, red scarf) attending TOLI's Business Basics Course in October 2025.
Entrepreneurs like Josephine are incredibly capable; they often just lack access to the training needed to grow and sustain a business. That’s why, before receiving a microloan, every client completes TOLI’s Business Basics Course – a 12-lesson program covering marketing, pricing, dreaming big, and ethics.
This, too, is part of what the Lord has done this year. He’s opening doors for learning, dreaming, and possibility.
1. Microloans
After completing business training, TOLI clients apply for a microloan (average $200) and, once approved, receives them in the form of an asset or good needed to run a business. Over the next 12–18 months, they repay the loan – allowing those same resources to be ‘recycled’ to another entrepreneur in the same community.
Through small but powerful loans, the Lord has transformed lives in Uganda:
For Josephine (pictured above), a loan meant strengthening her grocery store. With increased inventory came more customers, greater income, and a growing ability to provide for her family.
For Sylvia Nakalyango, it meant building a home of brick instead of piecing together shelter from metal sheets.
For Sylvia Nabagala, it sparked new confidence. Someone believed in her, trusted her, and affirmed that she is capable of running a business.
For Moses (pictured below), it has meant restored dignity in his work.
Pictured: Moses used his microloan to build a raised surface for drying his coffee beans, improving their quality.
3. Christian Discipleship
And throughout it all, TOLI Social Workers and Partner Ministry leaders keep their eyes fixed on Jesus. Christ is at the center of the work. As TOLI Social Workers collect loan repayments, they also speak truth – reminding each person of their identity in Christ.
This year, 11 clients received their first Bible, and five have become new members of Deliverance Church Kiteezi.
WATCH this video and join us in praising God for all He has done in Uganda this past year.
Join the work in Uganda.
Help fund more microloans and more transformation in year two of the program.
New address: TOLI has a PO Box!
Yes – we’ve moved the TOLI office (just across the street!) and now have a P.O. Box. Please update our address in your records. Thank you!
Mail donations to:
TOLI
PO Box 25311
Colorado Springs, CO 80936