2026 Lydia Award Stories

Emmanuel

General Merchandise Store Owner

Uganda

Emmanuel is a testament to resilience and determination. His father had 11 other children to support, so Emmanuel had to drop out of school at a young age because of a lack of funds. He began his entrepreneurial journey in 2016 by selling paraffin and earned, on average, a dollar a day. Over the next three years, Emmanuel added household essentials, music, and secretarial services.

A gamechanger came in 2020 when he received a loan and business-skills training from our PEER Servants partner, CAFECC. This enabled Emmanuel to establish a general merchandise store. Today, monthly sales exceed USD1,800 with an average profit of USD300, and he employs three people.

Emmanuel’s devotion to God is reflected in ethical business practices based on integrity and generosity. He supports his church financially and through outreach programs such as youth camps. Emmanuel also gives back to the community through health drives and supporting needy families in crisis. Through his example, Emmanuel is creating a culture of kindness.

Although he himself was forced to drop out of school, Emmanuel has been able to bless others with an education. He pays school fees for four siblings and his son. He shares his skills through free classes in electronics repair, and he is a mentor to young entrepreneurs, encouraging them to open businesses of their own. Emmanuel is a role model – showing how hard work pays off and inspiring others to strive for more. In a country with very high youth unemployment, he is a job creator! His life is a testimony that resourcefulness can overcome limitations.

Going forward, Emmanuel has an ambitious vision to bless those around him. He wants to increase his community’s use of technology to improve quality of life… to hire and train more locals, boosting youth employment… and to bring solar energy to rural areas, bridging the energy gap.

Despite a lack of education, small startup capital, initial rejection, a setback during COVID, and tough competition, Emmanuel never gave up. His perseverance has resulted in a diversified business that employs others and enables him to give back richly to his family, church, and community. He is a very worthy candidate for the Lydia Award!

Lucinda

Retail Store Owner and Landlord

Philippines

Pastora Lucinda is a client of PEER Servants’ partner, The Center for Community Transformation (CCT). She has built a diversified livelihood that includes a retail store, rental rooms, livestock, and the selling of fish and meat. Pastora Lucinda embodies the spirit of Lydia because, through her business and ministry, people are not only fed and employed, but encouraged, discipled, and drawn closer to Jesus.

The microfinance loans and training that Pastora Lucinda has received through CCT have been life changing. She recalls that her life “used to be very hard.” After losing her job at age 60, she started a small business with “just one table…very small items to sell.” One time a strong windstorm blew the roof off her house. Another financial setback was when her fishing boat sank. Yet even with those challenges, Pastora Lucinda rebuilt, repaid her outstanding loan, kept working, and kept serving. She says, “Even with problems, there is joy…problems can be solved when you have God in your life.”

Pastora Lucinda’s life and business are deeply rooted in ministry, especially among the Badjao tribal community. The Badjao live in fragile coastal conditions where many have long survived by begging. Pastora Lucinda leads ministry across five churches and facilitates fellowship groups and community Bible studies. Through partnership with CCT, she also ministers to the Badjao through feeding programs, medical outreach, and ongoing teaching. Pastora Lucinda is seeing these people move from dependence and desperation to dignity, from marginalization to participation, and from survival to faith-filled community life.

Pastora Lucinda’s business has strong potential because it is intentionally built to serve the needs of her community. Her innovation of buying from the source and passing savings on to customers means more capacity to provide affordable goods, sustain her household and educate her grandchildren, and continue serving the Badjao. She has also created jobs for many people, providing them with much-needed income.

The Lydia Award would not only strengthen her business; it would also strengthen a woman whose deepest desire is to see lives transformed for the glory of God. What sets Pastora Lucinda apart is that she does not measure success by what her business has given her, but by what it enables her to give to others.

Mihai

Goat Farmer

Moldova

Five years ago, Mihai returned home from Belgium where he had gone to seek work. Though he could have stayed with a steady wage, he could not silence the call of his village. He now wants to be an example to other young men that coming back to Moldova and making a living is possible.

Mihai and his wife, Alina, run a goat farm and family dairy in southern Moldova. They produce fresh milk, artisanal cheese, rennet, kid and lamb meat, and traditional Moldovan cured meat.

The farm began with just three goats. When they had milk and cheese they could not sell, they donated it to neighbors and to families in nearby villages. Growth has been step by step. Today they care for more than 200 goats and employ two shepherds, and the business has grown into a recognized brand.

Mihai and Alina believe that what they have is not theirs alone. In the lead-up to Easter, they donate young goats so families can have meat on their tables. In a culture where Easter without meat is an absence, this gesture matters deeply.

The business has persevered through three hardships. First, the land where their farm stands is not their own. The town has refused to sell, because there is a plan to use the area for a garbage dump. Second, rising costs caused by the war in Ukraine have squeezed margins. Third, the envy of others, some of whom blame Mihai and Alina for their own poor sales.

Today, the farm is innovating in two directions. On the traditional side, they tenderly care for their animals while processing the milk by hand, which takes much more time but produces better cheese. On the modern side, Alina has built a TikTok presence with content that has drawn customers from every corner of Moldova.

Looking to the future, Mihai and Alina dream about purchasing the land their farm is on. They also hope to expand the flock, modernize their facility, and grow sales both online and through exhibitions. Their business has become a witness that you can stay in the village, work the land, keep the family together while raising and providing for your children, and build something meaningful – all without leaving home.