Missy Williams co-founded Seed Effect with her husband after a mission trip to South Sudan where they witnessed the need for displaced families to be supported in creating opportunity as they rebuild their lives. Today, she serves as the Executive Director.
In this episode, you’ll gain a better understanding of the refugee experience. You’ll begin to understand what she’s witnessed in working with people in South Sudan and Uganda, as well as how specific finance solutions are helping refugees rebuild their lives through creating opportunity.
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Topics discussed in this episode:
- Understanding the refugee experience and the unstable political landscape of South Sudan
- Reframing what it means to be a refugee
- Understanding the surprising reality of where most refugees end-up when they leave their home country
- Understanding the difference between micro-finance institutions and savings groups
- The power of micro finances and savings groups, and why they are necessary
A few points to note:
As Missy shares, “99% of refugees will remain in a country adjacent to their own.” Contrary to what many of us might think, so few actually make it any farther. Most aren’t coming to the US and restarting their lives, and as Missy pointed out, many are in a safer place but don’t have opportunities or resources available once they arrive to their new home country. With the tools of Seed Effect, they can begin creating opportunities to flourish!
Savings groups are lead within the local community and sustained by the members themselves. After 3 years, 90% of members graduate from the program and 99% continue on their own. Now that’s a high success rate!
This is a story that helps us better understand the topic of refugee migration internationally, and the successful tools available to help them in creating opportunity in their new home countries. It’s a model of true empowerment!
Missy's bio:
Missy and her husband, David, co-founded Seed Effect in 2009 in partnership with the local church after a mission trip to South Sudan. Missy serves as Seed Effect’s Executive Director, managing a team of seven in the US and leading the organization through strategic planning and expansion, vision casting, fundraising, marketing and development, while also supporting a team of over 70 full-time and another 150 part-time staff in Uganda.
Missy not only helped found and grow Seed Effect in South Sudan, but when war broke out, she led the organization alongside the local leadership through a transition to northern Uganda. The Seed Effect team pioneered a savings program for refugees that has grown to serve over 56,000 people in over 2,000 Christ-centered savings and loan groups. Seed Effect now oversees the largest network of savings and loan groups in the region.
Missy received her B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin. Upon graduating from UT, and prior to launching Seed Effect, she managed a small business and started an interior design firm in Dallas. Missy and David have two children, are actively involved in Watermark Community Church and serve on the board of their children's school, Classical School of Dallas. Missy also loves to watercolor, garden, fly fish, and travel with her family.
Links Mentioned
- Follow Seed Effect on Instagram @seedeffect and online at seedeffect.org.
- Join their prayer team to receive their monthly prayer newsletter at seedeffect.org/pray.
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