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HOPE Intl

Jul 2 2025

HOPE Intl

 Microfinance Stories we love
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Vadym’s story: reflecting God’s love in wartime

Vadym, a determined entrepreneur from Ukraine, is no stranger to challenge. He grew up in a low-income community where job opportunities were scarce, and his parents struggled to provide for him and his sister.

When Vadym had the opportunity to move to a large city in eastern Ukraine, he took a courageous leap of faith to start his own business selling mobile phones and accessories.  

Vadym began searching for opportunities to expand his business, and learned about HOPE Ukraine from a friend. In 2014 he took out a loan of $830 to purchase more inventory. His shop did well, just as Vadym had hoped. But his life also began to change in ways he couldn’t have imagined.    Continue Reading…

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HOPE Intl

Jun 18 2025

HOPE Intl

 Staff / Travels
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Learning about generosity from women in the Dominican Republic

By Allie Bradshaw, HOPE supporter

On Monday, our group started arriving in the bustling capital city of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Nothing quite tests the measure of a group like a long bus ride after a travel day that started before the sun, but it didn’t take long to discover that this trip was going to be something special. As we got to know one another on a drive to the eastern peninsula of Samaná, Julie Wilson, president of Women Doing Well, introduced people to Women Doing Well and the journey we were about to take together through The Pathway.

Having visited HOPE International’s work in Kigali, Rwanda, in the past, I appreciated HOPE’s dedication to always interacting with the people they serve in a dignified manner, and I was intrigued to see how Women Doing Well’s curriculum would influence my experience of this trip.

We had the privilege of meeting several women whose lives have been impacted by their involvement with Esperanza, HOPE’s microfinance institution. It was so much fun to celebrate the success and growth of these women (whom Esperanza calls “associates”) as they shared their stories about how they started with small loans to grow their businesses.

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HOPE Intl

Jun 10 2025

HOPE Intl

 News

Generosity doesn’t have to—and shouldn’t—wait until December

Jesse Casler, Chief Operating Officer, HOPE International, charitable giving

by Jesse Casler, Chief Operations Officer

December and Christmas are usually when we think of generosity in charitable giving. In this season, we’re encouraged to turn our attention toward others and share the blessings we’ve received that year. For many, end-of-year giving to nonprofits is also incentivized by tax planning, which can mean incredible sums of money donated in the last few days of the year.

In this conflicting storm of consumerism and altruism, we’re inundated with so many messages, all vying for our attention and, ultimately, our money. So, at the start of the year, the last thing we want to think about is spending more or giving away anything. But, if we want to be good stewards of what God has given us, if we’re seeking to use our resources for maximum Kingdom impact, we have to talk about generosity before and after December. Continue Reading…

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HOPE Intl

Jun 9 2025

HOPE Intl

 Stories we love
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How savings groups are making a difference in Zimbabwe

For years, Tafadzwa and Jocelyne Gutu and their two daughters lived in a half-built house in Harare, Zimbabwe. Tafadzwa, a skilled carpenter, was constructing their home—but he couldn’t get enough business to afford the materials he needed to complete the project.

Both Tafadzwa and his wife are deaf, so his clientele was limited to those who knew sign language. The couple struggled to cover food costs, medical bills, and school fees for their family. Finishing their home seemed like a far-off dream.

In 2023, a local church invited Tafadzwa and other neighbors with speech or hearing disabilities to join a savings group called Miracle.

As they prayed, read Scripture, and saved together, God did wonders in Tafadzwa’s life.

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HOPE Intl

Jun 6 2025

HOPE Intl

 Stories we love
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A Rwandan father who overcomes poverty to invest in vulnerable youth

While attending his church in Rusizi, Rwanda, Bahati Jean Felix noticed two men deep in prayer and he felt compelled to learn more about them. When he discovered they worked for Urwego Finance, HOPE International’s microfinance institution in Rwanda, it struck a chord.

“I was surprised to learn that Urwego was actually a financial institution built on Christian values,” Felix recalls. “Knowing that I shared the same faith and beliefs, I felt a strong conviction to join.”

At the time, Felix was running a small restaurant, but the business was barely surviving. Profits were thin, and his ability to support his wife, children, and other family members felt increasingly difficult.

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HOPE Intl

Apr 10 2025

HOPE Intl

 News
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3 of the most impactful innovations at HOPE in the last five years

HOPE International’s best ideas often come straight from the men and women we serve around the world. 

Since the beginning of our Dreaming Beyond Our Boundaries initiative in 2021, we’ve surveyed over 17,000 people we serve. When they told us they wanted more flexibility in their repayment schedules, more support in housing, or to access money from their phones, we listened—and found more innovative ways to respond than ever before. As we’ve prioritized innovative problem solving, it has become the new normal at HOPE.   

Here are three program innovations that have made a difference for the entrepreneurs and families we serve:  Continue Reading…

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