By Alisa Hoober, HOPE Board Member
Earlier this year, I had the incredible opportunity to visit HOPE International’s work in Zambia.
I’ve traveled and seen poverty before, but being with my children changed how I related to those I met. It was a blessing to visit with our whole family, especially with my three young daughters.
At home, we pray for HOPE and support their work—but showing our children HOPE in action was something I won’t forget.
One day, we visited a village to see a savings group meeting. During our time there, my daughter Caroline ran up to me excitedly: “Mom, I made a new friend, and she’s also 3!”
When you’re 3, what else matters? It’s beautiful how kids see what they have in common, while adults can often focus on what makes us different. Caroline and Joyce walked hand in hand through the village as we visited homes and businesses of group members.
Now, when Caroline shows this picture to friends and family, she says, “This is my new friend Joyce. I’m the one on the right.”
Caroline and Joyce
As Caroline and Joyce became friends, I got to know Joyce’s mom, Faith. Faith is part of a the “Amen” savings group. Each member contributes $3.70 (or a multiple of it) at their monthly meetings. The group meets to worship, read Scripture, and save together. They sing (and dance!) and encourage one another.
We saw so much joy and pride as members shared how they were putting their savings to work to transform their families, churches, and communities. Members spoke of using their savings to pay for school fees, cover medical expenses, and make home improvements.
As I got to know Faith, I realized how much we have in common.
Faith and I are both moms of young girls. We both work hard to care for and provide for our children. We pray for them, and we dream about what their futures might hold. But the reality is that our days hold different challenges, simply because of where we were born and the resources we’ve had access to.
So, how do we move through this tension?
I believe part of our response is to draw near. When I look at this picture of Faith’s daughter and mine, I’m reminded of the heart of HOPE—to walk side by side, hand in hand, together in partnership with our brothers and sisters around the world.
That’s why I’m so excited about how HOPE is providing both financial and spiritual tools to people like Faith and her community through savings groups. These tools empower them to use their God-given abilities to provide for their families. That’s why I want to invest everything I can—my time, talents, and resources—into helping more people, just like Faith, gain access to these tools.
Alisa Hoober serves on HOPE International’s board of directors and as a partner at Generations of Hope LLC. She has known of HOPE since its founding and participated in her first HOPE Trip when she was in third grade. Since then, Alisa has visited multiple HOPE programs around the world and served on staff for 10 years—first on the administration team, then as a recruiter, and most recently as manager of the human resources team. Alisa holds an undergraduate degree in organizational communications from Cedarville University and also serves on the board of Tomorrow Clubs International. Alisa embodies serving with excellence and brings deep knowledge of the history and mission of HOPE. She and her husband, Clark, have three daughters.
Pictured in header image: Alisa (center) and her children with a savings group in Zambia
