Shruti and her husband didn’t know how to save before joining a savings group—they just wanted to better provide for their three sons.
She couldn’t have guessed it at the time, but setting aside 200 rupees ($2.40 U.S.) each month with her savings group in South Asia would empower Shruti to respond when her family needed it most.
When a co-worked shared Evelyn Nyamasoka’s story with me, it felt familiar. Having experienced poverty myself as a child in Rwanda, I know it can be difficult. I’ve seen how poverty robs families of dignity and opportunity.
When Evelyn’s husband left her unexpectedly several years ago, she was abandoned to care for her six children alone. A member of the Doma community in northern Zimbabwe, Evelyn experiences such extreme poverty that the idea of saving anything, even just a few cents, once seemed impossible. Life is hard for Evelyn. She must farm and fish alone, which can be dangerous because of animals like crocodiles and hippos in the area. And with sporadic rains, crops are difficult to grow.
At HOPE International, we consider the Doma a “frontier” community: A group of people who have been isolated by poverty, marginalized, and unreached by the Gospel. When we surveyed some 200 Doma community members, 42% of them reported eating only one meal a day—and according to the Joshua Project, just 1% of the Doma people know Jesus. They live isolated from the rest of the country and receive few public services.
I hear about the challenges of communities like the Doma and it breaks my heart. I believe it breaks God’s heart, too. Continue Reading…
Over the course of his career, Jeremy Cowart has garnered recognition for his compelling portraits of celebrities like Taylor Swift, Sting, Kelly Clarkson, and Lauren Daigle. He’s shot campaigns for companies like Nike and Fortune Magazine.
But for Jeremy, his craft isn’t about prestige or accolades—it’s about storytelling. And he believes everyone’s story matters.
In 2024, Jeremy traveled with HOPE International to Rwanda, where he got to meet the members of Urumuri (“light”) savings group. During their time together, group members drew the dreams they have for themselves and their families. Jeremy captured the moment—and the look of joy and pride on each member’s face.
This fall, HOPE will feature a curated gallery of Jeremy’s portraits at events held across the United States. For now, here’s a peek at some of the images featured in the show—and some of the dreams that men and women in Rwanda are holding onto for their future: Continue Reading…
There are three houses to the right of Ruslan’s home—and all of them are empty.
Leaving his hometown in Moldova was a real possibility for him too. While Ruslan hoped to work locally as a ploughman to support his family, opportunities were limited. Continue Reading…
In a remote province of the Philippines, Norlita Escarez and her husband, Philip, collected pebbles and sand for a living.
Without access to better job opportunities, the couple found it difficult to save money and make ends meet for their family of five.
It’s far too common for Filipino families to struggle this way, with nearly 20 million people in the country living in poverty. The Mangyan tribe, who lives in the mountains near Norlita and Philip, is also struggling. Even amid Norlita’s longing for more financial stability, her heart yearned to minister to her neighbors who lacked access to medical care and nutritious food.
Despite the reality of this material poverty, Norlita and her husband were joyful in Christ. But would their love for the Lord carry them through financial hardship? Would she ever have the means to minister to the Mangyan tribe?
Imagine your lunch break being interrupted by bombs exploding in the next town over. Hearing of war coming closer on the news. Realizing that to remain safe, you and your family need to leave your home. Packing up your car and waiting in traffic for hours. Living in another family’s house for months, not knowing if you’ll ever make it back home.
This is the reality for millions of Ukrainian men, women, and children today. Two years after Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United Nations Refugee Agency, or UNHCR, estimates that there are now 3.7 million internally displaced people (IDPs) in Ukraine.
Many in eastern Ukraine fled west, now living as IDPs with Ukrainian host families. As the war continues, they’ve had to adjust to being far from home with no end date. It hasn’t been an easy road.
Yet even amid loss and adjusting to a new life, these families are displaying determination, community-mindedness, and generosity. And at HOPE International, we’re dedicated to walking with Ukraine’s men and women—as we have been since 1997.
Continue Reading…
