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…

Leaving Venezuela 

In 2019, Mery realized the time had finally come: She and her son had to leave their home in Venezuela. The political and economic crisis in her country had become so severe that even finding food was difficult.  

“Sometimes I would stand in line [at the store] for three [or] four hours, and when I arrived the products had already run out—like rice, sugar, flour,” Mery says. She and her son, Daniel, had lived alone for some time. The job shortage had already forced her husband and brothers to move to Peru years ago, and they sent any money they could back to Mery. But as inflation soared in Venezuela, Mery could no longer afford to buy basic necessities, including critical medication for her ongoing health condition. “The situation was quite sad,” she shares.  

Finding new footing 

Mery and Daniel packed up their belongings and set out for Comas, Peru. Beyond seeing her husband again, Mery had no idea what lay ahead.   

Continue Reading…