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This International Women’s Day, we honor the God-given dreams, gifts, and leadership of women across the globe. We also recognize the numerous obstacles that many still face—from limited education to discrimination, social marginalization, or lack of access to financial sevices. At HOPE International, we are committed to empowering more women to provide for their families and communities and be renewed in their faith.  

These three remarkable female entrepreneurs have demonstrated incredible business savvy while giving back to their communities. Join us in celebrating their stories today! Continue Reading…

By Dan Williams, Vice President of Integrated Strategy

This post was originally published in 2018 and has been updated for 2024. 

The flight attendant came on the intercom announcing our final descent into Rwanda. Giving up on my attempt to nap, I began gathering my things in preparation for landing, ensuring that my seatback was in the upright position, my tray table stowed, and my carry-on under the seat in front of me. Fully prepared for landing, I noticed my row companion taking out his earbuds, so I began conversing with him for the first time. An eager short-term mission trip participant, this was his first visit to Rwanda. 

“What brings you to Rwanda?” he asked. 

“I work for a Christ-centered development network called HOPE International,” I said. “We have a microfinance program and a savings group ministry here in Rwanda.”  Continue Reading…

“When I need help, God supports me,” reflects Moldovan farmer Evgheni Malai. 

As the Russia-Ukraine war presses into a third year, many families in the surrounding region live in fear that the violence will spread across their borders. Moldova is especially vulnerable, sharing a border with Ukraine and economic ties with Russia. Farmers like Evgheni Malai and his twin brother Denis in Moldova face a difficult choice: leave their livelihoods behind and flee, or stay and learn to adapt their business to a wartime economy.   Continue Reading…

HOPE’s president and CEO Peter Greer shares what inspired him to co-author his latest book, Lead with Prayer.

Originally posted on Peter Greer’s blog.

I first recognized that I had a prayer problem, ironically, on one of HOPE International’s quarterly days of prayer. When a facilitator invited our team to pray silently, I ventured outside for a prayer walk—but spent my “prayer time” ruminating over operational and staffing challenges HOPE was facing. My internal RPMs were revving, and I couldn’t seem to quiet my mind or heart.

By the end of the day, I had set a new fitness record as I paced the grounds but spent precious few moments in prayer. I strategized, planned, and toiled—focusing on what I needed to do with a sprinkling of prayer pixie dust. I concluded the day with neither peace nor clear direction, but I did have growing clarity and conviction that there was a disconnect in my prayer life: I would have described prayer as a first priority, but the way I invested my time suggested it was a last resort.

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By Charlotte Sprecher (pictured left), 2023 HOPE LM&E fellow

Can listening to a person’s situation help alleviate poverty?

As a fellow on the listening, monitoring, and evaluation (LM&E) team at HOPE International, I have come to believe that it is where we must start.

At HOPE, the LM&E team conducts surveys to learn how to improve our programs, close the feedback loop, and honor the stories we hear. Although we listen to evaluate our ministry, we also believe that listening is part of the ministry itself! Asking someone for feedback plays an important part in how we build a relationship with them and affirm their God-given value. Continue Reading…

All three of our expansion announcements—Kenya, Benin, and Dominican Republic—were among our most-read stories of 2023! 

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