Growing up in poverty in rural Malawi, Phanny raised her siblings on her own. Struggling to get by, she remembers often going to bed hungry. With few options to support themselves, Phanny and her siblings would collect firewood to sell over 10 miles from their home. And like many Malawians in her situation, she got married as a teenager, seeing few opportunities to develop herself on her own. Yet after having a daughter, life became even more challenging, and she and her husband struggled to put food on the table. Continue Reading…
This year, we’ve been excited to see growth in our monthly giving community—155 new people signed up to be Dream Investors! And through additional matches by several generous families, these monthly gifts have unlocked an additional $75,500 so far in 2019.
We can’t emphasize enough how important monthly giving is to advancing HOPE’s mission of investing in the dreams of families in the world’s underserved communities. Here’s why: Continue Reading…
Sarah Ann Schultz
Jul 31 2019
Sarah Ann Schultz
Staff / Travels
If American people see that kid, they will think he’s really poor.”
My Rwandan colleague’s words jerked me out of my reverie.
Bumping along a rural Rwandan road, my eyes tried to absorb it all—the undulating hills, the downy clouds that dotted the wide-open sky, the goats and chickens. My eyes caught on a little boy running in front of a row of houses.
The little boy wore only a pair of shabby shorts that appeared to have once been khaki-colored. Reddish dust covered his body from his cheeks to his feet. I noticed that he was barefoot. Continue Reading…
HOPE Intl
Jul 24 2019
HOPE Intl
Stories we love
by Elizabeth Dewes, Field Journalism Fellow (Zambia)
Like women around the world, Dorothy wears many hats. A wife and mother to seven biological children and two adopted, she’s also an entrepreneur who’s grown her business in Lusaka, Zambia, from a small popcorn stand into a shop that sells blankets, grain, oil, and salt. Here’s a glimpse into a day in Dorothy’s life. Continue Reading…
HOPE Intl
Jul 17 2019
HOPE Intl
Microfinance Staff / Travels
A passion for entrepreneurship can be kindled in a number of different ways.
For some, it’s the classic childhood lemonade stand that initially piques interest; others point to a formative internship or mentor; and for others, it’s building upon an earlier innovation. For Mauvalyn Bowen, a member of HOPE’s local board in Minnesota, it was riding on the back of a donkey as she and her mother (pictured above, along with Mauvlyn’s father and husband) made their weekly trek to market. Continue Reading…
HOPE Intl
Jul 11 2019
HOPE Intl
Microfinance Stories we love
Many small businesses in middle-income countries have outgrown typical microfinance loan sizes but still do not qualify for commercial lending. Stuck in the “missing middle,” these companies have great potential to provide jobs and contribute to the local economy, yet credit barriers stand in their way. Continue Reading…
