Susan Jones was skilled, capable, and motivated—yet, month after month, she struggled to find a job following her college graduation.
“I was born blind,” she explains. “It’s not easy; … [when I graduated in the 70s,] not that many people [were] willing to give a blind person a job.” Continue Reading…
Johana remembers the moment she found out she was pregnant. Her husband was no longer living with her at their home in Comas, Peru, and when she told him, he didn’t want anything to do with their baby—financially or otherwise. In this time of isolation, the Lord spoke powerfully to Johana through His Word, reminding her that He would never forsake her: Continue Reading…
By Chris Horst, Vice President of Development
If you attended a HOPE event in the fall, you likely heard us describe the 950,000 men and women HOPE and our partners serve around the world. Yet, when you read our 2017 annual report, you’ll see we report serving 838,000 people at the end of 2017. While we have adjusted our numbers substantially, we did not technically lose these clients. We made this change because we believe in reporting field data with the highest levels of integrity, even if it means reporting unfavorable news.
“My whole life, I had never had a job or done anything to get money to feed myself and my family. I would just go dig out in [a neighbor’s] field then get food for me and my family,” Serafina recalls. “For some reason, I thought that was enough, and I thought that’s how life was meant to be.”
At 17 years old in the Republic of Congo, Francoise Koudziomina found herself in a predicament: After discovering she was pregnant, her relationship fell apart, leaving her as a single mother and forcing her to drop out of school.
Just two years later, Francoise’s mother died, leaving her as the caretaker for her younger brother, who was the same age as her son. As 19-year-old Francoise scrambled to provide for two toddlers, she made herself a promise: One day, she’d provide for other young, single mothers in situations like hers.
From a young age, Francoise had loved to knit, and in 1997, she opened a business selling clothing for babies and toddlers. With her natural skill, Francoise worked tenaciously to provide for her brother and son. While Francoise was always able to make ends meet, she lived in a state of constant stress about making enough money to meet their needs.
After taking out a loan with a large microfinance institution to invest in her business, Francoise realized that she required more than just financial backing. To really move her business forward, she needed additional training in finance and business practices. Continue Reading…
Since 2009, HOPE has partnered with local churches and ministries in Haiti to develop a savings group program. In this video update, you’ll hear about three ways HOPE Haiti continues to expand today, equipping men and women with the tools they need to fight poverty:
As we rejoice in the ways that God is at work, we also invite you to join Manoucheka, a HOPE savings group member in Haiti, as she leads in praying the Lord’s Prayer.
