Home » Page 69

Since launching in July of this year, HOPE’s newest savings program in Malawi has grown to serve over 500 members. Anna Haggard, executive writing assistant, is in Malawi gathering stories from the new program. For more from Anna, follow the @HOPEstaff Twitter account.

Mary Moses

“Without education, no one goes far.” -Mary Moses, group member who saved to send her nine children to school

Marita John

“I have learned to take life as it comes. I am guided and protected by God.” -Marita John, member of the savings group “Love”

Continue Reading…

Each month, HOPE’s human resources team puts together learning updates for staff members’ professional development. Wendy-anne Durika, benefits and policies specialist, introduced this month’s update: “This edition of the learning resources update has a back-to-basics focus. Giving, thank-you notes, the essentials of strategic planning, and getting to the root of issues through the Five Whys are just some of the topics in this learning update.” We hope you find these resources useful too!

Leadership

Spiritual Integration

Continue Reading…

In her eyes was deep pain and loss. There was a strength about her, a certain inexcusable confidence, and yet behind it lay an undeniable burden. She smiled a smile that exuded love and sincere delight in welcoming me and my friends into her home. I knew she was going to tell us the story of her experience during the genocide in April of 1994, but I had no comprehension of the drastic impact it would have on me, nor the strength it would require her to simply share.

Her story was graphic. The details feel almost too horrific to recount or to write down, and yet she declared to us as she closed: “Please tell my story because I know it will help someone else in their life; we have to learn from each other.” And so, I will share a bit of her journey in the hopes that retelling it will move my heart and the hearts of those that read it towards deeper compassion.

Continue Reading…

HOPE International is pleased to announce that our founder and board chair, Jeff Rutt, was presented the 2013 Epoch Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding work in the missions field. The award was presented to Jeff on October 28 at Atlanta’s historic Fox Theatre during the second annual Epoch Awards presentation.

The vision of Tim Abare of Adventures in Missions, the Epoch Awards honor those who are persistently tackling issues of poverty, sex trafficking, HIV/AIDS, the need for clean water, homelessness, and other concerns in today’s society.

Continue Reading…

HOPE’s newest savings and credit association (SCA) groups in central Burundi are only a few months into their first cycle, and already group members are pooling their savings to start businesses and buy land together. Ryan Severns, HOPE’s microenterprise technical advisor in Burundi, gives us a video update from Karuzi Province, where our partnership with a local denomination is seeing fruit.

On my recent trip to Peru, I met a woman who was struggling with a deep hurt. As I sat in her business, Luz (pictured on the right) shared with me and a few others how disappointed she was that she had never married or had children. Tears welled in her eyes as a friend held her close. Luz owns a costume shop in Lima, Peru, where she sells and rents costumes of all kinds, from recognizable Disney characters to traditional Peruvian icons. Her customers come to her shop to celebrate, but while she serves them, she’s filled with a sadness that struck at her core as a woman in Peruvian society.

Luz with Michelle, the program coordinator

Continue Reading…