“Since joining Esperanza [HOPE’s partner in Haiti], we have seen lots of progress, and we want to continue to grow,” Marie Ledina Larose explains. Marie and her husband of 22 years have five children, and providing for such a large family in rural Trou-du-Nord, Haiti—the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere—hasn’t been easy. The family’s main source of income comes from their shop, Lavira Botanic, where they sell agricultural products like fertilizers. Like many successful entrepreneurs, Marie credits creativity and discipline as the keys to their success. Natural innovators, Marie and her husband looked to provide their neighbors with a product in high demand. Knowing that many in their community grow vegetables and other crops, they developed their own homemade fertilizer that they sell in used drink bottles. After seeing an improvement in crop yields, many farmers insist on having Lavira Botanic’s fertilizer in regular supply. The product has become so popular that they ship it throughout northeast Haiti to other retailers. Continue Reading...

In honor of International Women's Day, we celebrate the 81 percent of clients in HOPE's network who are women—mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, and entrepreneurs making a difference in their families and communities. 17-year-old Jenny is in her last year of high school in the Philippines. Her father's work as a carpenter doesn't provide a regular income, but her mother recently joined a savings group with HOPE's partner, the Center for Community Transformation. Jenny was so excited by her mom's example that she started a savings group for teenagers. She's hoping to use her savings to help pay for college, where she'd like to study special education. Continue Reading...