Mona Louifils currently buys and sells cookies and candies, but she dreams of the day when she can put her training as a seamstress to work. While she does not yet have enough money to pursue her dream, Mona is saving $2.52 a week as a member of a HOPE Haiti savings group, called “Christ is our only hope,” and plans on investing her savings in a sewing machine. “I enjoy this program because it has taught me to save,” says Mona. “I thank God for…introducing me to this program.”
While she currently sells women’s clothing, Tatiana Maslova dreams of one day opening a workshop where she can tailor clothes as well. In pursuit of this dream, she has taken out several loans from HOPE Ukraine, which she is using to increase the profits from her clothing stall and save up for her workshop. In addition, Tatiana has used some of her profits to make renovations to her family’s home—improving living conditions for herself, her husband, and her two children—and to help care for her aging grandmother.
Sosthene Hubert Roger Lubaki opened his dry cleaning business in Oenze, Republic of Congo, 10 years ago. Through the shop, he provides for his wife and three children, aged 7, 11, and 21, yet his earnings have been limited by his limited inventory. He recently received his first loan from HOPE Congo, enabling him to purchase more dry cleaning materials so that he can clean a wider array of items and increase his earnings.
At 52 years old, Cecilia is honing her entrepreneurial skills, learning good stewardship skills, and feeling proud that she can adequately take care of her seven children, the oldest being 31, and the youngest 17. Having taken out three loans, Cecilia credits HOPE’s partner Esperanza with teaching her responsibility when it comes to money. Not only does she have to invest wisely—which she has done through selling charcoal, ice cream, and soap as well as charging people to use her washing machine—but she also has to pay back her loan in a timely manner. In addition, whenever one of her 11 grandchildren is sick, she proudly takes them to the doctor and purchases the medicine they need. Cecilia believes that God has greatly blessed her through the loans she has received.
It is more blessed to give than to receive.
How many times will you hear these wise words this holiday season? This is my favorite time of year primarily because of this season’s emphasis on giving. The charitable and gift-giving yearnings among us all are stoked and encouraged more in December than at any other time of the year. This spirit is encapsulated and affirmed in what might be our favorite Christmas saying: It is more blessed to give than to receive.
The axiom could not be truer. Giving is a joy. Research suggests that generous people are happier people. Generous countries are happier countries. Benevolence brings vibrancy to our faith. Historically, openhandedness and abundant giving have been the fragrance of the Church. Part of our mandate as Christians includes a call to a countercultural understanding of our role as stewards, rather than owners, of our time and treasure. I’ll just speak for myself, but my hunch is others will resonate: My charity often robs the poor of the opportunity to give, rather than encouraging generosity. Continue Reading…
While she once spent her days scavenging to help provide for her family of five, Aura Flores has been able to use loans from CCT, HOPE’s partner in the Philippines, to begin a pillow-making business. Now she dreams of one day passing her business on to her children, so that they will never have to live in poverty. Additionally, she and her husband appreciate the Bible study they attend through CCT, as it has helped their marriage grow stronger.
