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HOPE Intl

Feb 21 2024

HOPE Intl

 News
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Planting seeds in wartime: Evgheni and Denis’s story

“When I need help, God supports me,” reflects Moldovan farmer Evgheni Malai. 

As the Russia-Ukraine war presses into a third year, many families in the surrounding region live in fear that the violence will spread across their borders. Moldova is especially vulnerable, sharing a border with Ukraine and economic ties with Russia. Farmers like Evgheni Malai and his twin brother Denis in Moldova face a difficult choice: leave their livelihoods behind and flee, or stay and learn to adapt their business to a wartime economy.   Continue Reading…

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HOPE Intl

Dec 6 2023

HOPE Intl

 News
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How training farmers in agriculture is fighting poverty

HOPE International charity fights poverty through training farmers

Coupled with Christ-centered financial services and community, underserved men and women experience restored dignity and spiritual, personal, social, and material transformation   

Did you know that farming is one of the most effective jobs for fighting poverty? According to The World Bank, growth in agriculture is two to four times more effective in raising the incomes of families living in poverty, compared to other sectors.

At HOPE International, we believe that equipping farmers in underserved areas around the world is an integral part of the solution to many of the world’s most pressing needs surrounding poverty:

  • Hunger—800 million people go to bed hungry every night*
  • Malnutrition—45% of deaths in children under 5 are related to malnutrition*
  • Financial services—1.7 billion people don’t have access to financial services that could help them invest in their businesses, save for the future, and provide for their families.
  • Unemployment—Farming creates jobs and means of productive income for millions of families.

Continue Reading…

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HOPE Intl

Nov 16 2023

HOPE Intl

 News
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The challenges—and opportunities—of doing business in Ukraine right now

“Any business is a challenging one right now in Ukraine.” -Serhii, a farmer in western Ukraine 

When Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukraine’s economy shrank by about one-third—the largest annual fall in more than 30 years of Ukrainian independence. 18 months after the war began, Ukraine’s economy ministry reported that their gross domestic product grew by 2.2% year-on-year in the first seven months of 2023. 

This is welcome news, but the stark reality remains: It’s challenging to do business in a country at war.   Continue Reading…

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HOPE Intl

Jul 3 2023

HOPE Intl

 News
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Farming as ministry: Bosco’s story

Bosco Murengera Ntwari was frequently suspended from his school in rural Rwanda for not being able to pay his school fees. His father had left the family when Bosco was young, and with three other siblings, it was often difficult to make ends meet. 

 Then, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Bosco and his neighbors faced a new wave of challenges. As schools and businesses shut down, he says, “People here in the community had lost hope.”  

 Around the same time, a fellow church member invited Bosco to join a savings group and attend an agrifaith program through Sowers of HOPE—HOPE International’s discipleship ministry that equips farmers through savings groups to proclaim the Gospel through agriculture.    Continue Reading…

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HOPE Intl

Oct 12 2022

HOPE Intl

 News Staff / Travels
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Q&A with HOPE Tanzania’s new country director

A woman smiles on a balcony overlooking a valley

HOPE International is launching a new savings group program in Tanzania! And Anna Makundi recently joined us as the country director, with the task of forming a new team and bringing on new church partners. We’re grateful for her pioneering spirit and willingness to set the foundation to serve more people through savings groups.

Born and raised in Tanzania, Anna holds a master’s degree in public policy from the Victoria University of Wellington and has extensive international development experience with several prominent nonprofits. Anna lives with her husband and their three sons in Arusha, a city in northeast Tanzania. 

Recently, Anna sat down with us to share her thoughts on why HOPE is launching in Tanzania, her dreams for HOPE’s impact in local communities, and how we can pray for her growing team.  Continue Reading…

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HOPE Intl

Jun 9 2022

HOPE Intl

 Microfinance
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New investment from HOPE boosts farmers producing Burundi’s most delicious export

Simon RurihafiSimon Rurihafi (pictured right) is a coffee farmer who owns 350 trees—but he almost gave up on farming them.

In Burundi, the hurdles facing coffee farmers like Simon are many: The labor is demanding, farming techniques and expectations for bean quality have shifted in recent years, and there are gaps in the global supply and demand chains, making it difficult for smallholder farmers to connect with buyers at competitive prices. Simon recalls, “I thought of abandoning coffee in the past because of these challenges!”

On top of this, Burundian farmers have very few options to access financial services or training to update their farming practices, purchase additional land, plant more trees, or connect with buyers.

As a result, farmers have felt stuck, alone, and without options.

Continue Reading…

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