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Joseph on motorcycle

Like many young people from rural Tanzania, Joseph left his family home to find work. He settled in Arusha, six hours away, and took a job working in a home, earning less than $25 (U.S.) a month. 

Despite working hard, Joseph struggled to use his limited income to build a better future. As quickly as money came in, he spent it on marijuana and alcohol. “The way I was living,” he recounted, “was not pleasing to God.” As he wrestled with the gap between his professed faith and his actions, Joseph began looking for a church to call home. “That’s where my journey started.”  

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Ate Tina

Twenty-one years ago, a series of devastating blows made caring for her family feel impossible for Ate Tina. 

She’d recently gotten married, and only seven months after the wedding, she became the sole breadwinner of the household when her husband suffered a life-altering medical condition. Employed by a factory in the Philippines, Ate Tina worked grueling, long hours. When she learned she was pregnant, the factory’s demands were downright inhumane. 

“I ended up giving birth at home because I wasn’t allowed to leave work,” she recalls. 

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Tytus and Sarah-Catherine Moen spend their professional lives thinking about stewardship, generosity, and impact. 

Tytus works in financial planning. Sarah-Catherine works in philanthropy and communications. Together, they’re regularly exposed to organizations seeking to create positive change in the world. 

So when it came time for the Moens to decide how they would personally invest in nonprofits at work in the Boston metropolitan area and across the globe, they didn’t make the decision lightly. 

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Jocelyn standing with her merchandise in the Philippines

How deepening a relationship with Jesus empowers families to break out of poverty

At HOPE International, we believe that without Christ, none of us can be truly free from poverty. One of our great joys is seeing people come to know Christ and experience the abundant life He offers.

Today, we’re celebrating the stories of Alphonse, Dominga, and Jocelyn, three people served by HOPE who have experienced spiritual transformation and poverty’s grip loosening. From learning how to pray to sharing the joy of salvation with family to finding hope for the future, these stories illustrate how God is at work—and why sharing the love of Jesus remains integral to our approach to alleviating poverty.

Alphonse Nsengumuremyi: learning to pray

Before taking out a loan from Urwego Bank, HOPE’s microfinance institution in Rwanda, Alphonse says he didn’t have the capital he needed to expand his family’s small business of selling cooking oil. Without enough income, he struggled to pay school fees for his children.

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HOPE International alleviates poverty through economic development

By Elli Oswald, Executive Director, Faith to Action Initiative

For Neema, life was a struggle in rural Tanzania. She and her husband were grateful to have just had their first child and found it difficult to even put food on the table.

Like millions of others living in poverty around the world, Neema’s family was especially vulnerable to being separated from one another. This is because poverty is the most common underlying reason children end up in orphanages.

Surprisingly, 80% of children in orphanages and children’s homes have at least one living parent, and almost all have other family members. The reason most children end up in orphanages is not because they do not have family, but because their families are struggling to care for them. Continue Reading…

by Katherine Gish, 2022 Marketing Communications Intern

Every summer, HOPE International welcomes interns and fellows to serve with us both in person and remotely. From a unique staff culture to learning how to connect with others, some of last year’s interns and fellows share their experiences for anyone considering if a HOPE internship or fellowship is right for them. 

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