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by Chris Horst, chief advancement officer 

For reasons outlined in more detail on my personal blog last month, I’ll be stepping back from my current leadership role at HOPE International into a part-time role in January 2023. This transition was made for positive family reasons and the desire to decrease travel and be more present with my family during this stage. 

My transition means that two of my colleagues will be stepping into more senior leadership positions. For more than a decade, I have worked closely alongside both Dan Williams (pictured above in black) and Erika Quaile (pictured above in pink). They have both proven to be exceptional leaders of their respective teams. But even more significantly, I’m impressed with who they are as people. I am thrilled that they will be promoted to vice presidents and fully confident in their ability to move HOPE’s mission forward.  

Dan and Erika embody the best of HOPE’s culture, and we are inspired by how they follow Jesus. They desire to grow, learn, wrestle with their own shortcomings, and serve others—their families, churches, communities, and colleagues.  

It has been a joy and privilege to manage Erika and Dan, and I’m thrilled to share more about their unique qualifications for the roles they’ll be stepping into in the new year.
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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…

Clarisa Huamani’s dream is for her three children to have the opportunities she didn’t. At a young age, she was adopted by a family in Lima, Peru. Her adoptive parents often forced her to stay home, and she was never really accepted as part of the family. She longed for belonging and the chance to work and make her own way.

Investing in family

At a low point in her life, Clarisa discovered the business idea that could help supplement her husband’s income. After she lost her father to COVID-19 in June 2020, a neighbor gifted her a pair of guinea pigs and a chicken to help her focus on something else. Once Clarisa realized the animals could be a source of income for her family, she found new purpose. She began to breed and sell guinea pigs, ducks, and chickens, finding new clients through word of mouth.

My first priority is my children–for their health, that they would have a profession and be able to provide for themselves.

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Originally posted on Peter Greer’s blog.

It’s been more than a month since Russia laid siege to Ukraine. Their brutal and unrelenting attacks have crumbled historic buildings, laid waste to fertile ground, and devastated families, particularly in Ukraine’s eastern and southern regions. Seventy percent of the entrepreneurs HOPE Ukraine serves live and work in these regions. We’ve spent the last weeks checking in daily with staff members—doing all we can to ensure their safety—and connecting with the entrepreneurs we serve to learn how we can pray for and support them. These men and women have many reasons to despair, but once again, I am surprised and inspired by signs of resolute hope. Continue Reading…

Featured image: A church partner’s building damaged in the earthquake

Our hearts continue to break as we hear about the ongoing challenges in Haiti: the culmination of a global health crisis, heightened political tensions following the assassination of the country’s president in July, escalating gang violence that’s affected 1.5 million people, the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck the southern portion of the country in August, and the tropical storm that followed it.

We grieve with our neighbors in Haiti—and we know that out of our ache, we’re called to respond in love, prayer, immediate action, and ongoing support to help shoulder the burden they are carrying. Continue Reading…

This blog was originally posted on Peter Greer’s website in July. Since posting, southwestern Haiti has experienced a magnitude 7.2 earthquake on August 14 that killed over 1,200 and injured more than 5,700. Our staff members are safe, and we’re still assessing the impact on our church partners and savings groups. In the face of yet another natural disaster and ensuing humanitarian crisis, the main tenet of this post is as poignant as ever: Courageous Haitian leaders who have decided to stay in their country are bringing hope to communities where many might not see much cause for optimism.      

Haiti catapulted onto the international stage last month when its president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated in his home by a group of gunmen wielding assault rifles. His wife, Haitian First Lady Martine Marie Étienne Moïse, was wounded in the attack. This latest tragedy plunges Haiti further into chaos with shootouts in the streets, widespread fear, escalating tensions, rising gang violence, and political turmoil.

Haiti doesn’t often make international headlines, and when it does, it’s rarely good news: a devastating earthquake … a deadly cholera outbreak … another violent coup. But underneath the chaos, there is another story that needs to make the headlines: the faithful men and women who choose to stay and serve. Continue Reading…