Archives For Ukraine

Home » Ukraine » Page 2
a generator outside a store

Originally posted on Peter Greer’s blog.

For 476 days, we’ve heard about the dire realities of war in Ukraine: Thriving cities abandoned. Loved ones missing. Lives and livelihoods plundered.

In June, farmers HOPE previously served in the Kherson region woke up to the reality of losing yet another harvest. With fields under water from enemy attacks on the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, their crops and profits have been wiped out.

While traveling to Ukraine to visit our HOPE colleagues recently, these scenes were at the forefront of my mind. The horror and destruction of war I’d read about was real. But as I spent more time with staff and entrepreneurs there, one thing became clear: Even as bombs weakened infrastructure and devastated neighborhoods, they most certainly did not crush the Ukrainian spirit.

Continue Reading…

Vincent Habiyaremye

Once Artem and his wife Alina began the pattern of missing their church service to tend to their successful wedding business, they realized they needed to make a change.  

“We switched to the restaurant business,” Artem says. “My wife loved [food] from an early age. She used to cook delicious meals with her grandmother. You can say that this is [an important part] of her life.” 

Little did they know that switching to the restaurant business would allow them to serve more than just good food to customers. During the challenges of war, they would provide people fleeing violence with meaningful employment and nourish their hearts with God’s love.  

Over the last 10 years, Artem and his wife Alina have used loans from HOPE Ukraine to open two restaurants in their community and purchase rental properties. Possessing an entrepreneurial drive, Artem says, “We don’t stand still … we’re always coming up with new ideas.” Continue Reading…

As we draw near to the one-year mark of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we grieve for those who have suffered, lost loved ones, and have lived amid conflict for so long. At the same time, we continue to place our faith in the goodness and sovereignty of God.

At HOPE, we believe in the power of prayer, and so we invite you to join us in continuing to pray for our Ukrainian staff and the entrepreneurs and farmers we serve.

Here are some ways we can pray together: Continue Reading…

Pastor Maxim and two women

When Russia launched its large-scale attack on Ukraine, we knew this was a critical moment to show up for the 1,000+ entrepreneurs and savings group members served there and our 47 staff members in the country. Thanks to supporters’ generous giving to our Ukraine assistance fund, HOPE developed a robust response—one that began on the day of the first attack and will extend beyond the end of the conflict.

Stages 1 through 4 of the response plan

Continue Reading…

This post was originally shared in 2019 and was updated and re-published in December 2022.

Traditions abound at Christmas time. Though each family celebration is unique, we wanted to offer a glimpse into how those served by the HOPE network around the world may be joining together with family, friends, and neighbors to rejoice in Christ’s arrival. We marvel at the beauty of so many countries and cultures celebrating the gift of Jesus’ birth and invite you to pause and reflect on the meaning behind your own familiar traditions.

Continue Reading…

“Your help is actually hurting us.”

This honest feedback from a Ukrainian pastor sparked the mission of HOPE International—and still guides us as we seek to support a country now in the middle of a devastating war. As we help today, how can the lessons we learned 25 years ago inform us?

Helping in Ukraine without hurting—then and now

During the economic crisis following Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union, immediate relief aid helped many. But as this short-term solution persisted, it began to undermine Ukrainians’ ability to stand on their own and build their economy. (Learn more about HOPE’s origin story here.) Continue Reading…