Category: Just Hope Heroes

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Resilient and Determined Widows Reclaim Hope Through Empowerment in Haiti

Hundreds of women in Jeremie, Haiti were left widowed and destitute in the wake of Hurricane Matthew in 2016. The destructive storm not only wiped out many of their businesses, leaving them without any stable means of making an income, it broke their self-confidence and hope. Their families, with eight dependents on average, often went… continue reading

Harry helps Survival Skills students unlock new opportunities in the Dominican Republic

In the Dominican Republic, Just Hope’s Survival Skills teacher Harry Gomez is empowering our Survival Skills students to unlock their own doors to new employment opportunities by teaching English as a second language. Harry’s Road to Teaching Born in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, Harry was raised by his mother, a pediatrician,… continue reading

Hero Spotlight: Maria overcomes her past and pursues her passion

When Maria was born, her mother was addicted to drugs, and when Maria was 22 days old, her mother abandoned her. Her older sister, who had already started her own family, took custody of Maria and moved to La Romana, Dominican Republic. Her sister’s husband worked, but there was not enough money for Maria or… continue reading

Hero Spotlight: Pastor Gborie Loves His Neighbors with a Servant’s Heart

Some people in leadership positions will “go along to get along,” but true leaders refuse to let go of a vision when they are convicted. Pastor Aiah Mark Gborie ( pronounced bor-ee) is the pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Fellowship, the “mega-church” of Lunsar, Sierra Leone. Pastor Gborie initially learned about sustainable conservation agriculture techniques… continue reading

Hero Spotlight: Ghana Entrepreneurs Look to Businesses to Increase Household Income

Business mentoring is one of four main ways we economically empower families to increase their household income. People all over the world are natural innovators and creators, and the people we work with are no different. They have ideas about businesses that would work well in their communities, and moreover, they have the local insight… continue reading

Hero Spotlight: Grace Boakye Saves Money to Build Her Business and Provide for Her Family in Ghana

For Grace Boakye, being poor may likely have contributed to the death of her first baby, who died in childbirth. Not being able to afford a visit to the hospital, Grace’s options were limited when complications arose during delivery, and her baby could not be saved. Now a 29-year-old mother of three children aged 10,… continue reading

Hero Spotlight: Blind Farmers See Through Their Hands, Learn from Experience

For about a year now, Just Hope has been working alongside a group of blind farmers in Sierra Leone who continue to inspire us with their determination and skill. You might remember Amidu “Francis” Kayina, the blind chaplain at the Baptist Eye Hospital in Lunsar, who is a powerful local champion for the blind being… continue reading

Hero Spotlight: Sofia, Abuse Survivor, Wants to Help Others

When Sofia was 13, she and her sister were taken to an orphanage by the national adoption authority in the Dominican Republic. The girls’ mother moved away when Sofia was 8 and they were left to live with their stepfather. For five years, the girls were abused, often locked in the house alone and were… continue reading