Giving Tuesday: Give a Hand up

November 28, 2015

Give differently this #GivingTuesday.

First things first: what is Giving Tuesday? It’s a worldwide day dedicated to giving back. On Tuesday, December 1, people around the world are celebrating generosity by giving to a cause they care about.

In honor of Giving Tuesday, we’re launching a brand new campaign, and we hope you’ll celebrate with us!

Remarkable people facing some of the world’s most difficult living conditions are raising their hand to say they want to do their part to improve their circumstances.

You can give them a hand up.

Why?

We believe a hand up — economic empowerment from increased household income — is the path to lasting, long-term change that elicits hope, dignity and independence in the remarkable people we serve. We prioritize economic empowerment instead of handouts for a few reasons:

• Helping can hurt.
  The unfortunate reality is that one-way giving often hurts more than it helps.
• Remarkable people can do remarkable things.
  Each person has talents, abilities and interests that, when connected with the necessary training and resources, have the power to transform generations.
• Economic empowerment creates impact that lasts.
  The greatest chance for lasting change comes by empowering people to provide for themselves through increased household income.

Click here to learn more about this approach.

Who?

Meet a few of the remarkable people who have improved their circumstances by taking advantage of a hand up from Just Hope.

Ibrahim

This is Ibrahim. He was one of Just Hope’s first employees in 2012, when we started working on a pineapple farm in Bauya, Sierra Leone.

Working for Just Hope and earning a steady income was a new experience for Ibrahim, whose previous income was spotty and inconsistent.

With the pineapple venture now concluded, Ibrahim has been inspired to put his new knowledge to work for him, and has planted his own pineapple farm of 1,445 plants using techniques he learned from his employment with Just Hope.

Gabriel

This is Gabriel.

Growing up in Honduras has not been easy for Gabriel. Abandoned by his parents as a toddler, he was taken from his foster family at the age of four and moved by the government from orphanage to orphanage, a practice that developed in him severe insecurity about the future.

As his 18th birthday approached – when, by law, young people must be released from their orphanages – he was worried and desperate.

Then he met Raul, who offered a hand up to Gabriel, and everything changed.

Click here to follow Gabriel’s story.

This is Jenneh.

She and her husband Joe maintained a thriving garden during Sierra Leone’s dry season, a time when farmers usually experience great difficulty in growing crops.

By incorporating new techniques Just Hope teaches — such as proper row and plant spacing, mulching and applying measured inputs of manure — Joe and Jenneh achieved a rich garden of corn, okra and beans that would be impressive even during the rainy season.

 

Kevin

This is Kevin.

Abused by his father from an early age, Kevin became addicted to drugs and joined a gang, who told him to forget his biological family.

Then he met our partner Raul and everything changed.

Click here to follow Kevin’s journey.

What can you do?

With your help, the funds we raise could be the turning point for someone who has expressed a genuine desire to improve their circumstances. If you are able to assist with this campaign, even a small amount, you will make a lasting difference in the lives of people in Sierra Leone, Ghana, Panama, Honduras, Togo and beyond.

By sharing this opportunity with your friends by starting your own fundraiser, you widen our reach to friends we haven’t met yet, and increase the the number of people we can extend a hand up to.

Donate and fundraise now, or go to handupjusthope.org to learn more.