What You Can Pray For
Uganda
Project: Entrepreneur Development with Tabitha Women
Location: Bweyale and Bobi,
Pray for our team members as they prepare for a trip to Uganda to train key leaders and launch programs that will equip men, women and children with the tools they need to provide for themselves financially and physically.
Ginger Project
Project: Ginger Project
Location: Lunsar, Sierra Leone
Pray for our newly launched ginger project and the key leaders from the four groups who will be farming ginger to sell in local markets in Lunsar, Sierra Leone. Pray they will be empowered to lead their groups well in this new venture.
Survival Skills in DR
Project: Survival Skills in Dominican Republic
Location: La Romana, Dominican Republic
Pray for our Survival Skills students and teachers as we begin our second year in the Dominican Republic. This January, Joanna and Harry will continue to use Just Hope International's curriculum to equip students with the life skills they need to thrive when they are living independently.
Pray for strength and wisdom as we navigate relationships that will provide new opportunities for students.
Uganda Partnerships
Project: Survival Skills in Dominican Republic
Location: La Romana, Dominican Republic
Pray for God’s clear guidance and direction as we seek to give a hand up to the people of Uganda through strategic partnerships. We are preparing to expand our programs and evaluate ways we can complement the work of other trusted partners working in the country. Join us as we pray for the right relationships to develop and meaningful opportunities to be uncovered. We ask for open mindsets to new ideas and training, and safety in travel.
Identifying Leadership Potential
Project: Growing and Saving
Location: Bauya, Sierra Leone
Our
Agriculture Training and
Savings Groups teams in West Africa are working to identify leadership potential in their program participants. Join us as we pray for the wisdom to identify the characteristics they need to lead well. Pray we will find individuals who want to grow and empower others in their communities through teaching and sharing.
Use the Hard Times to Push Forward in a Positive Direction
Project: Survival Skills in Dominican Republic
Location: La Romana, Dominican Republic
As part of their lesson in spiritual growth, Survival Skills students in the Dominican Republic wrote on a sheet of paper what has hurt them in life and what they wish to heal and overcome. After, they went outside to burn the paper and participated in a prayer of healing. These students’ difficult pasts often include abuse, violence and trauma – healing and learning to cope are important preparation for their future. We ask God to help these students heal from their past, and pray that they can learn how to use the hard times to push forward in a positive direction.
Blessing for Rain and Protection in West Africa
Project: Growing and Saving
Location: Bauya, Sierra Leone
We ask God to bless the farmers and their crops with adequate rain and protection against pests and disease. We pray that the farmers continue using best practices and turn excellent yields.
Making Strides in Ghana Communities
Project: Agriculture Training
Location: Berekuso, Ghana
"Excitement" has been the main word used to describe nearly everything that's going on in Ghana as of late. Savings Group members are seeing excellent results and conservation agriculture methods are making strides in the communities. We give God all the glory for this success, and thank him for the blessings He has given community members and Just Hope Field Officers. We pray that plots and groups continue to flourish, and that the groups maintain a positive outlook even when challenges arise throughout the season.
Savings Group Begins Second Cycle
Project: Agriculture Training
Location: Berekuso, Ghana
The Nukware Savings Group in Ghana completed their first annual cycle this past week, with 29 members receiving their share of the social fund at a 17% return on investment. The first cycle was challenging for this group, as they had six loans default. Though the group is pleased with their results, they still need support from Just Hope Field Officers, and we pray that they will not be discouraged. As they begin a second cycle of saving and loaning, we ask God to grant them wisdom as they make decisions about allocating loans.
Seed Loan Program Launch in Sierra Leone
Project: Farming and Finance
Location: Lunsar, Sierra Leone
The big news in Sierra Leone is the long-awaited launch of the
Seed Loan Program. We thank God for the work of our team on the ground as they conceived and planned the program. We pray that the farmers embrace the program and are able to effectively use it as a hand up to increase their household income.
Generosity and Kindness Aid in Transition
Project: Survival Skills in Dominican Republic
Location: La Romana, Dominican Republic
In the Dominican Republic, we have news that church members are opening their homes to some of the Survival Skills students so they may have a transition period from the orphanage to the outside world. So far, there have been three girls that have benefitted from the generosity and kindness of these church members. We pray that the students continue to get support from the community and that they take advantage of this blessing with wisdom and maturity as they begin their transitions to living independently.
Upholding Standards of Conservation Agriculture
Project: Farming and Finance
Location: Lunsar, Sierra Leone
As teams in Sierra Leone gear up for the launch of the new
seed loan program, we pray that those involved in this endeavor continue to uphold the high standards of conservation agriculture techniques to ensure the highest potential for success. We ask God to lead our teams through the upcoming planting season.
Growing Financial Capacity in Ghana
Project: Agriculture Training
Location: Berekuso, Ghana
Savings Groups in Ghana are showing fantastic results in growing their financial capacity. One in particular, the Odo group from Yaw Edipa, gave nine loans totaling $1,325 during their monthly loan meeting. Though the amount doesn't seem like much, consider that the average wage in Ghana is less than $4 per day – this truly shows the "impact that lasts" on farmers, families and local entrepreneurs. We thank God for the success of this opportunity and ask Him to continue to guide the Savings Groups as they prosper.
Savings Groups Empowering Women in Ghana
Project: Savings Groups
Location: Nsawam Area, Ghana
We praise God for the good returns across Savings Groups, and for the opportunity to empower women, who now make up 60% of group participants. The groups are doubling their share values and members are buying as many as three pass books in order to increase their investment. We ask God to bless the members of the Savings Groups and guide them toward financial success.
Abu Rabo Leading the Way
Project: Agriculture Training
Location: Berekuso, Ghana
The group in Ghana is working hard as the first rains are now starting. They are pushing to prepare and plant model plots while working with
Abu Rabo to bring in the yield from his compost. Abu has taken the lead in this "harvesting" process. We pray that the model plots are successful and ask God to watch over the team and the farmers who are bravely testing different agricultural techniques.
Crossing Religious Barriers in Sierra Leone
Project: Growing and Saving
Location: Bauya, Sierra Leone
Pastor Sullay has begun working with a Muslim Imam, Sheik Abass Kamara, from his community. Together, they have planted near a swamp and they are working together to learn – not only about farming techniques – but also about how two people can cross religious barriers to make a difference. We pray that Pastor Sullay and Sheik Abass continue their work together and that God blesses their efforts.
New Groundnut Seed Loan Program
Project: Growing and Saving
Location: Bauya, Sierra Leone
We are preparing to launch a new
groundnut seed loan program this planting season. Created by
Joe Lassayo, one of our Field Officers, and Josiah Holland, an intern with Just Hope, the program’s goal is to infuse Savings Groups with seed capital to allow them to plant larger areas and return greater harvests and profits. We ask God to guide our team and Savings Group members in this exciting endeavor.
Preparing for an Interview in Panama
Project: Survival Skills in Panama
Location: Arraijan , Panama
In Panama, the girls in the Survival Skills program are taking on the interviewing process. This is particularly significant because an individual’s family background is important to most employers. And, since the girls are orphaned, often times without a reputable family history, discussing their family and background is difficult and can be quite intimidating. The team is determined not to let the girls get overwhelmed and to help them build the confidence to discuss their past and to talk about themselves and why they would be a qualified, valuable employee. We ask God to give them strength as they work through this difficult process.
Overcoming Fears in the Dominican Republic
Project: Survival Skills in Dominican Republic
Location: La Romana, Dominican Republic
We are overjoyed to learn that Harry's students in the Dominican Republic are coming out of their shells and starting to participate more during the English as a Second Language classes. They are beginning to overcome their fears of embarrassment and volunteering to engage in active lessons, such as showing their sentence structure skills on the whiteboard for the class. We thank God for giving these students the faith they need and pray for Harry as he continues to encourage them to go above and beyond.
Seeking Financial Success Through Agriculture
Project: Agriculture Training
Location: Berekuso, Ghana
The dry season in Ghana is coming to an end and with that will come the rains and the beginning of the first planting season.
David Dyer has informed us that the team is gearing up for the preparation of model plots for planting. The goal is to increase the current number of model plots, reflecting the desire of more Savings Groups to be involved in Just Hope’s agriculture training. We pray that God will guide our team as they prepare, and bless the Savings Group members as they seek financial success through agriculture and business.
Rain Needed in Ghana
Project: Agriculture Training
Location: Berekuso, Ghana
The team is seeing some water deficiencies on the banana plantation of
Mr. Abu Rabu. Though this is to be expected as the dry season ends, the coming rains should boost banana development. We ask God for a smooth transition and a healthy, abundant harvest.
Compost Training in Lunsar
Project: Growing and Saving
Location: Bauya, Sierra Leone
We ask God to continue to bless Pastor Simeon Sesay of the Mile 38 Baptist Fellowship in Lunsar as he engages students and teachers in compost training.
Gbotima Women’s Group, Sierra Leone
Project: Growing and Saving
Location: Bauya, Sierra Leone
We praise God for the success of the Gbotima women’s group’s groundnut harvest. It was so successful the women are excited to continue testing the techniques they have learned.
Deepening relationships
Project: Agriculture Training
Location: Berekuso, Ghana
We pray for our team in Ghana as they actively seek to build trust and develop deeper relationships, as well as identify community leaders. We pray that God will lead our team to the right people and communities.
Prayer for communities
Project: Growing and Saving
Location: Bauya, Sierra Leone
We pray for our team in Sierra Leone and their communities, as they develop relationships and identify potential advocates for savings groups and agriculture training.
Praise for teams in Sierra Leone
Project: Growing and Saving
Location: Bauya, Sierra Leone
We thank God for the excellent work of teams in Lunsar and Bauya as they integrate savings groups and agriculture plots, and continue to improve our processes in the field.
Praise for growth
Project: Savings Groups
Location: Nsawam Area, Ghana
We praise God for the continued growth of savings groups and ask for his blessing on each of the members and their families.
Prosperous demonstration plots
Project: Growing and Saving
Location: Bauya, Sierra Leone
We pray for prosperous demonstration plots, and for farmers to be open to trying methods that are new to them.
Praise for girls’ progress
Project: Survival Skills in Panama
Location: Arraijan , Panama
We praise God for the progress we are seeing in the girls' lives, and for the dedication they are showing to the program.