Stories of Hope: Sewing School

Vocational training helps orphans who are heads of household support their families.

Certificate of Thanks to ZOE from the Dukundane Iwacu Cooperative

The Life Dreams of 12 Giving Hope vocational training students came true in January 2009 when they received sewing machines, sewing materials, and certification to sell their products to others in their community. This program, supported cooperatively by the Rwandan government and ZOE’s Giving Hope Empowerment Project, provides a bright future for orphans who dropped out of secondary school to raise their siblings. As one graduate shared, “It is very difficult to stay in school when you have so many responsibilities.”

Each graduate had to design and make the outfit they wore to their graduation. Many children and youth joined in the celebration which was a wonderful reminder that they too may accomplish their life dreams as they study and work hard.

Watch the video and share in the joy.

Stories of Hope: Meet the Champions

The Champion Working Group consists of 12 families for a total 61 children. For their common project they grow sukuma wiki, maize, and potatoes.

The Working Group supports one another in all they do. Purity’s story is a wonderful example of how they work together as a family. When she joined Giving Hope, Purity felt completely hopeless. The Champions took her difficult land on as a project. They helped cultivate it, plant grass for the family cow and sukuma wiki to sell for profit. That first year Purity and her working group shared the income they made together. The following year, Purity was able to cultivate all of her land, growing sukuma wiki, maize, carrots, and potatoes which she used for food and family income.

The Working Group has also created an Anti-AIDS club to educate each other and people in their community about the dangers of HIV. Here, Purity is pictured (center) with other members of the Champion Anti-Aids Club.

Stories of Hope: Poem of Thanksgiving

Thank You Giving Hope Group

By Eric Maore from Faith Working Group in Kenya

Oh Giving Hope Group,
What else can I do?
What else can I say?
Apart from thanksgiving?
Yes! yes! yes
I know and I have experienced,
Your kindness,
You have given food,
You have given education,
What else can I really say?
Apart from spreading your good name.

Ah! Ah! Ah!
Yes I have done agriculture
I have planted Sukuma Wiki,
I have planted maize and beans,
I have reared goats,
And now am agriculturally upright,
I have had enough food, and earned income,
What can I say or do
Apart from singing your goodness?

Oh Giving Hope,
You have fought HIV/AIDS,
You have taught us,
Ways to abstain and prevent it,
Thanks a lot because you,
Saved me,
From the anger,
This strong killer MR. AIDS,
I thank you I am not dead,
I had a narrow escape from AIDS.
You are so! So! So!
Generous, kind and honest,
You look after the orphans and the poor.
Yes I understand you have fought poverty.

Finally I convey,
My sincere gratitude,
To you giving hope,
On behalf of faith group,
And my country Kenya,
For your efforts,
Keep up,
Giving Hope!
Giving Hope!
You are a delicate flower,
That needs to be nurtured well every time.
Endless thanksgiving.

Stories of Hope: Elie

Elie tends his crops using farming skills learned through Giving Hope.

God’s Love Is Good

Elie became head of his household when he was 12 and his brother was 5. His parents left land for cultivation but he did not know how to utilize it, so he went to town to beg for food. Many times he ate from garbage as street children often do. Living on the streets and in bushes, he was unable to bathe had no new clothes for many years. Often he and his brother were separated.

After joining Giving Hope in 2008, Elie came to realize that there are other many orphans facing the same challenges he faced. He recently stated, “This project has brought a lot of change to my life,” as he shared his accomplishments:

He and his brother take a bath every day after working in their fields
He has six trousers
He produces his own food from farming
He keeps a cow from a neighbor to make manure for his land
He produces enough cassava, sweet potatoes and vegetables for consuming and even more for selling.
Elie at his home.
He is food secure because he eats 2 meals a day permanently.
He has given a piece of land to his working group for free (without renting) for cassava plantation (25 acres).

The most powerful change is Elie’s story of faith. From June to December 2008, he neglected working group activities, but his group members, group leaders, mentor and social worker never stopped reaching out to him. In December he was arrested for stealing money which he used to buy alcohol and drugs. He was beaten and kept in a local prison.

Upon release, Elie decided to change. He accepted Christ and was baptized in January 2009 and now attends church faithfully. He rejoined his group, confessed and asked for forgiveness. His favorite song says:

“God’s Love is so good that he has taken me out of rubbish and sat me with important persons!”

Stories of Hope: Cassava Plantation Working Group

The Cassava Plantation Working Group consists of 48 children from 18 families. They say they were once scattered orphans, but now Giving Hope has brought them together.

After they completed their training, their community provided them with land for their Cassava Plantation. ZOE’s Giving Hope provided them with necessary materials. During a ZOE visit, the group president shared these thoughts:

- Our plan is to help pay school fees for younger siblings.
- We will no longer have to ask for help!
- We are very happy with the training concerning dreams as it helped us set objectives in our life.
- We are integrated into the community now.
- When we look at where we were we can say we have improved our life.
- Before Giving Hope I didn’t have any confidence, but now I know how to work on my own to solve our problems.
- We are no longer beggars.
- We will share our harvest with those who have none.

Learn more about the Giving Hope Empowerment Project and community-building efforts through Working Groups.

Stories of Hope: Abraham

Abraham's home under construction.

Abraham and his family are new members of the Giving Hope program in Kenya. He is a beautiful 16 year old boy, with amazing humility, gratitude, and faith in God.

ZOE received a wonderful letter from Abraham. Read his letter of thanks.

Through the Giving Hope Program, Abraham has started a business raising plants and vegetables in order to support his family, which consists of two brothers and a sister.

After both parents died, his sister moved away to live with a relative, and the brothers lived in a very small, mud shack, sharing a small bed. Their house was about 150 square feet, had mud floors, and was often wet on the inside.

Abraham and his brother show their crop of eucalyptus tree seedlings.

Abraham and his family were chosen to receive a new home. They worked with a ZOE Team and others in the community and completed a home which will shelter the three brothers and their sister.

After much hard work, Abraham shared that in his lifetime, he “never dreamed that he would live in a house with a concrete floor.”

Stories of Hope: Abraham – Letter of Thanks

ZOE received a wonderful letter from Abraham:

Abraham's Letter of Thanks

Dear Sir/Madame
Ref: Appreciation of the house you constructed

May I take this opportunity to tell you that I am pleased for what you did. In fact I would not sleep mostly when raining since there was a leakage on the roof. This would not let me even concentrate in my studies since I would always think of that house. But (I) know God has manifested himself through you and that is why I will praise him. With that in I (have) a cool environment where I can carry my studies well. I am determined to go on with my studies.

Yours Faithfully,
Abraham

Read Abraham’s Story of Hope

Stories of Hope: Sarah

Sarah is raising her 8 siblings.

Age 20, Sarah (wearing the red hat) is taking care of 8 children. Through her two years in the Giving Hope Program, Sarah has experienced significant change in her life. On the day that a ZOE Team met her, she began the visit by singing praises to the Lord because she was so happy to receive guests in her home.

Sarah was very young when her parents died and did not know how to obtain food. Too young for people in her community to hire her, she had to travel far to find work. Giving Hope provided training and grant money and she used the money to purchase bean seed. Now, Sarah and her family have enough to eat and hire people to work for them.

An elected Working Group Leader, Sarah was able to save money from training transportation funds to buy a pig. Sarah’s partnership with the Pig Raising Project provided her with a second pig as well.From her Life Dream, Sarah shared that:

She does not like it when people die hungry when they are young.
She hopes to buy a sewing machine and to teach others sewing skills.
Her guiding principle is love God and pray for other vulnerable orphans who are in conditions like she was in before.

Sarah has put her guiding principle into action. Not only is she raising 8 children from her family, she is helping to support 15 orphans through her work with The Ituze Restaurant.

As a ZOE team prepared to leave, Sarah shared a gift of corn and sorghum seed symbolizing the giving of a blessing. Her life is a true blessing, giving hope to many in her community.

Stories of Hope: Ituze Restaurant

Ituze Restaurant supports orphan children.

Ituze Restaurant was created by orphans in the ZOE Ministry Giving Hope Project to support other orphan children.

Ituze means “tranquility.” That’s just what the Ituze Restaurant means to 15 orphans supported by the restaurant’s proceeds.

The orphan restaurant owners used life-skills learned through the Giving Hope Empowerment Project to conceive of and develop their business. They designed the restaurant to help children living without any kind of assistance. They say Giving Hope helped them understand the problems that other orphans face and call these vulnerable children “their babies.”

A 2009 ZOE Team learned about Ituze Restaurant when visiting a nearby ZOE Ministry Pig Project. Many of the Giving Hope orphans from that project started the restaurant, picking a busy location to help ensure success.

Sarah (red hat) helps run the Ituze Restaurant.

Despite challenges, their project is profitable and running well. In addition to supporting children in need, the income generated by the business helps put money in their Working Group savings account, feed their pigs, and pay salaries for orphans who work in the restaurant.

Sarah (pictured in the red hat) helps run Ituze and the Pig Project and is taking care of 8 children. Read Sarah’s Story of Hope.

Stories of Hope: Blessing Group Bakery

Blessing Group Bakery Members of the Blessing Group work together to prepare and sell a treat that tastes much like fried dough. Four young men cook each morning, and Giving Hope children work as distributers. The bakers sell their product to Giving Hope members at a reduced rate so they may sell it again in the community for profit. Others also come to their bakery and buy the pastries at the regular higher rate. Proceeds are shared by the Working Group and the bakers.

The Blessing Group leader shared recently that he used to sell Mirra, an illegal substance in many areas, and used the proceeds to purchase alcohol. Now he is a Christian and is a wonderful example to his group.

Read about Nbabu, one of the bakers, who also has two other businesses to support his family.