Africa Team Reports
SowHope recently hosted its first overseas vision and service trip. A team of eight people, led by me, went to Africa for 10 days. Two SowHope Team leaders, Anne Kendra (PR) and Doreen Mangrum (Program) along with three board members, Beth Leeson, Wes and Melissa Miller, who also serve on our Program Team and film-makers […]
Watch Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide
It’s not too late to watch Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide – an amazing documentary that shows the story of the women SowHope seeks to inspire around the world is available for free to watch on-line until Oct 8!&nb…
Vote for ArtPrize #52267 “Sowing Hope” by Kim Gill
Once again, artist Kimberly Grace Gill has skillfully painted the beautiful women of SowHope. This time you can see her art on display until Oct 7 at the Women’s City Club at 254 Fulton Street in Grand Rapids. The large oil painting is part of a 1517 piece competition for the largest art prize in […]
A lesson in sales
It is always good to hear how people around the world use their resources to improve their lives. I recently visited a country, south of our border, and passed a guy selling cigars on a crowded street corner. I then overheard his witty sales pitch to a woman behind me. Salesman: “Buy my cigars, Ma’am?” […]
Surviving or thriving; what is the key?
Last weekend my son, Alex, a friend, Mike, and I made what has become an annual winter trip to Tijuana and Tecate, northern border towns of Mexico. From 1989 to 2005 our family went each summer with volunteer church teams to build one or two homes. Within a few years we added winter trips to […]
How important is it that women vote?
This week, I read about two women in their early 20’s who had just cast their votes. The first one is Dalia, my friend from Egypt, who excitedly wrote on her Facebook page, “I voted! It took me six hours, but it was so worth it…” The other is Natalie from the Democratic Republic of […]
A week for thankfulness!
This is the week to be thankful, although I believe it is good to be thankful every day.
Monday marked nine years since my mom, Jennie Evangelisti Dailey, died. Just thinking of her continues to inspire me. She was a person who lived a life of unconditional love and service. She was a tremendous example to witness day in and day out. What a gift to grow up with the knowledge that you were always accepted, no matter what. What a hero!
I see these same powerful elements in so many of the local leaders that we partner with around the world. Women and men who sacrifice their wealth to show others they have value. They are the ones: who speak up for what is right, when it would be easier to stay quiet; who stand up when everyone else cowers; who don’t demand more of others than they are willing to do themselves; who sacrifice their comfort, so others can live. These are the true heros in the world and I am thankful for them and thankful to know them.
Who was the 7 billionth person in the world?
What is so special about Nargis? Well, she was named the 7 billionth person in the world a few weeks ago, when it was estimated that we hit that milestone number in our global population. While no one knows exactly who it was, the government of India, which holds one-sixth of the world’s population, pointed […]
It’s 11/11/11 and I just got on train #111 going to DC. Happy Armistice Day everyone!
I am heading down to Washington DC and then on to Lexington, VA where tomorrow we will be having our first SowHope Speakers Bureau Training.
It has been an idea in the hopper for a long time and thanks to Dr. Anita Arnold for taking on the leade…
The burden women carry
My first recollection of blatant gender discrimination in the developing world took place on the side of a mountain. My friend Bev and I were being escorted down a well-worn Himalayan path just as the sun was setting. We were trying to reach a good sized village where we would meet our driver and a […]