Fulfilling A Dream
Four years ago, SowHope met Dr. Itengré, a surgeon specializing in obstetric fistula repair. We were so moved by the stories of women living with fistula and the lifechanging results of the fistula repair surgeries, that we hoped to provide $50,000 to cover the cost of surgeries for 100 women over two years. At the […]
Fulfilling A Dream
Four years ago, SowHope met Dr. Itengré, a surgeon specializing in obstetric fistula repair. We were so moved by the stories of women living with fistula and the lifechanging results of the fistula repair surgeries, that we hoped to provide $50,000 to cover the cost of surgeries for 100 women over two years. At the […]
Beauty in India
Heavy snowfall cut the electricity at a vocational training project in India where women were learning how to become beauticians and to professionally apply makeup. Undeterred, they managed to carry on by using small firepots for light and warmth. No one wanted to give up the training opportunity they were receiving. There are few jobs […]
Devadasi – A Tradition of Slavery
Despite several court orders to abolish it, there are still a few states in India which continue to practice the Devadasi tradition, which dates back to the 6th century. Devadasi is translated as the feminine form of “slave of god”. Within the tradition, young girls are dedicated and married to the temple deity, Yellamma, before […]
Terrorism Hits Close to Home in Nigeria
Boko Haram, a terrorist organization in northeastern Nigeria, continues to terrorize in many areas where our Nigerian partner, Sarah, oversees more than 25 SowHope projects empowering women. Recently, Sarah’s cousin and his friend were killed during a brutal attack in her parents’ hometown. During the attack, people from the town ran for their lives, including […]
From Stonecutter to Seamstress
All Aruna, from India, had ever known was stonecutting. As her family’s traditional work, it was the only skill she had for earning money, until she signed up for the SowHope-funded tailoring project in her village. At 29, Aruna is a wife and the mother of three children. She would accompany her husband whenever there […]
Face Masks for Nepal
Single mothers with no way to provide for their family are being given a renewed opportunity to make a steady income. Anand, a local leader in Nepal, runs a small-scale mask making project that employs 40 of the most impoverished women in the community and pays a generous wage so they can support their children. Even before the COVID-19 crisis, Anand found […]
An Oasis in Egypt
Twenty-five impoverished women, most of them widows, learned how to make leather bags and wallets at a SowHope-funded project in Egypt. Our partner, Bassem, reported that in addition to attaining financial independence, the women also became more social and loving, their personalities improved, and there was no jealousy between them. He said they worked cooperatively […]
16,806 & Counting
Josephine is one of the many dedicated local partners SowHope supports. She is an exemplary leader and has facilitated many microfinance and transformational development opportunities in Kenya, a country where SowHope projects, funded with your donations, have benefited over 16,800 women. Her work and commitment to empowering marginalized women through education and economic opportunities has […]
Board Member, Fridah Kanini
“My soul was touched,” answered Fridah Kanini, Board Member of SowHope, when asked what attracted her to the organization. In 2015, when she attended the Annual Gala at Frederik Meijer Gardens, she was mourning the loss of her mother, who had died nearly three years prior. “My mother was my best friend. When I watched […]