Capping It All Off!

Dear Friends of Hope,

Please join us in celebrating Hope International graduate Ruth as she is “capped” during a ceremony at her school, United Methodist University. The capping ceremony signifies her transition to clinicals and patient care in her nursing program. 

Ruth’s opportunity to attend university was provided by a stateside health care provider who has shared her resources to make another woman’s dream possible. Ruth is grateful. We are grateful.

Thank you to all of you for making it possible for Hope International students to graduate from high school and for some, the opportunity to reach even higher.

Together, we are The Hope Project.

Introducing Power of Hope

Dear Friends of Hope,

Sew Much Hope, Cooking up Hope and now Power of Hope. Thanks to a generous grant from Project Redwood of Tides Foundation, hope is abundant in our vocational programs.

Through the grant entrusted to us, Hope International’s final on-campus vocational program has been established. Over 70 students are currently enrolled in this 18-month electrical technician training program.  

According to USAID, post-war Liberia has one of the lowest electricity access rates in the world at 12% of the population. Their stated national goal is to increase access to 70% of Monrovia's (the capital city of Liberia) population and 35% to the rest of the country by 2030. It is anticipated that demand will peak at 300 MW, serving 1 million customers. This will create a demand for electrical technicians throughout the country.

By obtaining this vocational certification as an electrical technician, students will be skilled to pursue employment in both the private and public electrical sectors as well as small business opportunities upon graduation.

Thank you to Project Redwood of Tides Foundation for funding this opportunity and to all of you who show how powerful hope can be each and every day, year after year.

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Love Does Such Things

Dear Friends of Hope,

It is with deep sadness that we share with you, our partners in Hope, the news that Eric Davies, beloved janitor of Hope International School, died unexpectedly on Saturday, May 7th. He was 45 years old. As with most deaths in Liberia, the cause is undetermined. He was at work Friday; he went home and told his family he wasn’t feeling well. On Saturday, they carried him to a medical clinic, and he was given an IV drip. Eric died later that day. 

The Hope International community, students and staff, joined together to honor his life and provide the financial support to his family for burial. 

Eric began working at Hope International in 2012, first as a nighttime security guard and then a janitor. He was loved by students and staff. He was a husband, father, and friend. 

Life expectancy in Liberia is 63. Preventative medical care and even medical care in general, is incredibly hard to come by, both in the scarcity of medical care providers as well as the equipment and medications needed. 

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Together, we will honor Eric and his family and together we will work with our Liberian community and others to quicken a future where essential medical care is accessible in Liberia.   

Thank you to the staff and students of Hope International for the love and support you provided to Eric’s family in their hardest season. One of the many things that we have learned from your example is that love does such things. 

Together, we are The Hope Project.