Carli Huston

Slower, Longer, Healthier.

She wakes up early in the morning, feet hit the floor.

Rubs her eyes, stretches her arms.

She gets up and goes out for her morning walk with her friends, gabbing about what’s new.

They continue walking. One mile. Two. Three. Almost four. They’re finally here.

The cold water rushes before them, a familiar landscape. The warm sun is shining on it now. They bend down and scoop up the water…the muddy, brown, bacteria-filled water that might give them typhoid or cholera later. They fill all their jerry cans and begin the trek back to their village and use this water for all their cooking, cleaning, drinking, living.

This is Janet’s life. For 54 years.

Now, she wakes up in the morning, less early this time. Feet hit the floor. Rubs her eyes, stretches her arms.

She walks about half a mile, turns a handle, and fills her jerry cans at the well that was installed by The Hope Venture and our partners at Nasha Ministries.

The water is clean, and she hasn’t gotten sick with typhoid or cholera. Her kids come with her, and they can go multiple times a day if they need since it’s so close. 

This is Janet’s life. She’s now 62, and has more of the thing we wish we all had: time. Time to spend with her ten children. Time to spend with her husband. Time to spend with her friends.

When you give the gift of water, you’re also giving the gift of a life that can go slower, play longer, and live healthier.

A Young Man’s Call.

“If I had not gotten the scholarship, I probably would not have money. Working is not enough. It’s kind of despair. Without the scholarship I would probably have a life in crime and drugs.”

I was sitting with Anthony and his mom in their small, one-room home made of corrugated steel in Mathare, Kenya. Things were cramped, but hope seemed to be present. He was telling me of his journey through school and how he received a college scholarship from The Hope Venture.

The journey started when he had to drop out of high school because he didn’t have enough money to pay the fees. “I had to hustle for some money, assisting a carpenter and making less than $1 a day. Work was inconsistent.” Our partner, Fanuel, would stop by and visit Anthony while he was working, and eventually Fanuel helped Anthony get sponsored so he could finish high school.

But a high school education wasn’t going to be enough…life in Mathare is really hard. It’s the second-largest slum in Kenya, crime is high, and many people don’t have jobs. Anthony’s dad even roams the streets trying to find work, but he often returns empty-handed. As the first-born, Anthony felt the responsibility of not only moving out to make more physical space in their home, but he also felt the call to go out and pursue his purpose.

That purpose is to be a teacher; to get his degree, come back to Mathare, and raise up the next generation of students so they can also pursue a better life for themselves. Thanks to The Hope Venture, our donors, and our partnership with Fanuel, Anthony is able to go after that future with a college scholarship.

Chatting with him I could sense his feeling of responsibility. He himself said that without the scholarship he would probably be in a life of crime and drugs…that’s just reality in Mathare. But because people chose generosity and gave to a scholarship fund, this young man is able to move toward his purpose and improve the lives of others because of it.

Red Bow.

Mariam’s father wasn’t in the picture and her mother struggled with alcoholism. At one point, Mariam and her two younger sisters were renting a room from a landlord, but he got a bucket of hot water, filled it with maggots, and splashed it all over their room. The girls screamed and ran from the home they knew. A school uniform can’t fix that, but it can help Mariam feel a sense of belonging in a life of chaos. Her favorite part of her uniform? The red bow. Proper clothing matters…the $15 donation to provide that uniform mattered.

Hope in Limitation.

I sat on the cold tile with Sylivia and her two daughters: a 13-year-old and a nursing three-month-old. We were in Uganda on the top floor of the malnutrition clinic that The Hope Venture’s brilliant partner, Dr. Emma, had started. In the room outside rang the wails of aching and hungry children, but Sylivia remained…still. Peaceful.

Sylivia was at the clinic because her 13-year-old daughter, Shafic, had cerebral palsy, which led to her being malnourished. Sylivia said she had seen improvements in Shafic since coming to the clinic, and the staff had also educated Sylivia on how to continue feeding her kids with the produce from her own garden back home.

I was so grateful to know that the staff was not only able to help short-term with stabilizing Shafic, but also long-term by equipping Sylivia with the know-how of keeping her kids fed.

It’s people like Dr. Emma and the clinic staff who give me hope that in my limited capacity to help the world, there are people like Sylivia and Shafic who are being reached, cared for, and known by our partners.

A go-getter going places.

We were in Sevanagar, India, attending a graduation ceremony for a group of women who had completed their tailoring program—a vocational training project The Hope Venture has in Southern India. It was a lovely outdoor ceremony, complete with colorful drapery as decor. A couple women sang, and a couple others from the currently enrolled class shared a bit about why they decided to enroll. We were hoping to talk with one of the current students after the ceremony about their story, so I listened intently and took notes as some of them got up to share.

One of the women who shared was named Divya. Dressed in a beautiful black and gray sparkly sari with a red lip to complete the look, she shared that before she took up the tailoring program, she would waste away her free time on her phone every day. My eyes widened in amazement and my head nodded empathetically as I listened. “Huh,” I thought, “I can relate to THAT.” I jotted a note about it on my phone. I was full of awe and respect at how honest she was with all of us. When the ceremony concluded, I looked back through my notes and knew she was who I wanted to talk to.

After the hustle and bustle of celebratory group photos, I picked Divya out from the crowd and asked if I could hear more of her story to share with people back home. “Yes, yes, of course, go ahead,” she replied. We went off to the side and chatted, and one of the first things I learned was that she was 23. I smiled—I’m also 23. I asked about her family. She has an older brother who’s 25. My face lit up in shock and excitement—I have an older brother who’s 25! You know that feeling you get when you meet someone and realize you’re the same age and in a similar life stage? It’s like you’re already friends and now you can relate on a much more personal level? That’s what it was like with Divya. I realized this girl who I thought was far older and more mature than me was actually my own peer and someone I could talk and laugh with as a friend.

We stood and chatted, and I learned more about who she was. She was working full-time at a corporate job, but in India, once you turn 35, you get laid off from your corporate job, whether you’re male or female. She was living with her mom, dad, and brother, but was the only person earning a consistent income and was providing for her whole family. Her mom was a housewife, her dad was a daily wage worker, and her brother had a job, but he was in debt, so all the money he made went to pay off his loan.

Divya was working Monday-Friday, from 3am-12pm. She told me that she loves staying busy, but noticed that once she got home from work, she’d spend the rest of the day on her phone. I shared with her that I could relate, and she sighed and rolled her eyes, acknowledging the bad habit. Back in March Divya decided to make some changes and enrolled in The Hope Venture’s tailoring program. By going to tailoring class after work everyday, she is not only filling her time with something productive, but she’s also looking to the future and learning a skill now that will generate income once she has to leave her job at age 35. Smart.

Now her days look like working from 3am-12pm, traveling an hour back home, spending an hour at home, going to tailoring class from 3-6pm, then going home and doing her tailoring homework. Repeat. My jaw dropped open as she told me this, and she giggled at my reaction. Not a lot of time-wasting there!

I was inspired by how much of a go-getter she was, and she wasn’t stopping with tailoring. Divya loves learning and already has a combination degree in Computer Science, Journalism, and Psychology, and wants to pursue a Masters (maybe two) in Psychology and perhaps Media Journalism.  “Time doesn’t come back to us,” she said. “Learning everything is good. Gaining knowledge is very precious.” Gosh, is she right. The wisdom this girl has.

I left Sevanagar with a new friend, and I think of Divya often. I’m cheering her on as she chases after her aspirations and I can’t wait to see where she goes in life, inspiring others along the way.

Leaning on a trusted partner.

We met Epsi in 2018 in Chennai, India. We stood with her in her home, prayed with her, even got beautiful photos of her. We know her. She had been receiving a free meal every day at our local Feeding Center since 2013, and also went on to be part of our Backpack Project, where every year she would receive a backpack filled with all the school supplies she needed for that academic year.

My favorite part about the work we do overseas is that the people who are impacted by our projects don’t just stand in line for a free meal or backpack and then are on their merry way. No, they’re known. They’re seen. You see, we work with all local partners who have roots and relationships established in their communities. They know the people. They speak the language—literally and figuratively. They are the champions of change, and we at The Hope Venture just have the privilege of coming alongside them and helping make it happen.

Sunder Singh is one of those local partners in India, and he’s a hoot. A high energy, caring guy who drips with enthusiasm. He got to know Epsi through her coming to the Chennai Feeding Center, and in a couple years when her house was swept away by floods in 2015, Sunder Singh was there. He stepped in and supplied Epsi and her family with groceries and other essential supplies, a rock of support during a devastating time for the family.

Fast forward a few more years and Epsi had been receiving a backpack each school year. When it came time for her to apply to nursing college, Sunder Singh helped her with that process and she got admitted to a school nearby.

When she was living in a hostel and studying and homesick and wanting to quit, Epsi turned to Sunder Singh. He encouraged her and built her up and told her to hang in there. We’ve all needed to cry out to a trusted adult or mentor in our lives, and that was Sunder Singh for Epsi. Someone to pour into her. Remind her of truth. Encourage her to not give up.

To make the story even sweeter, Epsi also received a two-year scholarship from The Hope Venture, a massive burden lifted. There was no other source Epsi could turn to for financial help, and with the scholarship she was able to finish her studies and get a job working at a private hospital. She made it!

I smile as I write this. Do you know the impact a local partner can have on an individual? Do you know the role you can have in that? Do you know that 50 cents for a meal or 15 dollars for a backpack or 200 dollars for a college scholarship can take someone from not having much hope for their future to working as a nurse at a private hospital earning an income and breaking the cycle of generational poverty? Okay, I’ll let go of your shoulders now and catch my breath, haha.

Look, it’s just true. And that’s the best part. That all of this is true and not me just blowing smoke. If this speaks to you, I’d encourage you to follow that. Make a donation to our India Scholarship Fund and help put more students like Epsi through college. Or meander through our other projects and give to one you care about. There are tangible, positive, long-term effects our partners and projects have on people, and you can have a part in that and make this world a better place.