As we celebrate the millions of people who have clean water to drink because of the generosity of friends of HOPE International Development Agency, we are mindful of the 1 in 10 people worldwide who do not have clean water to drink today.

Having access to clean solves many of the problems of poverty.

Clean water significantly reduces sickness and death – contaminated water is responsible for more deaths every year than all forms of violence, including war.

Women and children get their lives back because they do not have to spend three to five hours a day gathering water – nearly all of which is contaminated.

When people have access to clean water in or near their communities they use their time to grow more food, develop new skills, improve their health, pursue an education, and create income-earning opportunities, rather than collecting water from distant sources.

Help provide clean water today.

Aster transforms her life

International Women's Day - Celebrating Aster's success

If the experts at the World Economic Forum are correct, it will be 2133 before the global pay gap between men and women will finally be closed. That is 118 years: for many of us, long after we, and even our children, will be around to see it. Last year's prediction from the same experts was that gender parity would be achieved by 2095. As a global community, we would appear to be going backwards.

The implications are sobering. Development is not possible while half the population is left behind. Development is not possible when half the population has no voice. Indeed, quite the opposite: our experience is that true development is only possible when women around the world are given the opportunity and support they need to lead and to tackle the truly tough issues that are facing their families, their communities, and their countries.

What is lacking is not the knowledge or the will to tackle these issues. But when too many precious hours are spent fetching water, or coaxing food out of uncooperative soil, or caring for a child who is sick with diarrhea -- again -- there is no time and no energy to do more than survive. When societal norms dictate that women should have no voice, their ideas go unheard.

The problem is complex. The solution is, in so many ways, simple: when we deliberately invest in women amazing things happen.

For Aster Tsilo, a 35-year old mother of 2 boys and 3 girls who lives in southern Ethiopia, this investment took the form of a spring capping system in her village that delivered water steps from her home, and the chance to join a women's self-help group with her neighbours. With water on her doorstep, Aster suddenly had many more hours of free time each day. Through the self-help group, Aster accessed training, moral support, and two small loans of $13 and $26 to take advantage of those hours.

A year ago, Aster, like many women in her village, spent most of her day at home, cooking and cleaning, or fetching water. Now she runs a successful business buying and selling vegetables, butter, and other small items. She saves almost $1 a week. She has opened a personal savings account at the local bank. She feeds her family three times a day instead of only twice. The family dug a pit latrine. Most importantly, Aster's relationship with her husband has changed completely: decisions that used to be made by him unilaterally are now discussed and decided on jointly.

For Aster, for her daughters, for her sons: this is all transformative.

Aster is not alone. She is representative of 19 other women in her village who are also part of her self-help group, of hundreds of other women in southern Ethiopia who HOPE International Development Agency has worked with in recent years. She is representative of thousands of women around the world who gained the opportunity and support they needed to thrive through HOPE International Development Agency's support in 2015, and of the thousands more who will do so this year.

She is one step closer to the world closing the gap well before 2133. We are all the better for it.

Donate today and transform the lives of women and their families.

A Big Challenge
Far too many Ethiopians are forced to drink water gathered from filthy ponds, stagnant streams, and contaminated hand-dug pits. Prolonged drought has made the situation even more challenging. HOPE International Development Agency is continuing to tackle the water crisis in Ethiopia and we need your help.

Meeting the Challenge
Have dinner with us and help thousands of Ethiopians drink their first cup of clean water.

Our Time Together
Join us for a wonderful meal, the company of friends, silent and live auctions, great music, a short feature film, and an important opportunity to transform lives in Ethiopia through your giving.

For more information and to reserve tickets for any of the Film Premiere & Dinner events listed below, please visit www.hope-international.com.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Vancouver
Saturday Evening, April 23, 2016
5:30pm Reception & 6:45pm Dinner
Vancouver Convention Centre (West Building)
1055 Canada Place, Vancouver, British Columbia

Prince Geroge
Saturday Evening, May 7, 2016
6:30pm Reception & 7:00pm Dinner
Prince George Civic Centre
808 Civic Plaza, Prince George, British Columbia

William Lake
Friday Evening, May 6, 2016
6:30pm Reception & 7:00pm Dinner
Williams Lake Elks Hall
98 1 Avenue South, Williams Lake, British Columbia


MANITOBA

Winnipeg
Monday Evening, May 9, 2016
6:30pm Reception & 7:00pm Dinner
The Fort Garry
222 Broadway, Winnipeg, Manitoba


ONTARIO

London
Thursday Evening, May 12, 2016
6:30pm Reception & 7:00pm Dinner
London Convention Centre
300 York Street, London, Ontario

Port Credit
Sunday Evening, May 15, 2016
5:30pm Reception & 6:00pm Dinner
The Waterside Inn
15 Stavebank Rd S, Mississauga, ON


NOVA SCOTIA

Halifax
Saturday Evening, May 14, 2016
6:30pm Reception & 7:00pm Dinner
The Lord Nelson Hotel & Suites
1515 South Park Street, Halifax, NS

The foundation of lasting solutions to poverty

Why would Thomas Buku, a 70-year old man living in rural South Sudan, take the advice of trained local volunteers leading a hygiene awareness program in his region?

The answer is trust. Thomas trusts the advice because he trusts the local volunteers.

“This is my first time attending this program,” says Thomas. “It has opened my eyes because it is only today that I have learned how to wash my hands properly. Frankly speaking, I have spent many years not knowing how to wash my hands the way it has been shown today. I am taking this message home and hope it will reach the thousands of people in my community who do not know how to wash their hands properly.”

Thomas trusts the trained local volunteers because there is a relationship between what they are teaching and what he needs. There is also a relationship between the trained local volunteers and the people, like Thomas, who are attending the workshops.

HOPE International Development Agency believes that relationships, and the trust they engender, are crucial to creating lasting, self-sustaining solutions to poverty.

Handwashing with soap is one of the cheapest, fastest, and most effective ways to help prevent diarrhea and viral diseases, according to UNICEF’s South Sudan Deputy Representative. Soap and water is an extra defence against disease that everyone, children included, can take to keep themselves healthy.

Helping families write their own stories of hope

Stories of hope are written every day in communities where HOPE International Development Agency is working to help families lift themselves out of poverty.

Jeana Pangcato and her family live in the community of Sitio Kabalansian, in an impoverished region of the Philippines.

Here is Jeana’s story of hope...

“Before we had access to clean water, we fetched our drinking water from a muddy river at the foot of a steep cliff one kilometre from our home.

We would dig a small pit at the edge of the river to try to filter the water a bit, but it did not work. My children and I had diarrhoea all the time, terrible stomach problems, and painful skin rashes. All from the dirty water.

One time, years ago, contractors built a water system, but the water became contaminated because sewage was entering the system. Even still, there were constant line-ups for the water every day.”

Imagine being so desperate for water that you would willingly use water that makes you and your children sick.

Today, because of the generosity of HOPE International Development Agency donors, Jeana gathers clean water from a new system built by her community.

“Now I walk less than 100 meters from my house to a water tap that has clean water. And there are taps throughout my community - everyone has water. My family is healthy and we are not sick.”

Clean water is crucial for Jeana and her family, but so is being able to grow enough food.

HOPE International Development Agency is also helping families learn how to grow enough nutritious food to meet their needs and earn extra income. Seeds and tools, as well as training in more productive farming methods and homemade fertilizers, is being provided to help families reach their goal of become self-sufficient.

In communities who have received help, disease rates have decreased by more than 90 percent. School enrolment has risen dramatically. Malnutrition, a condition that affects children’s ability to learn and grow, is now a thing of the past.

Help families in the Philippines

Have dinner with us and help change the world

Creating meaningful, lasting change takes more than one person. It takes a room full of people.

HOPE International Development Agency Film Premiere & Dinner events are an annual celebration of the progress made in helping families lift themselves out of poverty and the people who make it possible.

The highlight of each event is a short feature film, shot by professional filmmakers who are giving of their time and talent to bring you stories of hope from rural Ethiopia where HOPE is helping the poorest of the poor transform their lives.

HOPE's 2016 series of spring Film Premiere and Dinner events begin in Vancouver, on Saturday evening, April 23, 2016 at the stunning Vancouver Convention Centre (West Building), 1055 Canada Place, Vancouver, British Columbia. The evening gets started with a reception at 5:30pm, and dinner is served at 6:45pm.

More details on other event locations in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Nova Scotia will be released soon so please visit www.hope-international.com in the coming weeks.

The company of friends, a wonderful meal, silent auction, live music, and an inspiring film await you. We hope that you will join us this year and help transform lives in Ethiopia through your giving.

For more information about the April 23 event in Vancouver, and to reserve your tickets, please call us at 1-604-525-5481 and ask for Jet Takaoka (ext. 19) or John King (ext. 11).

Where hope begins

Hope begins with you; it always has and always will.

You transform lives through your concern and generosity. Your giving sparks a chain reaction.

When children, for example, are rescued from poverty, families can be transformed. When families are transformed, communities envision a better future and begin lifting themselves out of poverty. When communities become free from poverty, entire regions can be permanently transformed for the better.

In 2016, nearly one million people will be transformed as they gain access to clean water, education, health care, methods of sustainable agriculture, skills training, and new livelihoods – and it will all begin with you.

Thank you!

2015 can end much better than it started for children trapped in poverty

As 2015 draws to a close there is still time to ensure that the year ends much better than it began for children who have known only suffering and sadness.

You can choose gifts from our 2015 Catalogue of Hope.

You can give to our current special appeal and help children in South Sudan gain access to clean water, education, and proper sanitation.

If you prefer, you can give to "where most needed".

Giving made convenient for you.

You can give online using our secure donation pages or you can give by phone by calling toll-free 1-866-525-HOPE (4673).

The best Christmas gifts ever!

Celebrate this Christmas by giving the best gifts ever to young children in Ethiopia, Haiti, South Sudan, and the Philippines.

You can give orphaned children in Ethiopia safe shelter, nutritious food, medical care, counseling, and education, including school supplies and books. Your gift will help children regain their childhood and become free from poverty.

In Haiti, you can help impoverished children by supporting their education and development, along with other necessities, ensuring that they will have the opportunity to make their dreams become a reality.

You can create a supportive learning environment for children in South Sudan by providing teachers, desks, and access to proper sanitation, all of which will make it possible for today’s children to become tomorrow’s community leaders in South Sudan.

In the Philippines, you can give children a safe place to learn, schoolbooks, supplies, nutrition training, and vegetable gardens will enable indigenous children living on the Philippine island of Mindanao to overcome the poverty and prejudice they and their families face.

Give the best Christmas gifts ever today.

Christmas is coming and so is hope for some of the world’s poorest families!

When you give a gift from HOPE International Development Agency’s 2015 Gifts of Hope catalogue you are giving a gift that does not fade, wear out, or go out of fashion.

Your gift, from this year’s giving catalogue, brings hope and transformation to families who are struggling under the weight of extreme poverty.

In addition to helping orphans in Ethiopia, transforming young minds in the Philippines, supporting learning in South Sudan, and nurturing children in Haiti, you can help families become self-reliant, earn sustainable incomes, gain access to clean water, grow bountiful harvests, and find the confidence needed to lift themselves further out of poverty.

Give gifts of hope this Christmas.

Water systems in southern Ethiopia will provide clean water to thousands of people

Friends of HOPE International Development Agency are providing thousands more families in southern Ethiopia with access to clean water.

Work on the clean water system in Banisha (and the greater area of Garbansa Karche) in southern Ethiopia’s Bonke region is progressing well.

About 5,000 people in these communities - representing 90% of the population in villages we are helping at this time - are on their way to having clean water to drink just steps from their homes.

To date, five water springs have been capped and 12 kilometres of water pipeline has been laid. Families in Banisha and Garbansa Karche have been very involved in both of these activities, spending hours digging trenches for the pipes and carrying materials to the spring capping site. This has been done with joy because it means clean water is coming soon. The construction of the reservoirs, water points, washbasins, and cattle troughs that make up the overall water system is about 90% complete.

Work on the spring capping system in Dorze Bele in Chencha is also progressing well. About 5,300 people in Dorze Bele will have clean water soon - representing 100% of the population in the villages we are working in.

To date, the spring has been capped and about 43% of the pipeline has been laid (2 kilometres). Families in Dorze Bele have also been very involved in both of these activities. The construction of a reservoir is about 30% complete, and work will soon begin on the water points, washbasins, and cattle troughs.

Our colleagues in Ethiopia also continue to work with the people of Banisha, Garbansa Karche, and Dorze Bele to organize them into community groups through which they will take care of their water systems, and to teach them simple ways to stay healthier, including washing their hands and digging pit latrines.