2019 Year End Report
WAITING IN HOPE
Each year, we pray and ask the Lord for a theme that He wants us to focus on for the year. This year, we heard very clearly from Him that we were to “Wait in Hope,” from Psalm 130:5 – “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits and in His Word I put my Hope.” We were entering into a season of waiting – waiting for additional resources, waiting for additional staff, waiting to see how all the changes to the organization would play out – and He challenged us to wait in hope. Waiting in hope is not an empty void of boredom, like waiting in a doctor’s office. It is an anticipation of good things to come, because we know WHO we are waiting for! He is faithful and true. He is trustworthy. He is the source of our hope. We incorporate this theme wherever we can in our day-to-day lives throughout the year, and work to communicate it both internally and externally. We pray daily prayers crafted around the theme and the verses that speak to that truth. We write monthly prayers that we share with you around this theme. We incorporate it into our communications and office décor. And we work to remind each other to live out this theme. Our faith has grown this year, as we have waited in hope, for Him.
NEW NAME, SAME MISSION
Evolution of a Ministry
Over the past 10 years, our humble ministry has grown in significant ways. With the growth, we have continued to adapt our methods and strategies, while remaining true to the mission and vision that God gave us at the inception of the ministry – seeing people with disabilities transformed, and restoring their dignity and purpose as Image-bearers. The vehicle for facilitating this process has been, and will continue to be, the Body of Christ around the world. We have battled harmful worldviews and ideologies that have kept people with disabilities trapped in isolation and oppression, giving them the opportunity to access all that is their right as people, and demonstrating the love of God, their Creator, in tangible ways.
Adaptation is the key to success, particularly in facilitating culture-shifts. As these shifts have taken place, our name, Women of Hope International, had become more confusing than clarifying to those whom we serve around the world. This led to the biggest transition to date – a new name and identity to take us into the exciting future.
WOMEN OF HOPE SIERRA LEONE (WOHSL)
Transformation Training
Over the course of 2019, WOHSL saw the completion of two 15-week Transformation Training classes. In February, twelve women from our Kamalo location graduated from Transformation Training. One participant told us that she was glad for the training because she used to be an argumentative person, but through the training, she has learned how to resolve conflict. Now that she is using the methods she learned, she feels better about herself. Another participant shared the following, “I was ashamed until I cried. I was alone as a disabled. But now I have a lot of disabled friends, so I am not as ashamed.”
The second Transformation Training class of 2019 was held in Makeni. Thirteen women graduated in July from this class. During the assessment of the class, one participant shared how she had found community and friendship at WOHSL. She said the following, “I have seizures and people were always running away from me because they thought the sickness would transfer to them. Now I am here with people who care about me, and when I have seizures, they come near me and encourage me and care for me.”
Skills Training & Fair-Trade Cooperative
In February, we took an Allies in Hope team to Makeni to provide skill training classes for women who were interested in Jewelry Making and Paper Making. Approximately 15 women participated in these two classes, learning new skills which have allowed them to create beautiful new products for sale at the Hope Shop in Makeni, as well as through our online Hope Shop. As the women continued to participate in the Fair-Trade Cooperative Workshop, they saw changes happening in their lives. Listen to what some of them have said.
“The co-op has changed my life – and the lives of my children. I have a place to go to work, and people respect me more now.”
”I used to just sit idle and sad. With the business I’m doing here, my life has changed.“
“I never knew I could make things to sell. I would have never thought that possible. I wasn’t even sure if I was a human. But now I even have a house of my own.”
“I bless this program. I used to just sit in my house depressed. Now I sell, I can help my kids, I feel better.”
RIMDIN DESIGNS
In the Fall, we rolled out our new brand for our Fair-Trade products – Rimdin Designs. Rimdin is the Themne word for Unity or Togetherness. Themne is the local language spoken by most of the women in the cooperative. Our tag line – Beauty in Unity, sums up our fair-trade co-op nicely. Our women come together, building friendships and community, while generating income for themselves so that they can provide for their families through the sale of the beautiful products they create.
EQUIP
Equip is the training and consulting arm of Accessible Hope International. Over years of experience working in the developing world, we saw a need for a training curriculum designed to better incorporate people with disabilities into the Great Commission (Matthew 28: 16-20) and invite them into the Body of Christ. We walk alongside churches, ministries, and groups who work in the developing world and want to better prepare their leaders to embrace Jesus’ approach to disability, and learn how to incorporate people with disabilities into their communities and churches.
This year we had Theology of Disability Training of TraIner events in four countries:
NEPAL
BURUNDI
GHANA
UNITED STATES
CHURCHES AND MINISTRIES THAT INSPIRE US
Burundi - Pastor Antoine
In May, Pastor Antoine participated in our Theology of Disability Training of Trainers event in Burundi, Africa. Within months of completing this training, Pastor Antoine reported to us that through ADEMA, his ministry to disabled and vulnerable women, he had carried out multiple Theology of Disability workshops in his area. The outcomes are amazing and inspiring.
3 churches demolished stairs that prevented people with disabilities from entering the church
6 people with disabilities were given tasks to serve in the church alongside non-disabled brothers and sisters
7 people who had been put out from their families because of their disability have been reintegrated into their family
11 families who had been using their children for begging in the streets have taken them off the streets
17 children with disabilities have been enrolled in school
6 families have apologized to their children for their poor treatment of them
6 women with disabilities have gone through sewing classes and are now selling clothing they have made
25 women who are disabled created a savings and credit union to assist each other in starting businesses
8 people with disabilities have left begging and are now selling goods in the market
Amos Ming Raj, one of the original participants, conducted a large ToD at the Reformed and Presbyterian Seminary for the 61 students attending the seminary just two days before their graduation. At the end of the training session at the seminary, Amos reported some feedback he collected. He said that most of the students commented that this is very new teaching for them. Several of them came into the training thinking that people with disabilities were cursed by God and not made in His image. However, after completing the training, they all shared that those misunderstandings were taken away, and they were very impressed with how Jesus treated those with disabilities. Most of the young seminary graduates said they plan to teach about disability in their fellowships. Some of them have committed that when they have the opportunity to build their own church buildings, they will make sure that the building is accessible. Still others are planning to do day-long interactions among youth. It's exciting to hear about how God is moving in the hearts of His people in Nepal.
Nepal
After the initial TOT in April led by Kim and Esther, our Equip Ambassador for the Indian subcontinent, we have had multiple reports from participants in that original training group. Here is what some of them are reporting.
“It has helped me to do counseling with people with disabilities while I visit them, and I have also shared the things I’ve learned in the morning devotion time at our office.”
“It has helped us to understand and serve older people and persons with disabilities as we work among them.”
“We have provided an orientation to office staff during morning devotion time.”
“I share the teachings in the home fellowships I am a part of.”
“I preach on the topic in my church services.”
SPIRITUAL FORMATION
As a ministry we believe in the wholistic nurture of every person involved at Accessible Hope. As part of our own soul care, AHI incorporates many different elements of Spiritual Formation into our lives. We have a time of corporate prayer each morning and noon, using liturgies written by our president each quarter that follow our theme for the year. Staff in Sierra Leone and staff in the US spend time praying together and lifting the needs of the ministry to the Lord. We have contracted with a Spiritual Director who provides Spiritual Direction to all managerial staff monthly and all field staff quarterly, both in the US and in Sierra Leone.
In February, our Spiritual Director, Nancy, traveled to Sierra Leone to lead our staff in a retreat. All of the staff came away refreshed and renewed after spending this time together. Nancy led our US staff and board in a mini-retreat at the end of May, helping us keep our focus on the Lord during a time of monumental changes within the organization as we announced our new name and had large staffing changes.
PARTNER INVOLVEMENT
Banquet
By God’s grace, and the generosity of many, our 7th Annual Fundraising Banquet on September 14th was a tremendous success! We heard powerful testimonies of changed lives, had amazing fellowship over delicious food, caught a vision for where God is leading us together in this new season, and glorified God through our investments of time, talent, and treasure.
We’re praising God for the generosity of those who came to our banquet. Because of you and your heart for giving, we met our match and raised a grand total of $50,000! This money will help make Hope accessible to people with disabilities around the world. God used a small, but mighty army to accomplish His purposes!
To God be the Glory!!
Volunteers
We are so grateful for the many volunteers who gave of their time and talents in 2019. Their support is such a gift to the ministry! Volunteers are a vital part of our Accessible Hope team. This year we are thankful for our crew of office volunteers that have helped behind the scenes preparing our mailed communications throughout the year, tagging Fair trade merchandise, and helping with other office projects. Our inaugural online auction this year would not have been possible without the help of a team of volunteers. We are also grateful to our event volunteers who served us in a variety of ways for our 7th annual banquet. Those 35 volunteers made that event come together beautifully. There are many ways you can serve with Accessible Hope! We are always looking for more volunteers to join our team. Are you a working professional with a finance, human resources, or non-profit law background? We would love for Accessible Hope to benefit from your professional experience. Are you blessed with artistic ability? We would love to have you join a short term skills training team to Sierra Leone, where you would teach the women new skills and support their financial independence. Would you consider how you might be able to serve with Accessible Hope in 2020?
This has been an exciting year!
Because of your partnership, we saw the impact that the Gospel has in the lives of people with disabilities around the world. Thank you for your investment in this transformative work! We invite you to walk into 2020 with us, following the Lord’s direction and good plans for the year ahead.
Until all have access,
Kim Kargbo, President and Founder