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Hope Trust
Facebook: Hope Trust RSA
- Describe in detail what your Organisation does:
Hope Trust is an outreach ministry of Hilton Christian Fellowship) to the poor in Vulindlela, a rural tribal area west of Pietermaritzburg (in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) home to close on 200 000 people. It is made up of communities in which there are many broken families. Substance abuse, unemployment, teenage pregnancy, low educational standards and exceptionally high levels of HIV and AIDs are prevalent.
This ministry seeks to provide a Christian value-based framework within which children and families can be , rescued so that sustainable steps of restoration lead to long term empowerment for successful living – spiritually, emotionally and economically.
Our staff help rescue, restore and empower children and families. This includes: – counselling (trauma, bereavement, spiritual) and referrals to State welfare organizations when appropriate,
– mentoring and tutoring in life skills,
– teaching financial literacy including an emphasis on saving for wealth generation,
– As funds permit we also offer healthy living and parenting skills courses along with basic lifeskills training.
- How long has your Organisation been operational?
Since 2003
- In your opinion, what has been the most challenging aspect of running your Organisation?
The following are a constant challenge: 1) the slow pace of change toward empowerment (spiritually, socially and economically) in communities where we work; 2) the difficulty of inculcating a value system in which honesty and integrity are important; and 3)difficulty of raising funds for increased impact.
- Describe your Nonprofit Journey in three words:
Rewarding; Challenging; and frustrating.
- Do you collaborate with other Causes? If yes, would you like to mention them?
Africa Co-operative Action Trust (ACAT); Give a Child a Family; a number of churches in the target community.
- If you had one Organisation wish, what would it be?
To increase the available funding and thereby increase the numbers of trained staff impacting the target community.
- In your opinion, which skills do Nonprofits in your Country lack?
Accountability to their constituency; knowledge of the importance of M & E coupled with regular review and reflection against clear targets
- Looking back at your Cause Journey, what advice would you give a newbie Organisation?
Spend time and money becoming deeply knowledgeable and understanding of your target community particularly if it involves cross-cultural engagement.
- If you could change one thing about the Nonprofit Landscape, what would it be?
Increase the availability of funding coupled with a heightened awareness of the fact that most nonprofits are spending money earned by somebody else.
- Which Cause achievement are you most proud of? Feel free to elaborate on why and include any links:
We have begun implementing reading groups for young children (3-13) and this not only exposes the children to books and the associated learning that may accompany that but also provides our trained workers to identify abused, orphaned or retarded children and to help through home visits, counselling, referrals or just simply love. The other achievement is the 30 savings and credit groups (mostly older women are members) in which people save faithfully. Houses have been improved, tertiary education costs covered, start-up business finance raised etc and this mostly by the very poor.
- Last question, if your friends had to describe your Organisation in three words, which would they use?
Patient, committed and persevering.