We believe that every life deserves hope.
Based in the small farming community of Magdalena Milpas Altas in the central highlands of Guatemala, Project For Hope exists to share the life-changing love of Christ with fatherless families through vocational training and employment for single mothers and widows, mentoring and education for their children as well as healthcare assistance for their entire family.
Through the work of Project for Hope, we pray we'll see...
Fatherless families under our care come to know Jesus, His love for them and that they will find their hope in Him.
Widows and single mothers equipped with the tools to live a self-sufficient life in which they can take pride in their work and have the confidence to face the challenges of each day.
Children and young people inspired and resourced to pursue an education that will give them hope for the future.
Meet a few of our families
Ana
Ana is a 32-year-old widow and also mother to Mario and Jeffrey. Four years ago Ana lost her 15-month-old daughter to a respiratory illness. Within a year her husband had a stroke and died after several months of suffering. In 2013, Ana lost her 5-year-old son to a serious infection. Now she and her two boys struggle on many levels. Having never received a formal education, stable employment is very difficult to obtain. Her only option is leaving our community to work long hours in a factory where she would be grossly underpaid and away from the boys 12 to 16 hours daily. Ana does whatever she can to survive. Currently Mario and Jeffrey are disillusioned in a public school where they are not receiving adequate instruction. In fact many children graduate 5th grade from their school without being able to read and write.
Noelia
Noelia is a 35-year-old single mother with four children; Maria, Marisol, Alan and Bryan. When she was pregnant with Bryan, her husband abandoned the family for another woman. For 6 years life has been a daily struggle to survive. Noelia's own father, an alcoholic, died when she was ten years old. She never attended school and cannot read or write. Her children struggle in school but she can't help with homework. Alan has failed two of the last three years. Without an education Noelia's only option is working odd jobs to earn $1 or $2 a day; not nearly enough to feed her children. Many times she works nights in factory, shelling peas, while her children are home with no electricity or running water. Recently one of their neighbors, an 11 year-old girl was brutally raped. There have been no arrests.
Olga
Olga is a 50-year-old widow and mother of seven. Five years ago her husband died of lung cancer. The family recently lost most of their small piece of land because they were no longer able to pay interest on a loan her husband had taken out before he died. In Guatemala people over 40 struggle to find employment no matter how much experience they have. Employers are looking for young workers who will work for less and for more hours. Olga is over 50, has no education and so it's much more difficult for her. Currently her 26-year-old daughter supports the family. She only has a middle school education and brings home around $30 weekly, barely enough to feed the family of 8. Olga would love an opportunity for her or one of her daughters to simply work where they could earn a fair wage.
