International Director’s 2022 Trip to Africa

By Numbers

  • 4 Ministry Countries visited (DR Congo, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania)
  • 3 Mobilization Countries visited (Germany, Netherlands, and England)
  • 10 Team Members (representatives from USA, UK, Netherlands, Namibia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania)
  • 27 Ministry CarePoints visited
  • 140 Staff Members met with
  • 2,000+ Children Impacted

By Specifics

  • Training With the Staff: Reviewed global activities, strategic plan, program ideation, HR manual rollout, listening sessions with staff, Life Center Development, and other discussions, meetings, and planning in regards to overall ministry.
  • Opportunities for growth: We spent a lot of time discussing the local vision for each country and ministry. We looked at the areas of growth, the need, how we can serve better, and smarter ways to do so. It was very encouraging to hear the visions and see the plans and ideas that our leadership team has developed. For example, they plan to grow the Ministry Center in Nairobi from 150 to 500 children in the next few years.  In Uganda they are moving into a nearby slum area with a large population of people in extreme poverty. In doing so they will be able to reach 300 more children and expand our teen program (Life Center) to better prepare our teens vocationally, spiritually, and socially for adulthood.

Personal Experiences

  • Highs: It was a blessing to re-engage with our staff and children face to face, hearing their testimonies (and singing!), and seeing our work through the impact it has in children’s lives. We interacted with and watched our amazing staff really love these children, showing them Jesus. There is a lot of joy, even through the challenges.

 

  • Lows: We saw the many children who need help that we are not reaching yet, were reminded of the incredible poverty and struggles our children come from and experience, and met many children who have lived through traumatic life events (parent(s) and siblings deaths, neglect, and abandonment).  I can’t lose sight of the complexity and messiness of this work. Also, a challenge was that I contracted COVID while in England, and spent time quarantining before I could return home.

The Biggest Blessing

We walked the child Becky and I sponsor home one day through a very rough slum. It was a long walk. People would stare/glare at us, but when I greeted them, I was encouraged by the sudden change in their countenance as they would smile and greet us back. When we met our child’s family- (many children!), the grandma who cares for the children shared about how thankful she was for her children being in our program and the change it brought to their family.  As we chatted with the grandmother and she shared, she would laugh and her laugh was so contagious! I thought, “Here I am in this desperate ‘dangerous’ slum, with people I would think are so discouraged and down trodden and yet there is amazing laughter and life here, even in one of the most challenging places I’ve probably ever been.”  God is moving. Children and families are being impacted.

Sincerely,

David Kase

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Where it All Began

In a small Namibian, Africa town, Jos and Sylvia Holtzhausen faced a burdening dilemma. Should they continue confidently serving Youth for Christ Namibia, reaching hundreds of west African youths at the large center they had established; or confront the troubling reality of HIV and AIDS they were witnessing first hand and the children left behind in its wake?

Sylvia was reading the book, “Get Out of the Boat”, about the parable of Peter stepping out of the boat by faith to walk on the water toward Jesus.  They had many years of effective service and were comfortable and fruitful with Youth for Christ, yet they felt the call to get out of the boat they knew, to launch a ministry that focused on HIV and AIDS affected children and families. In answer to that call, they established Christ’s Hope International in 2003.

Since 2003, Christ’s Hope has grown from serving in one country, to seven. Today we serve over 2,000 AIDS affected orphaned and vulnerable children. Helping these children remain in families through our Ministry CarePoint model, which provides support physically, academically, emotionally, spiritually, and socially.

Christ’s Hope International empowers orphaned and vulnerable children to break the cycles of extreme poverty, AIDS, and spiritual brokenness through family-based care and discipleship in Jesus Christ. We are so thankful to announce that through Christ’s Hope’s program, 2,000 children are being cared for in 41 CarePoints across Africa!

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What is Christ’s Hope?

Christ’s Hope International empowers orphaned and vulnerable children to break the cycles of extreme poverty, AIDS, and spiritual brokenness through family-based care and discipleship in Jesus Christ. To do this, we focus on five essential aspects of a child’s life – spiritual, community, emotional, educational, and physical. We are uncompromisingly Biblical, unashamedly Christian.

In Africa, extreme poverty and AIDS are a major issue. Every day people die because of these crises. Many children are left orphaned or vulnerable to neglect, abuse, trafficking, and disease. Often, they cannot receive an education or get the care and support they need as a child.

Our main focus when it comes to caring for the orphaned and vulnerable are:

  • Physical – Nutritious meals, hygiene lessons and supplies, access to medical care, exercise, games and more!
  • Educational – School fees, supplies, uniforms, tutoring, HIV prevention and more!
  • Emotional – Caregiving and mentoring, emotional wellbeing check-ups, trauma counseling and more!
  • Spiritual – Gospel presentation, discipleship, education on sex, marriage, man and womanhood, local church involvement and more!
  • Community – Home and school visits, community involvement, social and life skills training and more!

Since 2003, Christ’s Hope has grown from serving in one country, to seven. Today we serve over 1,500 AIDS affected, orphaned and vulnerable children, by helping them remain in families through our Ministry CarePoint model. Our hope for keeping them within their own community is so they can be with family and loved ones and also so that they can share this good news of the Gospel to those around them. We have seen this happen time and time again!

The ways YOU can help!

  • Child sponsorship – By sponsoring a child you will be providing educational, physical, spiritual, social and emotional care that he or she needs to break the cycle of AIDS and poverty.
  • General Donations – Make a general donation which will make a difference in a child’s life without the commitment of sponsorship.
  • Teams and Trips – Join a team and visit one of our Ministry CarePoints. In doing so, you will have the unique opportunity to use your gifts and talents to bless our children and staff!
  • Prayer – You can sign up to get our weekly emails which include prayer requests and praises for the week.

Want to learn more? Click the link below to visit our website and read more about who we are and what we do!

Click here to read more about the Ministry of Christ’s Hope.

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Steven’s Story

Steven is an orphaned child who lives in a small shack with his sister and his aunt. He is in fourth grade and has been in the Christ’s Hope program since he was young.

When Steven was first recruited into the Christ’s Hope program, he suffered from a blood disorder that gave him many different side effects. Through Christ’s Hope’s ministry program, his medication and treatments have been well cared for. He has continued to have positive results from these medications and treatments and has not had to go to the hospital due to complications, as he had to do in the past.

Because of Steven’s condition, he tended to withdraw and isolate himself from other children. Since starting in the Christ’s Hope program, Steven has slowly come out of his shell and now interacts with the other children without fear. He has continued to gain confidence and has made lots of friends in the process!

Steven has been helped immensely both physically and socially due to his sponsor and the Christ’s Hope International program. He has been empowered to be courageous and confident in who he is in Christ. He doesn’t have to be anxious for today, but can have hope for the future.

*For safety and privacy, the name of the child has been changed.

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Caring for our children, with a new look!

In a celebration filled with prayer, laughter, new shirts and cake, we were blessed to come together (virtually) with our entire Christ’s Hope team to praise the Lord for all he has done, and look forward to what he will do through this ministry! We had nearly all of our staff members, as well as a few board members, join our call from 14 different countries! We got to celebrate together and hear more about the branding, vision, and mission change for Christ’s Hope International.

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While our logo is not completely different, as we still have our signature yellow flower, the handwriting font is meant to represent the ministry’s personality. Our values are translated into our visual identity which reflect the love of Jesus, sincerity, competence and excitement. The style and colors are meant to show the joy and nature that is experienced in Africa and the Light of Christ. The little yellow flower in our logo reminds us of our hope in Christ and the new life He freely gave to us after His death on the cross, and we rejoice whenever we see it! We pray when you see our logo, Christ’s Hope is not only read, but felt! We are thankful for Annet van de Berg of Montio, a volunteer at Christ’s Hope Netherlands, who graciously agreed to design this new branding style for us.

Just as our branding is new and improved, so are our vision and mission statements! After much prayer and evaluation, our new vision statement is “Transforming the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children in extreme poverty.” Our new mission statement is ”Empowering orphaned and vulnerable children to break the cycles of extreme poverty, AIDS, and spiritual brokenness through family-based care and discipleship in Jesus Christ.” We want to see a dramatic change in the lives of children living off of less than $1.90 per day with lack of access to education, health care, food stability, and clean water. We will do this by giving them the tools they need to go from “orphaned” or “vulnerable” to valued, chosen, loved, and redeemed in Christ Jesus!

We will continue to care for the orphaned and vulnerable with the same heart and passion as before, but with a new look!

Join us today, click here to see children waiting for a Child Sponsor to help care for, pray for and encourage them!

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Worth a Thousand Words

“He did what!?”

“Felix sent a picture of himself holding the picture of us that we sent him!”

I was amazed at my wife’s words. After forty years of sponsoring children in different parts of the world through different agencies, this was the most personal response we had ever gotten from a child we sponsored. It was evidence that Felix had gotten our picture and he looked excited. So, of course, we sent a picture of us holding the picture of Felix holding the first picture we had sent him!

This all began in 2012. We had sponsored children all our married life, but our last child had aged out of the system and we hadn’t decided what to do next. I was serving as an associate pastor, and missions was one of my areas of responsibility. When I met Dave Kase, he told me about a new Christ’s Hope’s Child Sponsorship program. That was God’s timing!  Our church became a Partner Church with Christ’s Hope and my wife and I decided to sponsor a child.

We chose Felix, an eleven-year-old boy who had been orphaned. Over the course of nine years, we received many letters from Felix with many cute pictures. We even heard reports from Dave Kase and church members who went on mission trips to Namibia and met him. He always prayed for us, his sponsors, to be protected and provided for by God – and we prayed the same for him. What a rewarding experience!

*For safety and privacy, the name has been changed.

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What Do You Want To Be When You Grow up?

What do you want to be when you grow up? A question we are asked all too often as kids. For children like Matthew growing up in poverty and AIDS stricken villages, the career options are limited. But Matthew has a dream…

Fourth grader, Matthew, and his older sister lost their mom years ago. They live in a small shack with their dad who is unemployed because of the COVID lockdowns last year when he was let go from his job at the hardware store. The stores, schools and CarePoints were all forced to shut down. Food shortages were rampant causing many people to go hungry, and in some cases, even starve. In Matthew’s community police aggressively enforced strict mask and curfew laws. Matthew and his family became afraid of the police and were unable to go out in search of food.

Thankfully the Lord made a way for help to get to Matthew and his family. Because Matthew has a Christ’s Hope sponsor who faithfully supports him, and a CareGiver from his Christ’s Hope CarePoint brought food and supplies to his home, Matthew and his family were able to eat. Not only that, but they were given hope – hope knowing that even in difficult situations, their Father in Heaven will always provide for them. He will never forsake them.

Now that the CarePoints are open and meeting again, Matthew is reunited with his friends and CareGivers. He is especially excited to be back in school and at the CarePoint because he LOVES learning! While he might be quiet and shy, he sets a wonderful example for his peers to obey God and do your best in everything you do. Matthew dreams of becoming a policeman when he grows up – and we think he’ll make a great one! He wants to make his town a better place by helping people and stopping crime!


This sweet child has been taught at the CarePoint that he has value in light of his Creator.  He is empowered to learn, overcome and even dream of one day becoming a policeman. Matthew is part of a generation of children breaking the cycle of AIDS, extreme poverty, and spiritual brokenness in Africa – thanks to sponsors and donors like you!


Matthew with his older sister

*For safety and privacy, his name has been changed.

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Congrats to our Grads!

Congrats to our Grads!

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Join us in celebrating three young men who have recently graduated from the Christ’s Hope program in Namibia! Richard, Ivan, and Harry have all worked very hard and are grateful to their sponsors and Caregivers at the CarePoint who have supported them throughout their journey. All three young men feel ready and equipped to face the future as adults because of the guidance and support they have received through Christ’s Hope!

Ivan

“I am thankful for the Bible lessons, tutoring, and school supplies given to me at the CarePoint which have helped me greatly throughout the years. I plan to continue my studies now that I have graduated from secondary school. As I heard of the amazing things the Lord has done, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I feel well prepared for whatever lies ahead because I have learned that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13). I would like to request continued prayers as I leave the CarePoint and enter into adulthood.”

In the future, Ivan plans to reinvest in Christ’s Hope by sponsoring other children and helping provide for them as he was. Ivan’s advice to other children at the CarePoint is this: “Be obedient to the caregivers and pay attention to what you are taught”.

Richard

“I have attended the Ministry CarePoint since I was 8 years old. During that time at the program, I received the free gift of Salvation through Christ after my father passed away in 2010. I am thankful for how Christ’s Hope has prepared me for the future by opening my mind to the Word of God and how to cope with manhood and loss. I am committed to continuously strengthening my faith through reading the Bible and prayer.”

Richard aspires to study and become an animal doctor now that he has finished his secondary education. He plans to reinvest in the CarePoint so that the other children will take their studies seriously and retain focus on their school work for a better future. When asked if he would recommend the Ministry CarePoint to others, Richard replied, “Yes, because all orphans, AIDS affected families, and vulnerable children need to be taken care of and to hear the Word of God for them not to lose hope.”

Harry

“I have been attending the Ministry CarePoint since 5th grade and plan to continue my education in criminal justice to help those less fortunate. I enjoyed taking the Genesis Design class where I learned the Word of God, how to show others their value, and how to respect my body as a temple of God. I plan to help other children attend the CarePoint in the future by investing in the ministry in Namibia.”

Harry would recommend Christ’s Hope to others because they care for those who are less fortunate, no matter their circumstance. His advice to other children in the program would be to finish school, learn to be helpful, and be committed to their studies if they want to have a better future.

*For their safety and privacy, their names have been changed.

There are many more children just like Ivan, Richard, and Harry that need your help to graduate!

Click here to see more children in need of a Child Sponsor to help care for them and encourage them forward into adulthood!

From darkness, to LIGHT…

At three years old, Shia’s mother abandoned the family. This is a major heartbreak for any child. Shia’s mom left because her dad had been diagnosed with a deadly disease. Apparently, she just couldn’t face that future reality, so she left her sick husband and their five children in his care.  Shia’s dad worked as a groundskeeper until he was too weak to do so, then they became homeless. At one point a school master had pity on them and let them sleep in a classroom at night, but eventually that was no longer an option. Unemployed and homeless, the children were not able to go to school and the family was hungry.

 

When Christ’s Hope was told about Shia, and her family’s situation, staff members visited them. They were able to welcome all of the children into a Ministry CarePoint, thanks to supporters in the USA.  Shia and her four siblings were then sponsored, able to start attending school, be fed on a regular basis and get the medical help they needed. The family was even able to obtain housing and get off the streets. Can you imagine the burden lifted off of Shia’s father? Talk about light in the midst of darkness!

 

Shia is now thriving in school and says she loves reading and recess, but hopes to improve her math skills. At the Ministry CarePoint she enjoys hearing stories from the Bible about Jesus, and when asked what she prays for, she said, “For my dad to have enough money, healing and joy!”

 

Recently during the COVID-19 shutdown,  Shia and her siblings were unable to attend the Ministry CarePoint where they were getting their regular meals. Their whole family had to be very careful to not get the Coronavirus, as her father and a few of her siblings have weak immune systems. This made it impossible for her father to feed the family, but because so many generous partners like you donated during this time, the Christ’s Hope caregivers were able to deliver food supplies to  Shia and her family, as well as so many other families just like theirs!

The Catalyst to Change

Berdian and Juliet shared, “When we hear the devastation of thousands of orphans due to AIDS, when we see a picture of a neglected hungry child in Africa, our hearts are touched, our stomachs make an uneasy turn and we want to help, we want to rescue and save the children. We are all eager to react to the plight of the orphan, the vulnerable and the needy.

We all perhaps have our own ideas on what is the best way and yes, we too had very utopian ideas on the running of a children’s home (or orphanage),until we were sent to the Ark Keetmanshoop in Namibia. We were left disillusioned when we realized that our ideas and plans did not bring about a quick fix. When we arrived in October 2005, the children’s behavior was unacceptable and uncontrollable, at the time we realized their behavior was just a symptom of the deeper lying emotional trauma and pain they had experienced. If our aim is to provide only their basic needs like shelter, food, clothes, and education we were doing great. But, if we want to cater for their emotional well-being, unfortunately, we were missing the target

Some of the children in the home were AIDS orphans, however, there were quite a few that just their mom had died. In Namibia, if a mother passes away, a child will usually end up in an orphanage. But most of the time there is a grandmother, aunt, uncle or even an older sibling who could take care of this child. Many people from poor backgrounds here live a very harsh life in small, metal shacks with no running water, electricity, or windows. Oftentimes, when these people hear their grandchild or niece or nephew can go live in a brick house where they will have a bed, regular meals, and can get CHRIST’S HOPE|ANNUAL REPORT 2020| 13an education, they think the child will be better off there. They do not have the means to take care of themselves, let alone another child. That’s how many of these children end up in orphanages and institutional care. I believe that if those families realized the emotional and intellectual disadvantage that child would face in a children’s home, they would have chosen to keep the child.

To us, this sums up the need for change from institutional care to community and family based care. So instead of taking the child from the broken home with difficult circumstances, why can’t we get the resources to help the grandmother, or the auntie, or the uncle, so they can continue to take care of the child?

It was very hard to move away form the concept of an orphanage, because it sounds so good on paper. It is an easy model to get funds for because you can say here’s the home, here’s the children, here’s the ministry – please support. But what we found was that family based care was actually 6 times cheaper! One of the problems with the orphanage was always a lack of funding, even though it sells, there was never enough money! So we told the family member, if you can look after this child at night, make sure they are safe, the child can come here to the Ministry CarePoint where we’ll help with school work, give them meals, and teach them about Jesus. Not only is it 6 times cheaper, but it allows us to look after more children, and the children can keep their language, keep their culture and most importantly, stay connected with family.”