Bright Hope is a Christian Organization working to bring hope to those who live on less than $2 a day. The organization hopes to transform communities and encourage self-sustainability by starting churches throughout impoverished communities. For over 50 years, Bright Hope has worked to provide community infrastructure through church planting and creating goals for today, tomorrow and eternity. Bright Hope’s mission is to eradicate poverty both physically and spiritually.

History of Bright Hope

Bright Hope began in 1968 after founder Dr. Kevin Dyer traveled through Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union and saw the state of the poor and persecuted Christians. The organization focused primarily on immediate relief for those suffering and has since extended to include more long-term goals.

Bright Hope’s Mission

Bright Hope’s mission includes goals for today, tomorrow and eternity. Its mission for today focuses on smaller and more urgent tasks, such as providing clean water, care for abandoned children, food programs in schools, medical care and strengthening family bonds. The mission for tomorrow extends to more long-term impacts, including better education for children, job training for adults, more sustainable agricultural practices and animal rearing. Lastly, its eternal goals bring the mission’s Christian background and focus on developing church leadership, ministries and community discipleship support. About 43.7% of funding is focused on the hope for tomorrow’s goals, working to end the cycle of poverty. In contrast, 20.1% goes toward short-term relief for those already in poverty and the remaining 36.2% goes to the mission’s evangelical goals and eternal mission.

The Urgent Needs

Bright Hope’s mission continues to extend throughout Bolivia, Haiti, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia. The organization focuses on aid in each of these countries without fostering dependence. Empowering the people in each community encourages individuals to raise themselves out of physical, economic and spiritual poverty. Some of its programs urgently need help, including its mission to help Haitian families provide food for themselves, the project to bring food security to Kenya by supporting Natoot farmers and their long-term goal of ending abuse in Bolivia to prevent future poverty.

The Impact Catalog

Brighthope.org allows monetary donations and prayer donations and offers an impact catalog. Its impact catalog allows those who donate to see a more visual representation of where their money is going. Those who donate can choose between funding loans for Haitian rice farmers, supporting print and copy centers, giving books to children and even donating animals such as chickens and rabbits.

Bright Hope also offers the opportunity to donate “Mama Kits,” bags full of the basic essentials to care for a newborn for struggling parents. The kits directly support expecting mothers and include baby clothing, blankets, soap, oil and carrying bags.

The bags have transformed the lives of many in Uganda. Bright Hope’s blog details the story of one expectant mother, Desire, who gained the confidence and peace she needed to continue her pregnancy through the efforts of the Bright Hope program and its Mama Kits. Uganda hospitals often require women to bring their own medical birthing supplies, which can be challenging to obtain. The Mama Kit works to support mothers in Uganda and other countries to ease the financial burden that pregnancy often causes.

Looking Ahead

Through projects such as Mama Kits, Bright Hope’s mission impacts individual lives throughout the work to provide essential assistance for those in poverty. Bright Hope also works to connect and celebrate the impact that all donors make and promises to provide regular updates on its programs and impact reports to those who choose to support its mission financially.

– Brooklynn Rich
Photo: Flickr