We all feel despair sometimes.
Enslaved as a child, Louisemène fought despair and learned that hope is not a circumstance but a choice – one that gave her strength to survive.
In 2021, Beyond Borders brought the hope of staff and supporters – and proven expertise that equips local leaders to overcome poverty and prevent violence – to Louisemène’s rural community.
Today – even as insecurity and chaos escalates in Port-au-Prince – life in Louisemène’s community is transformed and she has become a leader in the movement to protect children from exploitation and abuse.
We believe that hope for all of Haiti lies in the development of more grassroots leaders like Louisemène.
When you choose hope, your gift will:
Empower more families to permanently escape extreme poverty
Free more children and dismantle systems that exploit them
Organize more communities to stop violence against women and girls
What Choosing Hope Does
rural families are earning a dignified living and providing for themselves
trained women and men are working to protect children from exploitation and abuse
communities are using an approach proven to cut domestic violence in half
Make a Gift
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Make payable to:
Beyond Borders
PO Box 2132
Norristown PA 19404
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Hope is Contagious
Share a story about a time in your life when you chose hope.
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Why Beyond Borders?
We build
trusting relationships.
We earn the trust and confidence of communities by building deep relationships with them. We speak Haitian Creole, understand Haitian culture and engage in respectful partnerships.
We invest
in local leadership.
We know how to recognize and nurture leadership at the grassroots to create Haitian-led social movements to end child slavery, prevent violence against women and girls, guarantee a quality education for every child, and lift families out of extreme poverty.
We’re experts
at addressing root causes.
We use proven approaches in our work, designing programming that addresses the root causes of intractable social problems and draws on the wisdom and experience of both local and global leaders.
We’re committed
to transparency and accountability.
We are consistently rated one of the best nonprofits by America’s leading independent evaluators of charities. It’s a reflection of our commitment to financial transparency and accountability to every donor.
Questions?
Contact Brian Stevens at b.stevens@beyondborders.net or call 305-450-2561
My family turned out to be different than I imagined. I choose hope when I grieve my expectations as needed and embrace life on life’s terms.
During some of the most challenging times in my life I find hope in my life’s purpose: to be there for my spouse, my family, my friends, my colleagues, to be that steady, reliable someone who they can always count on, no matter how difficult the moment may be.
This is the quote I return to frequently when I tilt toward losing hope: “Active Hope is about becoming active participants in bringing about what we hope for. Active Hope is a practice. Like tai chi or gardening, it is something we do rather than have. It is a process we can apply to any situation, and it involves three key steps. First, we take a clear view of reality; second, we identify what we hope for in terms of the direction we’d like things to move in or the values we’d like to see expressed; and third, we take steps to move ourselves or our situation in that direction.” , page 3, Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in without Going Crazy by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone, 2012.
Our Beyond Borders community helps me live out that kind of hope.
Hope is what gets me out of bed each morning. It immediately reminds me in no uncertain terms that I am on this earth for a reason, that despite whatever limitations I may have, I am still able to do something to make the world a better place. Why am I here at 86 ½? Only God knows that answer, but I know the Beatitudes and will reach out in response. The next person who comes to my mind or looks up at me from my “To Check” list may find hope in something as simple but loving as a card, an email, a phone call, a visit, food shopping or the funds to make that possible. I hope that when I go to bed tonight, I will be able to thank God for giving me another day to love and serve those in need of caring, recognition of their worth, and HOPE.