Alexander Harvey

At Equipping Hope International, one of our foundational commitments is simple: we hire local. That means when we need someone to teach English or train tailoring students in Nyarugusu Refugee Camp, we look first — and often only — to the refugee community itself.

We don’t fly in short-term instructors from the U.S. or recruit professionals from overseas. Instead, we invest in the talents, skills, and leadership already present within the camp.

Here’s why that decision isn’t just practical — it’s essential to who we are and how we believe real transformation happens.

 

 

1. Refugees are the best equipped to teach their own community

The people we serve are the people we partner with.

When a tailoring instructor has lived through the same challenges as her students like ration lines, educational disruptions, restrictions on movement, she brings more than technical knowledge.  She brings understanding, credibility, and trust.

Likewise, when a young man who once sat in our beginner English class now leads that same course for others, he isn’t just passing along grammar. He’s passing along hope.

These are the kinds of leaders who inspire lasting change. Not because of their titles, but because of their testimony.

2. Outside help isn’t always helpful

Bringing in talent from the West can seem efficient. But in practice, it often creates dependency, increases costs, and sidelines the very people we want to empower.

We’ve seen how well-intentioned efforts from outside can unintentionally send the message that excellence must be imported. We believe the opposite.

There is incredible capacity inside Nyarugusu. The camp is full of individuals who are already teachers, seamstresses, pastors, entrepreneurs — and they’ve become those things despite limited resources. Our job is not to replace them. It’s to equip them to lead.

3. Local leadership makes programs stronger

Our educational programs in refugee camps and vocational programs don’t exist in a vacuum.  They must be responsive to cultural context, logistical barriers, and everyday realities.

When staff are from the camp, they know how to adapt to interruptions.  They know when students can realistically meet. They speak the language — literally and socially.  They spot potential in students others might overlook.

Because they are the community, they lead in ways no outsider can.

“Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.” — Proverbs 1:5

We continue to grow because we keep listening to the people God has placed in the very heart of our work.

4. Employment is part of empowerment

In a place where few legal income opportunities exist, every job matters. When we hire English instructors or tailoring trainers from the camp, we’re not just filling a role.  We’re creating a lifeline.

Our staff use their earnings to feed their families, send their children to school, and support others in their community.  And many of them give back — mentoring students long after their contracts end, modeling what it looks like to serve with joy and perseverance.

This is how transformation spreads. One job. One leader. One story at a time.

5. It’s not charity — it’s partnership

At Equipping Hope, we don’t see our team members in Nyarugusu as beneficiaries. We see them as co-laborers.

We believe the best solutions are built together — with respect, mutual accountability, and shared ownership. That’s why we don’t just hand out aid. We build programs with and through people who are already leading in their own communities.

And we’ve seen the fruit of this approach:

        • Students returning to teach new classes
        • Graduates launching small businesses
        • Program participants becoming program managers

These are not exceptions. They are the goal.

What This Means for the Future

As we expand programs like Seeds of Hope and prepare to build a permanent educational center in the camp, our commitment to local leadership remains at the core.

We’re not looking to bring in experts. We’re looking to elevate the ones already there.

Because we believe lasting change doesn’t come from what we give. It comes from who we trust to carry the work forward.

With hope and confidence,
The Equipping Hope Team