Alexander Harvey

In a world of big problems, it’s easy to assume that big organizations hold the keys to change.  Massive budgets, global reach, corporate partnerships.  These things dominate conversations about international aid and development.

But at Equipping Hope International, we believe in something smaller.  Slower.  And perhaps even more powerful.

We believe in the power of presence.

Ministry at Ground Level

Equipping Hope began not as a plan, but as a friendship between a newly arrived refugee family and a volunteer family in South Carolina.  Out of conversations, prayer, and deep listening came a simple question: What if we could serve those still in the camp?

That question didn’t lead to a five-year strategic blueprint.  It led to a sewing machine.  Then a classroom.  Then a few English teachers from the community.

And slowly, it led to a ministry.

Today, we serve in Nyarugusu Refugee Camp, which is one of the world’s largest and longest-standing refugee settlements.  We are not the biggest name in the camp.  But we are present.  We are consistent.  And we are known.

Why Presence Matters More Than Scale

Big organizations have a role to play.  But they can’t be everywhere, all the time.  Their work is often strategic, but it’s not always relational.

In contrast, small ministries like Equipping Hope:

        • Know the names of students and their families
        • Stay when funding is uncertain
        • Walk with people over years, not weeks
        • Build trust before launching programs

Presence builds the kind of credibility that can’t be bought.  It’s earned over shared meals, repeated visits, and faithful follow-through.

“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9

Small Doesn’t Mean Small Impact

Our English program has helped hundreds of students build the language foundation they need for school, resettlement, and life.

Our tailoring apprenticeship has given dozens of women a way to care for their families and pass on their skills to others.

Our upcoming Seeds of Hope initiative will equip aspiring farmers to feed their families and restore a sense of contribution and stewardship.

None of this happened overnight.  And none of it happened with large-scale funding.  It happened because we were there, consistently, with open hands and a willingness to listen.

The Ministry of Showing Up

There are no shortcuts to trust.  Especially in places where promises are often broken and people have learned not to expect much.

So presence becomes its own kind of ministry.

It says:

        • We see you.
        • We’re not leaving.
        • You matter — not as a project, but as a person.

In Nyarugusu, that message is rare. And that’s why it matters.

Why We’ll Stay Small

We don’t measure success by the size of our team or the scale of our campaigns.  We measure it by faithfulness.

Are we still showing up?  Are we still listening?  Are we still pointing people to Christ not just with our words, but with our lives?

For Equipping Hope, the answer is yes.  And it’s our prayer that in the years ahead, we’ll be known not for how fast we grew, but for how faithfully we stayed.

With steady hands,

The Equipping Hope Team