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Introducing Seeds of Hope: Growing Food, Faith, and Futures in Nyarugusu

In refugee camps like Nyarugusu, food is often scarce.  Malnutrition is common.  Families rely on basic rations that must be stretched to survive — three bowls of maize and one bowl of beans per person, per week.  These rations are rarely enough to meet daily nutritional needs. And even when food is available, most families lack the means to cook it without sacrificing something else.

But we believe a better way is possible.  And it begins with the ground beneath our feet.

In the coming years, Equipping Hope International plans to launch a new initiative called Seeds of Hope — an entrepreneurial farming program rooted in biblical stewardship, food security, and economic empowerment.  It will be the third pillar of our mission in Nyarugusu, joining our educational and vocational programs to equip the whole person with the tools to thrive.

Here’s what Seeds of Hope is all about and why we believe it’s the right next step for our work.

How Faith Communities Can Support Refugees Without Creating Dependency

When a crisis touches our hearts, our natural instinct is to help. For churches and faith communities, this desire often leads to food drives, clothing collections, or donations to emergency relief efforts — all valuable responses in times of urgent need.

But what happens when that need isn’t short-term?

What happens when a refugee camp isn’t a stopgap, but a home for decades?

Meet the Team: Elise Harvey, Vice President & Marketing Director

Every thriving mission needs both vision and care. At Equipping Hope International, Elise Harvey brings both — along with wisdom, warmth, and a deep commitment to sustainable, Christ-centered work.

As a founding partner and behind-the-scenes advisor, Elise has helped shape Equipping Hope from the very beginning. She is the quiet strength behind the strategy, the voice of encouragement in hard seasons, and a faithful advocate for dignity-based ministry.

5 Lessons We’ve Learned After 5 Years in Nyarugusu

When we first started Equipping Hope International in 2018, we didn’t begin with a long strategic plan or big donor campaign.  We began with a friendship, a shared burden, and a simple desire to do something that mattered.  Five years later, our work in the Nyarugusu refugee camp has grown into a small but deeply rooted effort to equip refugees with skills, opportunity, and spiritual hope.

Serving in Nyarugusu, one of the largest and longest-standing refugee camps in Africa, has taught us more than we ever expected.  And as a Christian nonprofit working in Tanzania, we’ve had to unlearn some assumptions, deepen our commitments, and trust God to multiply however much we bring.

Whether you’ve been walking with us since the beginning or are just now learning about our mission, we want to share five of the most important lessons we’ve learned since launching educational and vocational programs in a refugee camp setting.

Meet the Team: Augustine Mutabesha, Treasurer & Cofounder

Every movement begins with a story.  And for Equipping Hope International, that story begins with Augustine Mutabesha, a former refugee who turned his experience into a mission to equip others.

Augustine is not only a cofounder of Equipping Hope.  He is its heartbeat.

Meet the Team: Executive Director & Cofounder, Alexander Harvey

Some people step into missions work with a formal title or a long resume.  Others step in with a simple yes.  For Alex Harvey, that yes began with a handshake, some rusty high school French, and a family newly arrived from Nyarugusu refugee camp.

Today, Alexander is the Executive Director and Cofounder of Equipping Hope International and one of its steady, strategic leaders.  But before there was a nonprofit, there was a friendship — and a deep conviction that we are called not just to respond to need, but to walk alongside people with love and hope.

How You Can Pray for the Work in Nyarugusu Right Now

At Equipping Hope International, we often say: we are not just building programs — we are building people.

We believe that transformation comes through more than skills training or language lessons. It comes through the power of the Gospel, through the presence of Christ, and through the faithful prayers of His people.

If you’re wondering how to support the work we’re doing in the Nyarugusu refugee camp in western Tanzania, start here: pray.

The Power of Presence: Why Small Ministries like Equipping Hope International Matter More Than Ever

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.

Why We Teach to Fish: A Reflection from the Cofounder

In the earliest days of Equipping Hope International, before we had formed a board, launched a program, or drafted a mission statement, I kept returning to a simple but powerful idea, the kind of idea that’s easy to say but hard to live: teach a man to fish.

Why Our Christian Identity Matters as an International Nonprofit

At Equipping Hope International, we don’t hide the fact that we are a Christian organization.  It’s not a label we add on top of our programs.  In fact, it’s the foundation underneath everything we do.

From the structure of our English and tailoring classes to the tone of our leadership and our long-term goals in Nyarugusu Refugee Camp, our commitment to Jesus Christ shapes both the why and the how of our mission.

Here’s what that means, and why we believe it matters more than ever.

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