A Blueprint for Hope: Building a Legacy
At the heart of the Handspun Hope mission lies a powerful vision: to empower vulnerable women and their children through meaningful employment, holistic support, spiritual counsel, and community building. Now, with the launch of A Blueprint for Hope: Building a Legacy capital campaign, we at Handspun Hope are taking a bold step forward to ensure this vision is sustained and expanded. This campaign is about more than just constructing buildings or expanding facilities; it’s about cementing a legacy of hope, resilience, and transformation for future generations.
Expanding to Serve Women Better
Handspun Hope employs over 200 women, and demand for adequate space continues to rise. The organization’s impact has been profound, but we are challenged to operate in safe and clean spaces.
With expanded facilities and resources, Handspun Hope will be able to employ and serve these women, offering them jobs and the chance for a new beginning. Many of these women are the sole providers for their families, and their wages often differ between subsistence and stability. By expanding its capacity, Handspun Hope can better serve these women, giving them the tools and opportunities to build a better future for themselves and their children.
Why This Campaign is Critical
Handspun Hope has long been a haven and a source of opportunity for women in northern Rwanda, particularly those who have survived the trauma of genocide, civil conflict, HIV/AIDS, and other severe trauma. Through the power of Jesus Christ and the organization’s unique programs, women are trained in sustainable skills like hand-spinning yarn and crafting felted sculptures, allowing them to earn a livelihood that supports their families. Beyond employment, these women receive counseling, education, and family healthcare and are part of a supportive community that fosters healing and growth
However, as the number of women and children in need has grown from just 10 in 2008 to over 200 in 2024, so have the demands on Handspun Hope’s current facilities and programs. The Blueprint for Hope campaign is crucial because it will enable the organization to meet these increasing needs more effectively while securing its ability to offer comprehensive services in the future.
Education and Childcare: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty
When we first founded Handspun Hope, most of the women we were serving were widows of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi or other civil conflicts. Now, an entire generation has grown up and are having children. Our campus is not equipped to handle the demands of a young mother needing to nurse her infant periodically or check to see if her toddler has adequate nutrition or supervision. Finding reliable and affordable childcare is a significant challenge for many women at Handspun Hope. This often prevents them from fully participating in their work.
An essential component of A Blueprint for Hope campaign is constructing a daycare facility.
The capital campaign will allow Handspun Hope to establish a dedicated childcare center where children can learn and thrive in a safe, nurturing environment. This will enable women to work with peace of mind and ensure that their children have access to early education—which is critical in breaking the cycle of poverty. Handspun Hope invests in the next generation of leaders and changemakers by providing a space where children can grow, learn, and receive proper care.
Although most of the funding for the daycare center was received from a grant earlier in the year, due to government regulations regarding daycare centers in Rwanda, we had to purchase an adjacent plot where it would be secured, which increased the cost of establishing the facility significantly.
An Indoor Worship Hall: A Sanctuary of Healing and Hope
One of the most transformative aspects of the Blueprint for Hope campaign is the creation of an indoor worship hall, a vital addition to Handspun Hope’s campus. While Handspun Hope’s mission is rooted in holistic support, spiritual nourishment is a core part of that support. Many of the women served by Handspun Hope come from backgrounds of deep trauma—survivors of genocide, abuse, and illness—facing emotional scars that are not quickly healed by material means alone.
Faith has been a cornerstone of Handspun Hope’s community-building efforts, offering a sense of purpose, peace, and resilience. However, the existing space for worship has been inadequate, forcing gatherings to be held outdoors in less-than-ideal conditions, such as during the rainy season or under the harsh sun. The lack of a dedicated indoor space for worship can sometimes limit the ability of the women and their families to fully engage in these essential spiritual practices, which are vital to their emotional recovery and sense of belonging.
An indoor worship hall will provide a safe, protected environment for women and their families to gather, reflect, and connect meaningfully with their faith. It will serve as a sanctuary for spiritual growth, prayer, and fellowship—a space that fosters emotional healing alongside the physical and economic support the women receive. The worship hall is more than just a building; it is a sacred space where hope is nurtured, and the community can unite to find strength, share their burdens, and celebrate their victories.
A dedicated worship space is critical in a community where faith and resilience are deeply intertwined. It ensures that every woman who steps into Handspun Hope gains the tools to rebuild her life and finds a spiritual anchor to sustain her through the challenges she faces. This hall will be where healing can happen at a deeper soul level—crucial for the holistic care Handspun Hope strives to offer.
Holistic Health and Wellbeing
Another pillar of the Blueprint for Hope campaign is enhancing healthcare services. Many of the women at Handspun Hope come from backgrounds of extreme trauma, and their health needs—both physical and mental—are significant. The organization has provided essential counseling services to help these women process their experiences, but the current facilities are stretched thin.
This holistic approach is vital because it addresses not just the symptoms of poverty but the underlying causes that keep women and their families trapped in cycles of despair. By investing in their health and well-being, Handspun Hope empowers these women to rebuild their lives from the inside out.
With the resources from the campaign, Handspun Hope will be able to expand its health services to include more comprehensive care, ensuring that women have access to the medical and psychological support they need. As part of remodeling our counseling building, we will add an office for a full-time nurse and a doctor contracted to be onsite once per week. This will allow us the ability to administer HIV treatments onsite and facilitate first aid to everyone, including the children at our daycare center.
Sustainability: A Commitment to the Future
The final piece of A Blueprint for Hope campaign is ensuring the long-term sustainability of Handspun Hope’s programs. This involves investing in eco-friendly and resource-efficient infrastructure that reflects the organization’s commitment to sustainability in terms of the environment and the communities it serves. Our plan includes a state-of-the-art water filtration system, allowing us to recycle and produce clean water.
The new buildings are designed with sustainability in mind, ensuring that Handspun Hope’s growth does not come at the planet's expense. The campaign also emphasizes economic sustainability, with plans to develop new revenue-generating initiatives like our more extensive showroom to support the organization’s mission for decades.
A Call to Action
A Blueprint for Hope: Building a Legacy capital campaign is more than just a fundraising effort; it is an invitation to be part of a movement that will continue transforming lives for generations. Every dollar raised invests in the future of women and children who have endured unspeakable hardships and are now on a path toward healing and empowerment. By supporting this campaign, donors can help build a legacy that will continue to change lives long after the final brick is laid.
In this way, Handspun Hope isn’t just building structures—it’s building futures, restoring hope, and creating a lasting impact that will continue to echo through the lives of every woman and child who walks through its doors.
Please visit our informational page to invest in this campaign or see specific floor plans.