Client Story – MARA (SEIBERT) CHAN

Of Queens and Hope: A Loan Officer’s Story

I always liked her name. Reine. Queen. A name like that affects how you carry yourself. Head held high, a clear, steady gaze and a determination that has carried her through life. “Ever since I was little, I’ve never viewed life like everyone else,” Reine says. Reine has always seen things differently. She is one [...]

Look at My Hands

Look at my hands. If I don’t work, it’s like I don’t exist Two cabbages appeared on Annaelle’s desk. She called me downstairs to investigate. Large, healthy plants, I took the cabbages in my hands and examined them. A client named Papa Moïse had brought them in along with several photos to leave with Annaelle, [...]

Sunbeams, Pens & Cars: Christie’s Story

The sun in Brazzaville covers the city like a blanket of heat. Drying muddy puddles after a heavy rain, warming up concrete buildings and burning your skin. One particular day a few months ago the same sun was blazing down as I stepped out the HOPE Congo gate, clanging the metal door behind me as [...]

A Life of Service: Jean’s Story

It was a Wednesday and I had been there before. I learned it had been a house once – but that was before the war. Destroyed by arms and bombs, the land had been reused. Now it was a church that seemed to claim defiance over its past life with the name “Victory and Life.” [...]

Role Reversal

I was on a mission this time. I wasn’t heading out in the field to see if just anyone was interested in sharing their stories, this time my focus was narrowed. The target? Mothers. The mission? Discovering their dreams for themselves and their children. I was excited to have such a specific task ahead of me, [...]

Beignets for Breakfast: Ghislaine’s Story

7am. Early enough in the morning that clouds still covered the sky and the air was cool. Children in blue and white uniforms walk to school and Brazzaville is waking up. Breakfast in Brazzaville depends on where you live. Some people prefer bread and eggs, others substitute manioc for the bread, and then you have [...]