On the Ground - Hope: Putting a Face with the Name (Part Deux)

On the Ground - Hope: Putting a Face with the Name (Part Deux)

Here is what we know: all people are created equal. Given the tools and incentives for success, they will succeed, no matter who they are or where they live. —Paul O’Neil, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury

THE WOMEN IN CHENNAI were so proud of their accomplishments and so eager to share their new businesses with us that some invited us into their homes to observe their operations. Walking through the monsoon-ravaged alleys, we made our way to the entrance of a small home with a dirt entrance littered with kitchen utensils, pots, and pans. I was a little confused as to why the “kitchen” was strewn across the dirt lawn until I entered the home. Standing in the small, two-room, thatched-roof hut, I realized that every square inch was covered by sewing machines and fabric.

As the beaming business owner gave us a tour of her manufacturing facility, it was clear she had moved her domestic duties of cooking to the great outdoors to make room for her burgeoning business. Showing us the finished goods produced in those tiny accommodations, she proudly introduced us to her first employees—her husband and her shy teenage son.

Later, during a meeting with the microlending recipients, two beautiful little girls dressed in school uniforms peered in through the open doorway. “What about your daughters; are you teaching them business skills?” I asked the women.

“Yes,” replied one woman. “They are learning our business with us.”

Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. (Romans 12:12-13)

The mothers said something in Hindi to their daughters, and the little girls giggled and ran away—only to return minutes later, this time in new, brightly colored short sets. It appears that the fashion show concept knows no international boundary. And neither does hope. These children can now put a face with the name hope—and she is also called Mom.