Mission

The basic mission of Ripple of Hope is to help deeply impoverished rural communities break out of the poverty trap and grasp the first rung of the economic ladder.

The poverty trap occurs when all of a community's energy must be devoted to subsistence. Because the community cannot support any other economic endeavors, their only option for survival is to grow their own food. Under these circumstances, even small environmental changes will significantly impact a community; a drought can precipitate devastating famine.

Our strategy is to help these communities by boosting sustainable agricultural productivity through the introduction of improved agricultural equipment and techniques. Improved nutrition coupled with the possibility of generating income from crop sales can help a community grasp the first rung of the economic ladder.

An important goal is not to engender a sense of entitlement on the part of the community or paternalism on the part of the Ripple of Hope. All participants share a vision that these communities will be free-standing and self sufficient. We believe that this transformation can occur within the span of five years.

There are many ways that you can help Ripple of Hope achieve our goals.

Get Involved

Ripple of Hope is a volunteer organization, and we can always use more help and new ideas to arrange fund-raising events. We currently plan to take two trips a year to visit communities to meet the people we're working to support and to participate in training and improvement projects.

Spread the Word

Tell your friends about our work and our Web site. We are available to give presentations describing our work to groups upon request.

Send a Donation

All donations and 100% of all profits of all items purchased from our online catalog goes toward funding projects to help poor communities.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer to host or participate in a fund-raising gathering.  Provide training for us or our partners in Guatemala.  Use your imagination.

Use Our Links 

If you use our Amazon search page to make purchases from Amazon.com, Ripple of Hope receives a portion of the purchase price. Check out our recommended reading section for some interesting books available for purchase from Amazon.com.  Additionally, Ripple of Hope earns money with every click of the advertisements found at the bottom of the site; if you see anything that interests you, please click it.