This month we want to introduce you to a new Piryx customer, Mama Hope! We spoke with Founding Director Nyla Rodgers, recently back from her trip from Africa to investigate building a new school. We discussed the organization’s mission, their projects, and the inspiration behind Mama Hope. Mama Hope aims to help build self-sufficient communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. In an effort to address basic needs that many of us take for granted, their initiatives include building clinics, clean-water projects, schools, and refuge orphanage centers. Their work has improved the lives of thousands.

Mama Hope works directly with communities in Africa in order to implement sustainable projects, taking a micro-development approach. The communities then manage and maintain the projects themselves. As part of their mission, Nyla and her team travel to Africa for two months every year.

“We travel to each of our partner communities to learn and document their needs,” Nyla said.

Two of their projects that exemplify this collaborative approach is the Mama Tumaini Clinic, and St. Timothy School. The clinic opened in Isiolo, Kenya in 2008 and serves 120, 000 people who might not have had health care. Members of the community have banded together to fulfill the completion of the clinic. St. Timothy’s School is a project that opened in Moshi, Tanzania this summer in partnership with Tanzania Children Concern. Mama Hope’s efforts have helped the Moshi community to employ 400 workers to construct the school. The school will provide education for 300 children including 100 students who are orphans. Ultimately the school will eventually serve as an orphanage and a community center. Mama Hope’s newest project is the refuge orphanage center in Bawjiase, Ghana. They are very excited to start construction on this project on October 4th.

Mama Hope as a non-profit was officially started in 2007, but the journey to empower the lives of African communities started with Nyla’s mother. Nyla’s mother had helped sponsor a young Kenyan by the name of Bernard, and raised funds for women in Africa. Upon her mother’s passing, Nyla visited Bernard in Kenya, and witnessed the impact of her mother’s fundraising projects on Bernard’s village. What she saw was a testimony to her mother’s extraordinary achievements. Her work had not only benefited Bernard, but the lives of hundreds in the village. You may view this video to see for yourself the story and inspiration for Mama Hope.

To date, Mama Hope has improved the lives of 55,000 people, and that number will continue to grow. Mama Hope is based in San Francisco, California, and works with partnering organizations in Africa. We want to thank Nyla for taking the time to share with us her story. Be sure to visit their site for more information, and to learn how you can help.