Mission Statement
We will partner with the poor, marginalized and exploited in Guatemala to help end the injustices of poverty and bring about sustainable communities
Philosophy and Vision
We envision communities and individuals transformed by the love of God and equipped with the skills and tools needed to self-determine their futures.
Following the command of Jesus Christ to serve the poor, we commit to care for and love the people we serve as though they are our intimate brothers and sisters. We will work to empower them to envision their own self-development as they break free of the dehumanizing cycle of extreme poverty and create a world of hope where equality exists; where people may become all that God intended for them to be. In order to avoid dependency and paternalism, all activities, strategies, planning, decision making and monitoring of projects will be shaped by the local people and their culture as we approach each other one person at a time. We will respect and be accountable to each other as we seek to achieve self-defined visions and objectives. Furthermore, we recognize that by working together to reconcile a divided world, we are helping to eradicate other types of human poverty, suffering, isolation and oppression faced by rich and poor alike.
Following the command of Jesus Christ to serve the poor, we commit to care for and love the people we serve as though they are our intimate brothers and sisters. We will work to empower them to envision their own self-development as they break free of the dehumanizing cycle of extreme poverty and create a world of hope where equality exists; where people may become all that God intended for them to be. In order to avoid dependency and paternalism, all activities, strategies, planning, decision making and monitoring of projects will be shaped by the local people and their culture as we approach each other one person at a time. We will respect and be accountable to each other as we seek to achieve self-defined visions and objectives. Furthermore, we recognize that by working together to reconcile a divided world, we are helping to eradicate other types of human poverty, suffering, isolation and oppression faced by rich and poor alike.
Goals
The goals of SewHope have been centered around the UN Millenium Development Goals.
At the Millennium Summit in September 2000 the largest gathering of world leaders in history adopted the UN Millennium Declaration, committing their nations to a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty and setting out a series of time-bound targets, with a deadline of 2015, that have become known as the Millennium Development Goals.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the world's time-bound and quantified targets for addressing extreme poverty in its many dimensions-income poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter, and exclusion-while promoting gender equality, education, and environmental sustainability. They are also basic human rights-the rights of each person on the planet to health, education, shelter, and security.
We have prioritized our goals around these MDG's as well as to our belief in the transformative power of Jesus Christ.
At the Millennium Summit in September 2000 the largest gathering of world leaders in history adopted the UN Millennium Declaration, committing their nations to a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty and setting out a series of time-bound targets, with a deadline of 2015, that have become known as the Millennium Development Goals.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the world's time-bound and quantified targets for addressing extreme poverty in its many dimensions-income poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter, and exclusion-while promoting gender equality, education, and environmental sustainability. They are also basic human rights-the rights of each person on the planet to health, education, shelter, and security.
We have prioritized our goals around these MDG's as well as to our belief in the transformative power of Jesus Christ.
- Eradicate dehumanizing conditions brought about by lack of food, water, sanitation, education and basic health care.
- Develop strategies that ensure sustainable long-term ecological, economic and social stability.
- Improve all aspects of health (physical, spiritual, emotional, intellectual) in those we serve and in ourselves.
- Encourage spiritual transformation in those who are united in eliminating the poverty in each other’s lives through prayer.
- Give a high priority to empowering women who have a large impact on the health of individuals within the home and make significant economic contributions to the family unit.
Core Values
Serving - We value the transformative nature of service in both the servant and the served.
Empowering - We value empowering the people we serve in working toward solutions to the problems that face them such that our focus is on community-led initiatives for which the community itself is accountable.
Working Together - We value unity among team members and those we serve. While the teachings of Jesus Christ are central to our work, we believe that religious and cultural beliefs should not be used to divide or alienate or separate.
Healing - We value the knowledge that it is only through the love of Jesus Christ and by following God's will that we can accomplish real healing of this broken world.
Openness - We value openness, flexibility and resiliency. We evaluate our projects, learn from our mistakes and attempt to adapt to the many challenges caused by poverty and decades of injustice.
Promoting - We value promoting long-term, sustainable, and comprehensive solutions to the problems of poverty and injustice. We are guided by the Millenium Development Goals in designing our programs.
Everyone - We value all of creation as having worth and every person as having the dignity inherent in being a beloved child of God. We focus on initiatives that promote a well-being in the entire created order.
Empowering - We value empowering the people we serve in working toward solutions to the problems that face them such that our focus is on community-led initiatives for which the community itself is accountable.
Working Together - We value unity among team members and those we serve. While the teachings of Jesus Christ are central to our work, we believe that religious and cultural beliefs should not be used to divide or alienate or separate.
Healing - We value the knowledge that it is only through the love of Jesus Christ and by following God's will that we can accomplish real healing of this broken world.
Openness - We value openness, flexibility and resiliency. We evaluate our projects, learn from our mistakes and attempt to adapt to the many challenges caused by poverty and decades of injustice.
Promoting - We value promoting long-term, sustainable, and comprehensive solutions to the problems of poverty and injustice. We are guided by the Millenium Development Goals in designing our programs.
Everyone - We value all of creation as having worth and every person as having the dignity inherent in being a beloved child of God. We focus on initiatives that promote a well-being in the entire created order.