Hope for their Future: May 2026 Impact Report

Women’s Empowerment Program

HopeCo’s Vision: Transformed Lives, Flourishing Communities

HopeCo exists to...  

• rescue children in East Africa from abuse, hunger, and exploitation 

• help them reach their full potential and become leaders and changemakers in their own nations...and 

• see individuals, families, and whole communities transformed forever by the power of Jesus Christ!  

How it All Started

The Women’s Empowerment Program (WEP) began in 2017 as the inspiration of Tenzi Chacha, daughter of HopeCo’s founders, after seeing firsthand the needs of women in the area surrounding City of Hope in Tanzania. Many young women are not allowed to complete their secondary education and are often forced into early marriages. Children are born, and with little to no skills, these women are severely limited in their ability to adequately provide for themselves and their young families.  

“It's exciting to see what started with five students in a tin shack using manual sewing machines grow into a multilocation, multidisciplinary operation with dozens of students and graduates. Our Women’s Empowerment Program opens up a world of opportunities for women with otherwise limited options. In addition to learning a valuable trade, they also learn their value as a daughter of the King.” — Tenzi Chacha,

Skills – Confidence – Opportunities 

Women enrolled in our program range in age from older teens to middle-aged women. Of the five women enrolled at our first WEP location at City of Hope, all but one were young mothers. They learn about our program by word of mouth and through local churches. Qualifications to enterthe five-day-a-week program are: a desire to learn and a need. There is no fee to enroll in the one-two year program. HopeCo provides the use of a sewing machine, and women provide their own supplies.  

Qualified instructors teach the women how to sew dresses, skirts, school uniforms, and more. Skills, like managing a business, working with customers, and pricing their designs, equip the women with everything they need to be successful. In much of Africa, there is a large market for custom-made clothing, so women can easily find employment, and many start their own business making school uniforms.  

Besides sewing skills, our competent, caring instructors share daily devotions and inspirational topics, and provide emotional support, reinforcing their value and worth. Sometimes, visiting mission team members stop in and encourage the women. Women enjoy camaraderie with other women who have experienced similar struggles. 

Healing and a New Beginning  

Jane* joined our program in 2023 after her parents refused to fund her education because she rejected Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). For three years, she had no path to university, but after enrolling in the Women’s Empowerment Program, she worked hard despite ridicule from family and peers. Quietly, her parents noticed her growth. At the July 2025 graduation, they surprised her by attending, apologizing, and offering to pay her university fees. Jane, now confident and independent, chose instead to begin using the skills she had gained. 

Beautician Course Added

As the Women’s Empowerment Program grows, more courses are being added – the latest are hairstyling, manicures, pedicures, facials, and related training. The Beautician course is in its initial stages, but many women are already taking the basics and more have expressed an interest. We are confident the program will grow as we add more instructors and acquire the needed equipment. 

HopeCo’s vision is to see transformed lives and flourishing communities in Tanzania, Kenya, and across East Africa…keeping Christ at the center of all we do is essential. Today, we have four locations (two in Tanzania and two in Kenya), and there is a waiting list of young women wanting to enroll. Childcare is provided at one of our locations, and women can bring their children with them if they have no other means to care for them. 

Learn how you can support more young women eager to learn a marketable skill in East Africa through our Women’s Empowerment Program today at JoinHopeCo.com/empowerment or by scanning the QR code.

*Name and photo changed to protect privacy