Graduation is a major milestone for a CarePoint community, and it isn’t a moment we reach by chance.
Graduation happens when a community, in partnership with Children’s HopeChest, is fully prepared to lead its programs, manage its resources, and sustain its long-term vision. It’s the result of years of investment in leadership, education, health, economic development, and infrastructure.
But how do we know, together with the community, when that time has truly come?
Measuring Readiness With Purpose
Graduation is not based on guesswork or hope alone. It’s guided by measurable indicators—set at both the organizational and country levels—that reflect real, lasting transformation.
These indicators allow us to track progress over time and ensure a CarePoint has the local leadership, economic resilience, and program stability needed to continue thriving without external funding.
What We Measure: Five Core Areas
Education Progress
We track the highest level of education completed by registered children exiting the program. Rising school completion rates show that children are gaining skills to thrive and contribute to their communities.
Local Leadership Development
Strong local leadership is essential for long-term impact. We measure how many youth and adults are stepping into roles guiding programs, mentoring others, and driving community growth.
Infrastructure Completion and Ownership
We monitor completion of key infrastructure projects—such as schools, water sources, and health facilities—and whether they are owned or managed locally. These assets are critical for independence and align with each CarePoint’s Community Development Plan.
Economic Empowerment
Financial resilience is a key readiness indicator. We track savings groups, participation, and economic activity to understand how families move from vulnerability to stability and whether local revenue can sustain essential programs.
Health and Nutrition Standards
A healthy community is a strong community. We are finalizing a framework to collect consistent health and nutrition data across countries, including access to food, healthcare, and child wellness benchmarks.
A Broader Lens: The Community Impact Index
Beyond the five core areas, each CarePoint uses the Community Impact Index—a set of seven measurable “vitals”—to set annual targets and track growth.
These vitals include:
Youth successfully exiting the program
Community members engaged in economic activities
Participation in leadership development
Capital projects completed
People impacted by infrastructure investments
These indicators provide a clear picture of a CarePoint’s health and trajectory. They help our teams and partners make informed decisions and ensure alignment with long-term goals.
As CarePoints move closer to graduation, we see powerful signs of change. In Uganda, Isaac Okwang, Community Relationship Manager, shares how young adults who once received support are now helping others.
A Shared and Strategic Process
Graduation readiness happens through collaboration between HopeChest staff, the community, and you—our partners.
Every five years, our teams work together to review and update each CarePoint’s Community Development Plan. These reviews help identify progress, clarify what still needs to be achieved, and ensure that leadership transitions are intentional and supported.
Looking Ahead
Every measurement reflects something deeper: real people experiencing real change.
As communities approach graduation, we see families building resilience, young people stepping into leadership, and women like Sarah embodying transformation.
Sarah’s Story
Sarah, a young mother in Uganda, once felt completely alone. Abandoned by her child’s father and without a way to provide for her baby, she nearly gave up hope.
But through the support of local leaders and access to vocational training, Sarah began to rebuild. She’s now learning tailoring, earning a small but steady income, and gaining the confidence to envision a better future. Her dream is to open her own workshop—both to support her family and to serve her community.
Stories like Sarah’s remind us why this model matters. Graduation isn’t the end of a program. It’s the beginning of a stronger, more resilient future—where people like Sarah not only survive, but thrive.
Join the Journey
Thank you for being part of this journey. We encourage you to ask questions, celebrate progress, and continue walking alongside your partner community no matter where they are on the #PathToGraduation. Your partnership makes this possible.
