📢 Matching Opportunity
All gifts through June 22 will be doubled—support more families like Lidia’s. Give Now.
Last week, we shared Eyob’s story—a powerful example of how investment in the life of a vulnerable child creates exponential impact.
This week, we want to show you another dimension of your impact—what it looks like when your generosity doesn’t stop with the child, but extends to the family and the entire community.
Because when a parent is empowered, a child thrives. And when families thrive, communities begin to transform.
It Started with a Chicken Coop
In a rural village in western Guatemala, Ceiba Blanca, a mother named Lidia received something unexpected: a chicken coop.
It wasn’t flashy. It didn’t come with fanfare. But it came with possibility—and the opportunity to change her family’s future.
Lidia didn’t just see chickens. She saw a chance to build something. She saw hope.
With the support of Children’s HopeChest and her local CarePoint community, Lidia joined a growing initiative that empowers families to launch small-scale poultry businesses. Through this project, she received 15 hens, one rooster, and hands-on training in poultry care, business skills, and natural disease prevention.
From day one, Lidia took full responsibility for her chickens. She learned how to mix feed from scratch.
And, with the support of HopeChest, which brought in a specialist to train all the women in the project, Lidia learned how to prevent common poultry illnesses using natural remedies. Today, she prepares homemade treatments for colds, dewormers, and even a shampoo to fight parasites
And she’s not just raising chickens anymore—she’s raising dignity, confidence, and a new vision for her children.
Inside Lidia's Chicken Coop
“It hasn’t been easy,” Lidia shared. “But with consistency and perseverance, we’ve seen that it’s possible.”
Today, her family eats fresh eggs daily. They no longer need to buy them. She sells the extras to neighbors. Her profits have allowed her to reinvest in more hens, grow her business, and increase her income.
Most importantly? She’s teaching her son the value of work, responsibility, and ownership.
“He helps me take care of the chickens,” she says. “He’s starting to understand what it means to own something.”
Why Chicken Coops?
Projects like this aren’t random—they’re rooted in strategy. Animal husbandry has long been a high-impact, culturally appropriate approach in regions where jobs are scarce, grocery stores are few, and families depend on what they can grow or raise.
That’s why HopeChest Guatemala launched this initiative in several CarePoint communities. Mothers apply for the program, attend in-depth training sessions, and commit to a 7-month cycle of growth and learning. It’s not a giveaway—it’s an invitation to participate in transformation.
Every step is designed to foster dignity:
- 🐔 They raise their own flocks with support from local staff and experts
- 📈 They learn how to turn a flock into a steady stream of nutrition and income
- 🔄 At the end of the cycle, each family contributes back into the program—seeding the opportunity for the next group of mothers to participate.
It’s not just sustainable. It’s building momentum.
Why Lidia's Story Matters
Lidia’s story is just one. Across Guatemala—and in CarePoint communities around the world—momentum is building.
- 📍 100+ families in Guatemala have launched poultry businesses
- In Ethiopia, Uganda, and beyond, families are breaking cycles of generational poverty with locally-led solutions tailored to their unique challenges.
This June: Let's Keep the Momentum Going
Right now, momentum is building in HopeChest communities around the world—and thanks to a special matching opportunity, your generosity can go twice as far to fuel life-changing stories like Lidia’s.
Thanks to a group of generous partners, every dollar you give will be matched. Your gift can launch life-changing initiatives like:
- $16.31 → gives a child in Ethiopia access to a safe public latrine and shower
- $150 → provides two goats to a hardworking family in Uganda
- $750 → equips a family in Guatemala with sustainable farming skills and tools
- Or give any amount—and it will be doubled to create even more impact
Let's Keep Building Momentum—Together
This blog is the second in our Building Momentum series, highlighting how targeted, local-led support is creating lasting transformation in communities across Ethiopia, Guatemala, Uganda, and beyond.
