As the first wave of CarePoints prepares for graduation, we’re inviting you into the story behind the scenes, from the perspective of the leaders who have walked closely with communities for years!
This week, as part of our #PathwayToGraduation series, we’re sharing a conversation with Carolina Cardona, Country Director for Children’s HopeChest in Guatemala. For more than nine years, Carolina has walked alongside local leaders and families, helping communities grow from dependency to dignity.
In this conversation, she shares honest, hope-filled insights about why mindset matters, what transformation really looks like, and how dignity is cultivated through ownership.
Want to hear directly from Carolina? Click on the audio clips throughout this post to listen to key moments from our conversation. (Tip: Select “Listen in browser” to keep reading while you listen!)
Why Mindset Comes First in Community Development
In Guatemala, decades of traditional aid models have unintentionally taught people they can’t do it on their own. That help comes from outside. That solutions live elsewhere. Carolina sees this over and over in the communities where her team works.
“Guatemala has had a lot of nonprofits working here for years, but many haven’t had the right approach.
The result is a narrative that tells people, ‘You can’t do this on your own.’
That mindset of dependency is one of our biggest challenges.”
— Carolina Cardona
The Root of Poverty = the Root of Transformation
For Carolina, poverty isn’t just a lack of money. It’s a symptom of something deeper: broken relationships with self, with others, with opportunity, and even with God.
“If you want to truly transform a community, you have to go to the root. And mindset is right there at the root.”
— Carolina Cardona
That’s why, before any CarePoint can dream of graduation, HopeChest spends intentional time restoring dignity, rebuilding confidence, and changing the narrative.
“You were created according to God’s image. You are His perfect creation and you can do it… just telling them that, in the core of who they are, they have what it takes.”
— Carolina Cardona
“Changing mindsets takes time. I always say that development is a beautiful work, but it takes time.
It takes a lot of getting to know the people we are working with. You cannot share the same message to everyone the same way. In our country we have different cultures. And just finding the way to share this message in a way that is meaningful to a community—it takes time.”
— Carolina Cardona
Dignity Through Ownership
One of HopeChest’s most distinctive values in Guatemala is not giving everything ‘for free’.
It might sound counterintuitive, but it’s a key ingredient to long-term transformation. Every family is asked to have “skin in the game,” even when it’s difficult. And the results are often incredible.
Carolina recalls one story in particular:
A woman in a rural CarePoint was invited to participate in a small chicken-raising initiative. To join, each participant was asked to contribute a small amount. A local leader hesitated. “She’s too poor. We shouldn’t ask her for anything.”
Carolina’s response? Let her try.
“This woman worked extra hours, sold more tortillas, and came back with that small contribution. Just the sense of accomplishment you could see in the lady when she said, ‘I did it.’ That’s dignity at it’s core. To say ‘I did it’.”
— Carolina Cardona
HopeChest programs are built not on what communities lack, but on what they already have. Carolina’s team often starts with a simple question: “What assets already exist in your home? In your community?”
That asset based mindset produces powerful ripple effects.
At another CarePoint, a woman didn’t believe she could contribute to a savings group. “I don’t have a job,” she said. “Where would I even get money to save?”
But through intentional training, she went home and began looking differently at what was already around her. She realized she had several small plants in her yard and an idea sparked. She started selling those plants and used the income to join the group! Now, her story is shared with other women as inspiration.
“What we do at HopeChest is based on the assets present in a community. We don’t simply ask, “What are the needs in your community?” because if we take that approach, we won’t find a way to start.” That is one of the ingredients that sets HopeChest apart.”
— Carolina Cardona
Empowering the Next Generation of Leaders
HopeChest’s vision isn’t just for today, it’s also about equipping future leaders! Through the Guatemala Leadership Academy, HopeChest is training the next generation of community leaders.
Youth are mentored in leadership, character, and purpose, then trained to create and present business plans before a panel of judges. Those with the strongest proposals receive small loans to start their own ventures.
“We’re not just investing in parents. We’re empowering youth to dream bigger, lead stronger, and see their communities differently.”
— Carolina Cardona
For Carolina, this mission is deeply personal:
“This is so close to my heart because it’s what someone did for me. I grew up with a lot of limitations. But someone told me, ‘You can dream. You can go after big opportunities.’ And that opened doors.”
— Carolina Cardona
Now, she’s doing the same for others.
Your support makes this kind of transformation possible. When you invest in relationship-based, dignity-centered development, you help unlock God-given potential.
