Children’s HopeChest is excited to bring our #PathToGraduation series to the podcast! In the latest episode of Build Relationships, Break Poverty, we explore the milestone of CarePoint Graduation and what it means for CarePoint communities. This episode features Jen deBruin, HopeChest Travel and Sponsorship Specialist, who has been deeply involved with CarePoints in Uganda for over a decade.
Listen as Jen reflects on the journey of her partner CarePoints Ogoloi, Bukedea, and Ongongoja, sharing stories about the challenges, growth, and transformations she has witnessed over the years.
Jen also emphasizes the importance of relationships during and after graduation. “The connections we have with alumni are even better than when they were students because now they aren’t expecting anything, it’s more of like this true friendship than some more like expectations or transactional which I love those relationships now.”
Some of the Amazing CarePoint Alumni!
The path to CarePoint graduation is not always easy. Jen reminds HopeChest partners to keep a long-term perspective. “I love the saying, we often overestimate how much we can do in one year and we underestimate what can happen in 10 years. So I just say, see this as a long-term project right? This is not something I’m gonna get money for now. And in three months, we’re gonna have this super huge successful impact. It’s the long game of like true transformation rather than just throwing money in there and expecting change to happen right away.”
“We often overestimate how much we can do in one year and we underestimate what can happen in 10 years.”
–Jen deBruin
For Jen and many partners, the experience of partnering with CarePoints has been life-changing. “It’s hard to even know the impact that it’s had in my life or my family’s life because it has been such a part of our entire lives,” she reflects. From village savings and loans to animal raising projects, every step brings hope, dignity, and opportunity for the communities involved.
A visit from the deBruin family in Uganda years ago
Don’t miss this conversation! Listen to the full episode of Build Relationships, Break Poverty to hear Jen’s insights and stories about CarePoint Graduation and how sustainable relationships can break the cycle of poverty.
“Build Relationships. Break Poverty.” is a podcast that challenges the Western perception of international poverty by elevating the voices of local leaders and processing how we can help to alleviate poverty without harming those living in vulnerable communities.
You can download and subscribe to “Build Relationships. Break Poverty.” here:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google
