Feel Good Friday - Mama Hope

Pack your bags because today Feel Good Friday takes a trip to Africa, this time via an organization based in San Francisco - Mama Hope.

As explained on their website, "The Mama Hope story began in 2006 when founder Nyla Rodgers suffered the sudden loss of her mother, Stephanie Moore, to cancer. In an effort to heal from her terrible loss, Nyla traveled to Kenya to meet a young man whose education her mother had sponsored since 2001. To her surprise, she was greeted by hundreds of others whom her mom had also helped. Nyla describes that day as the day that her work found her … and Mama Hope was born." To see Nyla share this story in more detail, you can be watch this 5 minute video. 

Today Mama Hope is working with partner organizations in Ghana, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Their approach involves listening to the community members to find out what they need, such as a health center, goat farm or solar computer lab, then raising funds for the project. Locally supplied materials and labor are used in order to stimulate the economies and create a community that is invested in the project. 

There is also a movement called Stop the Pity. "Mama Hope feels it is time to re-humanize Africa and look to the positive change that is happening. Through a series of videos Mama Hope wants to show the light of the people we serve in Africa." That's what we're trying to do at Inspiration Safari as well! You can watch the videos here. 

But wait, there's more. Mama Hope has a Global Advocates program, "a competitive, professional training corps that achieves the mission of Mama Hope through first-hand project development." Your advocate term lasts 9 months, including 3 months in country. It's like a mini Peace Corps for those of you who, like me, don't want to make a 2 year commitment.

Whether you apply to be an advocate, donate some money or like their Facebook page, learning more about Mama Hope will make you feel good. Happy Friday!