There are places in the world where hope is hard to find. Where the soil is dry, hearts are guarded, and change seems impossible.
Yet even in those places, God is at work.
Earlier this year, a small group of local leaders gathered in a quiet room somewhere in the Horn of Africa. Most had never encountered anything like Community Health Evangelism (CHE). Their communities had known the church as a place for preaching, maybe singing — but not as a source of practical love, healing, or wholistic care.
During the training, something shifted. These leaders began to see how they could serve their people not just with words, but with actions. They spoke openly about transformation. About being a model. About becoming salt and light where hope feels scarce.
One participant shared, “We always thought the church was for Sundays. This has opened our eyes to serve in new ways.”
In just the past six months, 65 leaders have been trained in two foundational CHE seminars — one in the capital city, and one in this creative access region. Elsewhere, a youth-focused training reached 32 young people battling drug addiction, offering not just information but dignity and direction. In rural areas like Hammer, communities are constructing their first-ever chicken coops and pit latrines — humble but powerful markers of changed priorities and growing ownership.
None of this is imported. No outsiders are leading the charge. It’s local people taking local action — equipped, encouraged, and empowered.
We don’t name names or spotlight faces here. Not because there’s nothing to show — but because security matters, and discretion honors the courageous believers working quietly in difficult places. We believe that what starts small here can ripple outward in profound ways.
At MAI, we believe transformation is possible — even in the hardest places. Especially in the hardest places.
This is how change begins: through local leaders who dare to believe that poverty doesn’t have the final word. Through small acts of faithfulness. Through love that looks like latrines, chickens, and hope.
Let’s keep walking with them.
