A year ago, Kamal would have never predicted that hope encountered would take the form of fifteen little goats. He would have never imagined that sustainable provision for himself and his family would begin in his rural Nepalese village on a hot day when he met ServLife Asia’s Mark Storm. And even after Kamal more fully understood how ServLife’s Hope Fund could help him secure a more stable future, he still couldn’t envision a life that included micro-enterprising.

“No doubt, Kamal had reservations,” says Storm, who works through a local Nepalese church in Kamal’s village to help administer the region’s Hope Fund that launched earlier this year. “He knew the loan afforded through our Hope Fund was a great opportunity. But being one of the first recipients in Nepal, this new endeavor seemed almost suspiciously good.”

Nonetheless, Kamal entered the training for small-scale goat farming, a comprehensive program taught by an area veterinarian covering all aspects of raising goats, from breeding to market valuation. It was during these classes that Kamal grew hopeful about his future.

“The training empowered Kamal,” reflects Storm. “Once he was convinced that he could successfully farm, Kamal undertook everything from goat fact-finding missions to the meticulous building of a shed to house his new animals.”

Then Kamal started his conquest for just the right goats. This “goat-shopping” is an arduous process that includes traversing the Himalayan foothills and stopping at nearly every home to establish whether a family owns goats. If so, it must be determined if there are goats to sell and if again affirmative, the animals must be scrutinized. Variables that affect salability include the goat’s ages, health and whether or not they are pregnant. Negotiating begins once buyers decide they want to acquire a specific goat or group of goats.

Kamal’s objective was to use his Hope Fund money to purchase goats. A total of fifteen of them were to be bought for Kamal’s farm and for two other Nepalese families undertaking the new enterprise of goat farming.

“These micro-loans are like seeds,” says Mark Storm. “First, the money enables civilians to begin and sustain a work of their own. But even more, the Hope Fund lets us work through the local Nepalese church to demonstrate God’s love and a lasting hope that can change everything.”

The ServLife Hope Fund has been launched in Nepal in 2008 in a community in eastern Nepal and is projected to enable over 50 families to create businesses like Kamal.

(From the “Fund” drop-down box, select “Project Support”, then enter the dollar amount and select “ServLife Hope Fund” for the project to give to. Then enter “Hope Fund Nepal” in the Comments section)

(Source: ServLife News)