Our Story
Hello, we are Larry and Pia. Our story and passion for helping others began in childhood. We both had missionary parents and grew up in India and Ethiopia. In 1992 we went on our first mission trip with our church, and have now been on 48 mission trips, most of them organized and led by us.
In 2019 we went on a mission trip to Lebanon. On that mission we visited the Adventist Learning Center (ALC) for Syrian and Kurdish refugee children in Beirut. We learned that families do not have money to buy sanitary pads for their daughters. The Learning Village in Kalaala, Ethiopia, a project we’re also involved with, also mentioned the same problem. We learned that this is a common problem in many countries and girls often miss school during their periods. Many end up dropping out of school because they get far behind in their studies.
Annie’s Hope was born of a desire to help meet that common need for families that cannot afford sanitary pads for girls. To help, we developed a simple reusable sani-pad model that seamstresses at both schools can use to sew reusable sani-pads for their girls. We also raise funds to help them with the expenses of sewing the pads.
Our charity also raises money for special or urgent projects at the ALC school in Beirut, such as providing winter coats for children or repairs to the school building after the Beirut harbor explosion in 2020. Because of worsening economic conditions in Lebanon, most of the students’ families are out of work and barely surviving. The latest fundraisers have allowed us to help the school with buying some staples for the families and feed the students warm lunches – often their only meal of the day.
The Lord has blessed our humble efforts in helping these organizations. If you would like to help, we have more details below about the projects and how to donate. May the Lord richly bless you.
Larry and Pia
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Where We Help
Adventist Learning Center (ALC)
Beirut, Lebanon
The ALC provides basic faith-based elementary education to Syrian refugee children between the ages of 6 and 14, who have no other access to education due to over-crowding in public Lebanse schools and limited places for non-Lebanese students. It provides traditional academics as well as remedial classes for students with lapses in education due to war & relocation to a new country. As a Center of Influence in the MENA Union, ALC also works to positively impact the whole family through relationship building during regular home visitation, adult English & Arabic literacy classes, health education, and spiritual programs. Visit adventistlearningcenter.org to learn more.
Kalala Learning Village
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The Kalala Learning Village, situated in a low-income area, has over 1300 students in Kindergarten through 10th grade. Grades 11 and 12 will be added in the next year. The school is known city-wide for it's academic excellence. In 2017 one of its students was one of only 7 students in the entire country to score 100% on the eighth grade national exam. The school also provides free water to the surrounding community, clinic services, and adult health education. To learn more about the village visit: imaavillage.com.
Sanipads Project
Around the world
Each year millions of girls around the world miss an average of 20% of the school year after their periods start. We help poor girls and women around the world get reusable sani-pads. As it has become increasingly hard to ship or take them to other countries, we help schools and other non-profit organizations in developing countries sew the pads themselves. Kits with pads are given to those who can’t afford to pay for them. The donation of the kits to girls and women is accompanied with education about their bodies, good hygiene, and use of the pads.
Mission Trips
Around the world
Annie's Hope is committed to partnering with organizations who support various projects and causes around the world. Your donation will help us take necessary equipment and materials on mission trips to places where sani-pads and other essential items are needed the most.
Relief for Kids in Haiti
Haiti
Relief for Kids in Haiti is an orphanage in the mountains south of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. They provide room, board, healthcare and all necessities for 13 orphaned children. There are 6 staff members and several teachers who teach the children in-house. In addition to regular school work, the children are taught a trade. One of the trades is sewing, where they will learn to make sani-pads. These pads will be distributed in poor areas around the orphanage. Learn more at reliefforkidsinhaiti.org.
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“Everything that is done in the world is done by hope”