Stories of Hope

Our longest connections in Bacolod City are with the beautiful Yasar Family, Jayden and Jeri, and their 3 adorable kids. We love so many things about these guys, and they help people in many areas, including safe childbirth and baby health.

 

One of the best ways to change a community is job creation. A stable job provides income and improves the livelihoods of the whole family. Over the years, Jeri and Jayden ran youth communities that raised young leaders. Our latest area of partnership with them is The Good Dairy.

 

A family creating lasting change

Fresh milk, being a rare commodity throughout the Philippines due to the humidity, makes it hard to raise milking cows. People are left drinking horrible UHT powdered milk that not only tastes bad but also has no nutritional benefits. Luckily, on Negros Island, where Bacolod City is located, there are nearby regions with higher altitudes and lower temperatures that are suitable for a cow farm. With the entrepreneurial skills of Jeri and Jayden, a thriving dairy business was born. Through Hope Connections, we helped them with initial capital, and some of our skilled board members also assisted with growth and marketing strategies.

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The Good Dairy offers an amazing variety of products made from fresh milk: yoghurt, cheese, and Kefir (a kombucha-like probiotic drink, extremely good for you). At The Good Dairy, we have increased from 3 to 11 employees, and we're still growing. Also, the staff at The Good Dairy earn substantially more than in equivalent jobs in that area. We would love to see this business grow exponentially, providing much-needed products across Negros Island, and in the future, even inter-island across the whole of the Philippines, creating many more jobs along the way!

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Restoring futures through love and kindness

In 2024, we were introduced to John Bailey (affectionately known as “Bear”) and his wife Cecille, who together run Furnace Ministries. We instantly fell in love with them as a couple, and with the hundreds of lives they impact every week.

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They run regular feeding programs that reach the poorest regions of Bacolod City: the streets and the prisons, supplying hot meals, bottled water, and time for connection, laughter, and emotional support. This helps them identify individual youths who should be in school but are instead working on the streets. If these youths are willing to work with them, they provide holistic support in education, clothing, health, hygiene, and daily meals, allowing them to focus on education and improve their future. Currently, 23 youths between 4 and 24 years of age are receiving this support, with another 10 identified for addition in the near future. 2 of these individuals, Mea Lane and Benjie, have just graduated from high school and are about to embark on the next stage of their lives at college. We are committed to supporting them by helping to cover the cost of living in a boarding house (rent, food, etc.) near the college campus, the yearly college fees, and all the expenses that come with being a college student.

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These are just two couples of the many incredible people that we are journeying with and supporting. As you partner with us and follow along, you will hear about more incredible lives being transformed and see them achieve great milestones. Together, we can make a real, lasting change in the lives of many, many beautiful people who have unfortunately started life in some extremely tough circumstances.

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Much love,

Juz