Buntu D'Espoir

After arriving in West Africa, we quickly came to realize who our neighbors were—the street women and children sitting and begging on the sidewalks of our neighborhood. Each day, these women and their young children wait in the West African heat and dust—seated on a concrete slab or a plastic bucket—hoping someone will stop and offer food or money. Most have no education, come from a neighboring country, and do not speak the local language. Despite the terribly hard life, begging in the city provides more than any opportunity available in their home villages.

Over the course of several weeks, as we walked by, stopped to talk, and met some of their most basic needs, the burden to do more grew heavy. In response, we began inviting the women and children into our courtyard once a week to share a meal and hear a Bible story. That’s how Buntu D’Espoir was born. “Buntu” means door in the local language, and “D’Espoir” means of hope in French. This ministry is a doorway of hope —created to share the love of Christ in both practical and spiritual ways. Every woman and child who passes through our door receives a nutritious meal and the opportunity to hear the life-giving message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Every woman is offered the dignity of conversation and connection, with the hope that the Lord of the Universe sees them and desires a relationship with them as well.

You’re invited to partner with us in this work. Whether through prayer, financial support, or joining us in person, your involvement helps open a door of hope to women and children who often feel forgotten in the midst of living a shameful and difficult life. Together, we can meet practical needs, build meaningful relationships, and share the eternal hope found in Jesus Christ — one meal, one story, one heart at a time.