I was recently talking to someone about what it looked like to live a life that brings hope to others. We talked about the need to discover hope for yourself in order to share it with others. We discussed the far-reaching affects hope can have, impacting a person’s family and community. At some point in the conversation, one of us said, “It is like a hope ecosystem!” In other words, it is an environment in which hope lives and grows.

The idea of a “hope ecosystem” sounds great, but what would it look like in reality?

In my book, Hope Realized, I talk about the concept of planting trees of hope. This is in reference to the Greek proverb that says, “Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” Creating change and overcoming hopelessness takes time, but the outcome can make a difference for generations to come. As much as this is true, it does not mean the power of hope cannot have an impact in the short term. This is particularly true when there is a hope ecosystem.

This is what we are building with the Frutivera Sweet Corn operation launched by NicaWorks! in Nicaragua. In the long term, we believe Frutivera could become a “tree of hope” for many people, but it is the short-term focus on building a hope ecosystem that will bring it to fruition. We are doing this by being very intentional about creating real opportunities and a environment that points people toward a reframed identity.

While Frutivera sells high-quality sweet corn, the goal is to create employment and development opportunities for people in Nicaragua. As Frutivera continues to grow, it will be able to increase the size of its team, providing income that will allow more people to feed their families, send their kids to school, and have a different future. Additionally, small businesses connected to Frutivera, such as food vendors, will be able to grow their business, impacting their families. These real opportunities and more will continue to grow with Frutivera, providing practical hope to many in Nicaragua.

Reinforcing the truth that you were created on purpose for a purpose by a God who loves you is a part of Frutivera’s strategy. Through discipleship, intentional sharing, loving people well, and more, the Frutivera team is focused on pointing people to Jesus and the new life that can be found in a relationship with him. Creating this environment leads to opportunities for people to discover a reframed identity as well as grow more and more into the person God created them to be. Spiritual hope is being found through Frutivera.

When combined, real opportunities and reframed identities lead to a real, all-in hope. When an environment is focused on producing and reproducing this kind of hope, a hope ecosystem is born. This is becoming a reality in Nicaragua through Frutivera, as well as other NicaWorks! projects.

However, this is not unique to Nicaragua or NicaWorks!. In fact, many people around the world have created hope ecosystems, and so could you. It could be as simple as making a difference in the life of someone you know or a person living in your community.

What might it look like for you to build a hope ecosystem? We will take a look at just that over the next couple of articles.

James Belt

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