After some peace and quiet at HINT, we are now back in action with several changes coming your way in 2015! We have continued our works to help the poor and underprivileged, but are now pleased to announce that some exciting new changes are being incorporated into the programs.

The year started off well, with HINT welcoming its first volunteer in almost five years on March 1st. Jessa Coleman arrived off an overnight flight from Amsterdam, where she had been engaged in a fellowship in impact investing and social entrepreneurship. After a day to recuperate, she was bright-eyes, excited, and ready to apply the knowledge she had gained at her training to HINT’s programs and business model. Jessa will be with us for four months total, until July 1st. In that time, she has accepted a heavy burden of responsibility. Jessa agreed to work on several different aspects of HINT’s operations, including: updating HINT’s online and social media presence; revitalizing the Kingdom Community Fund; developing a sustainable business plan for HINT; and reaching out to new donors and partners.

Jessa has taken on the title of “Fund Manager” of the Kingdom Community Fund (KCF), HINT’s microfinance institution. She has been developing a more efficient management and accounting system for the fund while meeting the fund’s current clients. Under Jessa’s leadership, the fund is once again open to new clients (having been recently closed to new clients). Most excitingly, a savings scheme has been incorporated into the fund, such that KCF is no longer limited to offering only microcredit loans, but is now a full-blown microfinance service. Jessa has also begun hosting monthly business seminars with the fund’s members and is encouraging greater involvement in the non-solidarity groups. As a result of these ambitious changes, KCF now offers microcredit loans to local entrepreneurs in addition to savings schemes and small- and medium-enterprise (SME) business training.

Here at HINT we are incredibly excited for these positive additions to the Kingdom Community Fund. We look forward to sharing with you the other new changes that take place in the coming months. As always, if you would like to contact us, donate, or get involved, you can find us on: Twitter, Facebook, by email, or by contacting us online.

We wish you continued success in your social enterprises and endeavors in 2015! Together, we can improve our local (and global) communities.