About Us
This is a VERY small organization, by design. Truth is that the only really important person at HIVHope International is God. Other than Him, this is a one-person operation. The founder and director is also the only employee. There are some volunteers who have done wonderful things for the ministry and we are a part of a much larger organization known as Equip International. But, there is only one person facilitating seminars, writing our materials, organizing future seminars, providing updated information about HIV to those who have participated in the seminars, and researching the latest information on all of the aspects of dealing with HIV.
Who We Are |
Most of the work of HIVHope is carried out by the hundreds of people around the world who have participated in the HIV Educator Seminars. That's what this organization is all about. Rather than doing the work on an on-going basis, our role is to equip and empower people to do what we cannot and should not do.
You see, HIV education is not so much about information is it is about motivation. If a person knew all of the facts about HIV but was not motivated to apply that information to the choices in their life, what good would those facts do? They would be useless in terms of dealing with the disease. Since effective motivation comes from people in a culture, not an outsider like Duane, he cannot teach people how to motivate others in their culture. But he can challenge them with questions about their cultures that will help them discover effective ways to motivate. The other issues is the tragedy of dependency. Too many people in our world today believe that they cannot do anything of value without people from "The West." In Africa that means a belief that they need "white" people to tell them what to do, how to do it, and to fund the work. This attitude takes away dignity, ambition, etc. HIVHope makes every effort to not contribute to dependency but to help overcome it. Realizing that the antidote to dependency is empowerment, the primary goal of each seminar is to empower the participants with the understanding that they can do so much more than westerners can to effectively address HIV. Throughout the seminar, Duane progressively turns over more and more of the leadership and control to the participants so that, by the last day, they are in total control and are the leaders and teachers. Part way through each seminar Duane will confess to the participants that "I have a great fear. That fear is that at the end of our time together you will walk out that door impressed with me. If you leave here impressed with me, I have failed. My goal is that you be impressed with you, with what you know and what God can and will do through you with the insights He has given you in this seminar. This seminar is not about me. It's about you!" Often after seminars participants decide that they want to establish a local organization to carry out HIV education and ministry. Some of them have adopted names like "HIVHope of" their country. That is great. Many of these organizations are making a significant difference in their cultures. The problem comes when they ask Duane to tell them how to do it or even to advise them. He will always refuse because of his conviction that their organizations need to be set up in a way that will work in their culture, not the way that would work in the US. Or, they will ask HIVHope to provide funding for their organization or set up an office in their country. This again encourages the attitude of dependence and is something that God has made it clear that the organization is never to do. Rather, our role is to pray with the local people for God's provision for their needs. In fact, HIVHope does not pay the costs of the seminars Duane facilitates other than the largest cost which is the airfare to get him from our base in Florida to their location. The expectation is that the local hosts will seek God's provision for all of the local costs, and He does! |
Our History |
You may, very appropriately, wonder about a one-person organization with "International" in its name. It's not about trying to sound bigger or more impressive. Absolutely not! The scope of this ministry, seminars in 23 countries and counting since 2006, is clearly international. There are people around the world who are actively using the insights and approaches gained in these seminars to make a significant difference in the lives of countless people in their own cultures.
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