Spark Zambia Trip Featured on GrouponIt isn’t every day that a small nonprofit organization like Spark Ventures receives national recognition. But that’s what has happened this week with the offer of Groupon’s first ever volunteer vacation deal in partnership with Spark.The trip was released with...
Read MoreThis is the story of Michael Kalenga, a student at Hope Community School who receives education, nutrition, medical care and emotional support through the Spark-Hope partnership. His story was taken by Brady & Liz Josephson during the June 2010 Transformation Trip.Michael Kalenga is thirteen years...
Read MoreRecently, Sara Blumenshine returned from spending six months with Spark’s partner in Zambia. Sara had visited Hope Ministries before through a Spark Ventures Partnership Trip with North Park University, and she returned as a Global Intern to work directly with the children and serve in...
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Meet Lucy Jodlowska, Spark's first ever Director of Partnerships. After accepting the position two weeks ago, she hopped on a plane and headed with a Spark team to Central America this past week, and is now back in Chicago and settling into her new...
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We recently took the time to interview Jamie Leathers, a participant in our January 2012 trip to Zambia. As a long-time investor in Spark Ventures, Jamie was excited to see our work first-hand in Zambia as well as meet her sponsor child, Jane! Read our...
Read MoreWe've had a truly lovely two days in Livingstone. Yesterday, after a magical trip to see Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, we arrived back at the hotel for a calm dinner at the hotel.Scott ordered the bream, and as...
Read MoreIt’s been an action packed few days, and we’re now in Livingstone after a short trip to Lusaka to see the farm. I’m excited to share two of the best stories from the past couple days! It turns out you can buy absolutely anything from...
Read MoreToday was a bittersweet day as we said goodbye to the staff and students at Hope Ministries in Ndola. Tomorrow morning we'll drive to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, to see the poultry farm that Spark helped to launch in May 2011 and that has...
Read MoreAfter a rather structured morning that took us around Ndola to see and learn about the effects of colonialism, slavery and HIV/AIDS, Jamie, one of our trip participants, and I were certainly feeling a bit weighed down.I find that it's precisely in these moments when...
Read MoreMargaret, who used to be the manager of a major bank, is the deputy director of Hope Ministries. She is also a tall and wonderfully hilarious woman who has consistently had the best one-liners on every single trip I've taken here.Half the time I feel...
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