Last November, hundreds of partners from our global network gathered online and in person to celebrate 25 years of affirming the call to business and faithfully pursuing the end of poverty. To steward more than two decades of work, we committed to serving 1 million redemptive businesses that employ 3 million people and lift 15 million out of poverty by 2030. We also said thank you to Doug Seebeck, the founding group of partners, and all who invested in people facing poverty over the last 25 years.
I am humbled to follow in their footsteps.
Since first joining Partners Worldwide in 2004, my desire to “change the world” has been refined and focused. The Lord has woven it together with the passion he gave me for the call to business and my lifelong commitment to serve the poor—something I share with my friend and mentor, Doug.
In the months since that gathering, I’ve interacted with many long-standing, deeply committed partners. Their enthusiasm for our future matches my own, and that’s saying something! Those partners laid down a strong foundation that carries us into the future.
They have encouraged me to continue affirming the call to business that I know you share; to trust our partners, empowering their work and championing their innovation; to take risks and pursue entrepreneurial agility; and to share the “good news” and remember that we are stewards of the powerful calling to redemptive business.
As I walk with our partners in communities around the world, I see beautiful image bearers. Talented, gritty, capable people. People created for business. Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers. Too many of whom live in unacceptable circumstances.
It breaks my heart, makes me angry, and makes me thankful for this community of world changers—the global PW family. We are called for such a time as this.
May we be bold, full of hope, and unwavering in our movement toward the end of poverty.
I am humbled and excited for the invitation to serve this incredible network of partners. The best is truly yet to come!
~Bob Vryhof
President & CEO
One million business owners equipped, three million people employed, fifteen million people lifted out of poverty: this is our strategic goal for 2030.
We know that behind each number is a face, a family, a community that God calls us to serve. This goal is only made possible through the support and partnership that we have in people like you.
In 2022, we launched Vista 2030, a vision for the future that is anchored in three guiding principles:
Developing Redemptive Relationships
We will work to support redemptive entrepreneurs who build better systems, policies, and institutions. They will care for their employees, clients, suppliers, distributors, and neighbors; and steward all of God’s creation, which is essential for all people to flourish and experience the fullness of abundant life.
Building a More Connected Network
Local Community Institutions continue to serve as the core of our partnership model. Moving forward, we will work to establish and strengthen more direct, organic connections between all of our partners so that they are able to navigate the evolving complexity and interconnectedness of global entrepreneurial networks. We will serve them to access the knowledge, capital, markets, relationships, and environments where businesses can thrive.
Amplifying our Vision to End Poverty
We are committed to intentional dialogue on our vision that spans regions and includes diverse voices to result in an approach that is clearly contextualized for each community and championed by local leaders. All staff, Business Affiliates, and Local Community Institutions, as well as the business owners they serve, will pursue a shared vision that is locally relevant.
GROWING IMPACT
Tending to his small carrot farm outside of Nairobi, Kenya, was a disheartening task for Peter. He returned home each day exhausted from long hours of toiling in his small plot of land. The previous year, his single acre produced just eight tons of carrots, and with the marketplace’s unfair prices, all his hard work wasn’t enough to cover even his most basic needs. As one of the 95 million East Africans living in extreme poverty, Peter lived on less than $2 per day; without access to education, affordable loans, and a global marketplace, no amount of work was enough to lift him from debt.
Everything changed when Peter learned that one of PW’s partners, GRAFCO, wanted to work with farmers in the region. As part of a pilot group of 68 farmers, Peter attended training sessions with a professional agronomist who empowered him to better utilize his land. Then, with a material loan of manure and seeds, Peter was able to put his knowledge to use, resulting in a three-fold increase in production.
With 21 tons of carrots on his hands, Peter faced yet another obstacle: making his produce sellable. Through GRAFCO, Peter became connected to a food processor that prepares produce to be purchased and distributed by the global marketplace. By washing, cutting, and drying Peter’s carrots, this local partner turned his raw produce into something desirable. This enabled Peter to connect with yet another of PW’s partners, Silva International, a wholesale produce distributor. At a fair price, Silva purchased his carrots for use in soup mixes with pet foods around the world, resulting in a 40% profit for Peter. Now, this resilient farmer is working with others in his community, passing on his knowledge and empowering them to follow in his footsteps.
This is the power of the Partners Worldwide network—a network that includes people like you. Through your dedication to our mission, the lives of thousands of entrepreneurs like Peter have been forever transformed. With nearly 14,000 jobs created over the past year alone, Partners Worldwide has been able to create a lasting impact across the world—an impact that continues to grow day by day. We are deeply grateful for your generosity and hope you continue to partner with us as we, together, create a world without poverty.
FOCUS 2025
Partners Worldwide has committed to serve over 1 million business owners by 2030. As we travel along the road toward this ambitious goal, Focus 2025 serves as a valuable milestone; by 2025, we hope to double our current impact and enable 400,000 entrepreneurs to experience the fullness of abundant life.
Reaching this goal will require us to create greater access to knowledge, fair loans, and the global network of partners; support business owners as they redeem and restore relationships in and through the marketplace; and grow new partnerships within and across regions, borders, and cultures.
None of this growth would be possible without your support. You make it possible for Partners Worldwide to build relationships with the marginalized, empower business owners to provide sustainable incomes for their families, and dream of a world without poverty.
With an investment of $25 million, we can turn this vision into a reality; in effect, doubling our impact will require only a 50% increase in cost.
With more than a quarter-century of experience and a vast network of partners spanning all regions of the globe, the time is now to use our gifts for the flourishing of all people.
GLOBAL SUMMIT
This past fall, Partners Worldwide reconvened its Global Summit for the first time in four years.
Attended both in-person and virtually by hundreds of global partners and staff, the Summit—held from November 2-4—celebrated PW’s 25 years of ministry, the transition in leadership, launched the Vista 2030 strategy, and provided a long-awaited opportunity for meaningful connections among partners.
“I felt the energy every single day and it became internalized.”
~Global Summit Attendee
HEALTHY FINANCIALS - 2021-2022
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Strong partnerships, consistent financial support, and prudent stewardship allowed us to mitigate losses amidst the worst year the stock market had seen since 2008. This support enables us to keep moving forward with confidence toward our vision for 2030.
