About Hosea's Heart
Inspired by the Biblical prophet Hosea, Hosea’s Heart is a safe home ministry for girls who have been sexually abused, trafficked, and girls at risk for exploitation.
Our Mission
Hosea’s Heart exists to empower the girls of eSwatini to achieve freedom from sexual abuse and hope for a better future by serving their physical, emotional and spiritual needs through a holistic, restorative process.
Our Vision
Through counseling, education, and the anointing of Christ, the girls in our immediate care will be holistically healed to rebuild, renew, and restore their families and their communities.
“They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.” -Isaiah 61:4
Our Pillars: Rebuild, Renew, Restore
Our holistic care programs are centered on three pillars of healing and restoration: Rebuilding the ruins, Renewing the faith, and Restoring hope.
Education
Hosea’s Heart is dedicated to providing a safe haven for girls, offering them not only shelter but the resources and support necessary to thrive. We prioritize education as a great tool for empowerment. By focusing on their education, we help them gain confidence, foster independence, and open doors to opportunities that can transform their lives. Our homeschooling program is equipped with qualified Swazi teachers, giving us the ability to teach the girls both the Swazi syllabus (EGCSE) and the American syllabus (GED). This expands their career and university options and makes our program unique.
Life Skills Activities
As a part of daily life at Hosea’s Heart, the girls in our care participate in a wide range of activities: performing arts, sports, art, handcrafts, and more. They are also engaged with self-sustaining projects like gardening, tending to our orchard, and raising and selling chickens and pigs. These activities are designed to empower these young women, to foster their personal growth, and to provide new ways they can express themselves.
Building Family
We strive to cultivate a nurturing, family-like community for the young women we serve. Our goal for this family is that trust, support, and love can flourish. This environment encourages open communication and deep connections, allowing the girls to feel safe and valued as they navigate their healing journeys together.
Worship and Spiritual Life
The trauma every girl underwent has left a deep hole within which only God fills. At Hosea’s Heart, worship creates a safe and unique environment where each hurting soul can mirror the divine nature of God. We practice how to walk and live in Christ together by following His example. God is at work at Hosea’s Heart, and you’re the reason and the vehicle by which He wants to do much more great things for His Kingdom’s sake. Renew: Every evening the girls go through structured Bible study. Aimed at knowing Jesus. Learning to have faith by trusting Jesus. Each week, the girls go out of campus to safe communities of worship. To engage with others in the journey to hope. Each Monday, All girls and staff gather for worship first thing in the morning. A kind of worship which assures everyone we are destined for resurrection in His likeness.
Performing Arts
Performing arts is a great avenue for healing and self expression. Through this avenue, our girls performed an international show “Scars: Up From Ashes”. This 2023 tour allowed us to share our message of hope with large audiences; shining a light on the darkness of sexual abuse and exploitation on both a local and global scale, while also helping build relationships with like-minded organizations (ex. Washington Co. Anti-Trafficking Advocates). Partnerships with artists (ex. Chei Star) help expand opportunities for our girls to share their message of hope with the world. We ensure they are able to continue growing as artists through our participation in dance camps, classes, and more.
Self-Sustaining Projects
Self-sustaining projects play a crucial role in both individual healing and community development. These projects are designed to empower our girls to build skills, generate income, and regain their independence. Tenele’s Treasures: Unique and carefully hand-crafted products from the girls of Hosea’s Heart; sold online and made from up-cycled materials. Chicken Project: Learning essential skills in animal husbandry and business management. Orchard and Garden: Learning sustainable farming practices while cultivating fresh produce for the Hosea’s Heart Family.
Counseling & Therapy
Hosea’s Heart strives to provide comprehensive support for our strong young women. Recognizing the profound trauma these individuals face, our counseling and therapy approach is rooted in empathy, cultural sensitivity, and holistic healing. Our trained counsellors utilize trauma-informed practices to create a safe space where survivors can express their experiences and emotions without judgment. Individual and group therapy sessions focus on rebuilding self-esteem, fostering resilience, and developing effective coping strategies. After all, no one will stand with you through the highs and lows like a sister. Additionally, we incorporate spiritual guidance, helping participants find strength and hope through their relationship with Jesus Christ.
Hosea’s Heart is a non-profit organization co-founded by Christopher Owen and Mary-Kate Martin in 2012. Hosea’s Heart opened the first safe home for girls in eSwatini in 2013. Shortly after, the local social welfare officers asked Hosea’s Heart to expand. The vision grew to accommodate more girls while continuing to provide quality care at a family foundation.
The name “Hosea’s Heart” comes from the story of Hosea, a prophet in the Old Testament whom God commanded to pursue and marry a prostitute as a reflection of God’s passionate love for His beloved children and pursuit of Israel. This biblical story is brought to life in Francine Rivers’ brilliant novel called Redeeming Love, articulating the heart and mission of a man who pursued a prostitute with great passion, zeal, and resolve. The message of Redeeming Love parallels the foundation of Hosea’s Heart in such a perfectly beautiful way. Built upon Hosea’s unselfish love to pursue an unfaithful wife, Hosea’s Heart embodies this same love by pursuing the abused and at risk girls in Swaziland, offering them opportunities to seize freedom and a reason to hope.
Help us take up the heart of Hosea in passionate pursuit of the broken and hopeless to bring them to a place of hope and healing.
The stateside Board of Directors is comprised of seven individuals who volunteer their time and expertise to ensure the mission of Hosea’s Heart is continues to improve and expand its reach, while our onsite Lead Team is the real driving force behind Hosea’s Heart’s mission.
Board of Directors
- Garret Martin; Chief Operating Officer
- Steve Martin (Advisor)
- Peg Martin; Outreach and Events Coordinator
- Michelle Acosta; Stateside Operations Manager
- Mary-Kate Martin; Executive Director
- McKenzie Laurent; Communications Director
- Sarah Dominguez; Director of Donor Engagement
- Kirsten Bandt; Board Chair
It is only through the generosity and support of both individuals and other organizations that Hosea’s Heart has been able to sustain and grow to support the young women of eSwatini.
A special thank you to these organizations who have established ongoing partnerships with us to continue making an impact.
With full transparency of our yearly finances, we are happy to share what God is doing through Hosea’s Heart. We pride ourselves on being creatively resourceful and financially responsible. As stewards of God’s money that our donors chose to share with us, we take very seriously our responsibility to steward our resources with integrity, wisdom, and transparency.
Click the buttons to download our annual reports. For additional information or questions, please email info@hoseasheart.org.
Financial Reports
IRS Documents
© Copyright 2024 – Hosea’s Heart, Inc.
Photography by Anthony Butz Photography
Hosea’s Heart is a registered 501(c)-3 Organization
EIN: 90-0785693