One of the cooperatives that Spes Nova works with is the Nyabigena Soapstone Carvers Cooperative. The members of this cooperative live in the village of Nyamarambe in Western Kenya. Nyabigena means “land of soapstone,” and the cooperative has several soapstone quarries nearby. The carvers do not have complex equipment, so all of the work is…

Spes Nova works to alleviate poverty by helping to fund, protect and expand markets for entrepreneurs and small businesses around the world. Spes Nova is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization working with volunteers, supporters, universities, religious groups and non-government organizations to support entrepreneurs and small businesses in some of the poorest communities around the world.  Our…

Spes Nova helps source funds for micro-loans. By providing an interactive website on the internet, Spes Nova allows potential loan sponsors to search through databases of credit-worthy entrepreneurs in impoverished countries. The sponsors may target individual loans by country, by region, by type of venture or simply by supporting individuals or situations that speak to…

Spes Nova and Fordham’s Fair Trade club have started a pilot to sell products bought by students. These products were bought during the 2014 trips to India and Kenya. The trip was conducted by professor Kate Combellic. We expect to use this pilot to implement similar initiatives around USA and globally by involving students, faculty…