History of HopeCo
Written by Regina Chacha, Director of Programs
Dr. John Chacha was born in Ntagacha, Tanzania, the oldest of 10. In high school in Kenya, through the witness of a classmate, he became a Christian - the first in his family to come to the Lord. He worked as an untrained teacher and on weekends ministered in churches, schools, and in open-air meetings. He was part of a youth revival that was sweeping East Africa at the time.
IN 1979, God opened a door for Dr. Chacha to come to the US to Rosedale Mennonite Bible Institute in Ohio. From there he transferred to Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia where he met his future wife, Regina (Horst).
IN 1986, he and Regina were married in Canada. They moved back to Virginia and started Teamwork Ministries International, Inc. God grew the ministry as people joined and a board was developed.
Teamwork Ministries had a focus to Train, Equip, And Mobilize (TEAM) Leaders and believers through literature (20 books written by Dr. Chacha) and through conferences and seminars.
Dr. Chacha was a dynamic speaker who traveled widely preaching and leading seminars for leaders and believers around the world. He also established over 500 church-based Bible schools all over the world with a majority in South Africa.
THE LATE 1990’s, Dr. Chacha became more aware of the needs in his home village (Ntagacha), Tanzania. After being approached by his family and some pastors, he raised money to build two churches in the area. In 2007, he began to sense a shift in his calling. His family and people from his home village in Tanzania began asking if he could return and meet some of the significant needs in the area. The village elders asked him to help start a medical center as they said that too many of their women were dying in childbirth. They also requested that we build classrooms for the village primary school. They had two classrooms for 900 students. We built seven classrooms and, together with another organization, installed gutters to collect the rainwater and a cistern.
IN 2009, we officially launched City of Hope in this community that was neglected by the government and by other organizations. The Ntagacha community was in the middle of clan wars with a neighboring clan. Many children were orphaned because of these clan wars so we opened a children’s home and built a guest house for those who came to serve on mission teams.
In 2009, we were honored by the Tanzanian government for our work, building peace in the community, and received the Mwenge* (Freedom Torch).
The Freedom Torch is sent to places that have a high impact on the community. Additionally, Tanzania President Kikwete honored the City of Hope with a visit that same year.
After building the guest house and the children’s home, we had an immediate need to be sure our children had an excellent education. We started the Destiny Primary School using half of the unused rooms in the children’s home. Later we were able to raise the funds to build a mabati (tin) structure that sufficed until we could build a permanent masonry structure in 2020. Destiny Primary School was not only for the residential children but also for students who walked to school from the local community. It was miraculous to see these students from the clan that used to be enemies with one another now walking without fear or harassment to our school. Students whose parents hated one another and were vicious enemies now became friends.
Destiny Primary School quickly excelled to rank in the top 5% of the nation on the national exams and was first in the region for several years. We also expanded to include paying boarding students. This additional funding helped sustain our school.
IN 2014, we built our kitchen and dining hall (multipurpose room).
IN 2014, for a second time, we were awarded the Mwenge (Freedom Torch) for our work in water collection and agriculture.
IN 2015, a tragedy struck. Dr. Chacha and one of the students from our children’s home died when our truck went off an embankment into a river. The other occupants, the driver and Dr. Chacha’s daughter, were rescued. This was a great loss and many people did not believe that City of Hope would survive. However, God had prepared a young man, Hudson Mahare, to be the director. Hudson had worked with the organization for two years and was well-prepared for this assignment. He continues to be the regional director over all our programs in East Africa. Regina Chacha took on the role of executive director internationally.
At the memorial services in Greensboro, NC, Nakuru Kenya, and the final funeral at the City of Hope, Regina shared about the next great need for the children, a secondary school which was to be named the Dr. John Chacha Secondary School.
IN 2015, God opened another door and we were able to bring 23 students from our children’s home to the US on full educational scholarships. We are so thankful for this unique opportunity! Regina Chacha continues to provide oversight and a home for the children when they are not in their dorms. As of 2025, we have 23 students enrolled in college and university.
IN 2016, we brought 10 more students to the States on full scholarship before that opportunity closed.
IN 2016,we opened our first Women’s Empowerment Program location to provide practical sewing skills for women who were not able to go on to higher education. Some women who have graduated from our program have started their own businesses.
BY 2017, the Dr. John Chacha Secondary School opened. Since then, we have continued to expand the City of Hope campus: building teacher housing, boys’ and girls’ dormitories, and science labs. The students perform very well and the great majority pursue advanced education.
IN 2017, for a third time, we were awarded the Mwenge (Freedom Torch) for our excellent science labs at the Dr. John Chacha Secondary School.
IN 2020, seeing the great need and no programs addressing it, we opened the House of Faraja, a safe house in Kenya, for young girls who have experienced childhood abuse.
IN 2020, to keep up with the growing ministry, we saw the need for more leadership and hired our first CEO, Matt Parker.
IN 2021, Teamwork International Ministries, Inc., changed its name to HopeCo.
IN 2024, Matt Parker accepted a pastoral staff position at his home church, and Al Lackey, a HopeCo Board Member, stepped into the vacant CEO position.
IN 2024, we opened our third Women’s Empowerment Program location. We now have three sites: two in Tanzania and one in Kenya.
IN DECEMBER 2024, at the height of the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) season, we opened our doors to house over 100 girls who fled to the City of Hope for safety. (Ntagacha community is still entrenched in the harmful practice of FGM so our children’s home has been a safe haven for girls wanting to escape the evil practices of FGM.) We will continue to be a place of refuge for any girl choosing to flee FGM.
IN 2024, we acquired an existing program that had recently closed, serving children in Machakos County, Kenya. Our Family Empowerment Center-Machakos currently serves 56 students providing school fees, nutritious meals, psycho-social and spiritual support and much more. This program continues to expand to help more children and families, including child-headed families.
We eagerly look forward in faith watching how God will continue to improve the quality of care for vulnerable children in East Africa through HopeCo, lifting more out of poverty and abuse to a hopeful future.
*Mwenge (Freedom Torch) is one of the National Symbols of Tanzania. It is a kerosene torch symbolizing freedom and light to bring hope where there is despair, love where there is enmity and respect where there is hatred. (Wikipedia.org)
