Friends of Hope International, Inc was founded by Esteban Almonte, Carmen L. Fernandez & Liony Batista.
Having worked in humanitarian disaster relief, project development and the collaboration of sustainable
projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, Mr. Batista, Mrs. Fernandez & Mr. Almonte felt the need
to work independently with a group of like-minded individuals to help empower others to forge their way
out of poverty.
Our organization has been created to work with vulnerable and at-risk youth in Latin America and the Carribean;
provide food asistance to impoverished communities and create self-sustainable animal husbandry,
agricutlure and technical projects which would provide a source of income and empower people to move forward.
We work primarily through local churches and humanitarian organizations. We also provide GIK donations to more
than 300 beneficiaries throughout latin america and the caribbean.
We Organize, supervise and provide logistics for humanitarian mission trips to Dominican Republic, Haiti,
Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama,
Venezuela, Belize, Bahamas, Uruguay, Peru, Paraguay, Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, Uganda,
Canada and United States.
Friends of Hope International works with communities and partner non-profits across Central America and the Dominican Republic to teach people vital job skills, create employment opportunities, and improve their access to healthy food and safe drinking water.
Our vision is to create a world without poverty by helping individuals and communities become self-sufficient.
Carmen Fernandez:
Carmen Fernandez currently serves as the President and Treasurer of Friends of Hope International.
Mrs. Fernandez manages an operational budget of $500k and directs all fundraising activities while
partnering with the prominent religious and outreach organizations.
Utilizing savvy negotiation skills and a proven sales background spanning over 30 years, Carmen has
successfully approached various corporations such as Johnson and Johnson for monetary donations and
essential products. Within her role at Friends of Hope, she travels to poverty-stricken countries such as Costa Rica,
Panama, Venezuela, Belize and Ecuador to cultivate enduring relationships with in-country institutions
like the Catholic Church to assist with their humanitarian efforts to provide housing and personal health
supplies to communities in need. In her spare time, Carmen enjoys spending time with her grandchildren,
traveling the world and furthering her education.
Liony Batista:
Liony Batista is a VP, speaker and author. He is currently the Vice President and Secretary of Friends of
Hope International. He is part of an international network of organizations serving the poor in several
countries, working with projects and in-kind assistance to orphanages and impoverished communities in
Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Uganda. He has also collaborated with larger
organizations such as Food for the Poor, Feed My Starving Children, Pelican Praying Missions, International
Aid, and Cross International, among others.
He is the author of The Journey: Daily Devotionals for Practical Living by Xulon Press, 2003. His latest
book, Renewing the Vision was published July, 2014. His poems have appeared in numerous journals,
including The Connecticut Poetry Review, Footprints, and Black Bear Review, among others.
Nidia Bustamante:
Nidia Bustamante is a Director on the Board of Directors of Friends of Hope International. As a
Director of this Organization her role is to help the less fortunate Families in Spain, Argentina,
Bolivia, Brazil and Peru by Securing the necessary funds to assist them with Food, Medicine, Clothing and
Housing. Nidia was born in Colombia and comes from a very humble family, she is Charismatic, Loving and Sweet.
She enjoys attending her local church and participating in the activities of her community. Her greatest
passion is helping children and the elderly. In her free time she likes listening to music, dancing and
meditation.
Daniel Fernandez:
Daniel Fernandez is a Director on the Board of Directors at Friends of Hope International. His role is to promote our current
initiatives through the site’s blog and secure grant funding for our jobs skills and food service programs. Daniel previously
served as an Outreach Specialist for SAGA/AmeriCorps in Alaska, instructing indigenous youth from the remote island of Little
Diomede on the course material required to obtain a GED and collaborating with local sponsors on various environmental
restoration projects. Daniel also worked as a Self-Contained Special Education and middle school Language Arts Teacher. Daniel
enjoys writing and traveling in his spare time.
Daniel Sanchez:
Daniel Sanchez was born in Colombia and comes from a humble family. He is charismatic, funny and has
always cared about the welfare of others. Daniel is a Director on the Board of Directors of Friends of Hope
International. He works in Colombia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile and Mexico giving Food Services, Medicine,
Housing and even the shirt off his back because giving is his passion. Daniel is also a web developer,
designer, musician, composer and philanthropist. In his free time he enjoys playing guitar, singing,
traveling and meeting new people.
Friends of Hope International, Inc.
P.O. Box #751
Simpsonville, SC 29681-9998
Contributions are tax-deductible under
Internal Revenue code Section 501(c)(3)
Tax ID: 27-2059981