I was lucky to sit down via Zoom, with Allen Smith, to hear the story of how it all began. Allen is the founder of Ewo, originally known as World of God. He now lives in Mexico, but he was more than happy to share his story with me! We are so thankful for him and this vision he brought to life!
When did you start Ewo? 2009
What inspired you to begin? To set the stage, you should know that in my own life, I was wrestling with the possibility of retiring. As I’m asking myself these questions, the sermon one Sunday was about Moses. About God asking Moses to lead his people out of slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land and Moses thinking, “I’m not the guy for this job.” And my pastor said, “There are people in the world that can’t wait for you – they need you now.” Those words stuck with me.
Not long after, I was able to travel to Bayonnais. We arrived at dusk and as we approached the school, kids began to follow our truck. They were all there to greet us. One little guy approached us and proudly exclaimed, “I’m in school now. I got some shoes.” Wow. Talk about impactful. I returned back to the States and asked myself, “Should I do something else besides retire?” I decided no. I ran the numbers and confirmed, no, it’s not possible. And I put it away. Except it wouldn’t stay away.
That Sunday night, I was at home reading a novel, and suddenly I put the book down. And a powerful thought washed over me. I heard, ”I have shown you my children whom I love, I have shown you the people that I trust, why don’t you let me worry about the money?” The very next day I sat down and registered World of God – that’s the name that came to me.
So, I reached out to 6 friends in Charlotte and told them my idea. 5 of those 6 said I should do it, and they would help. And the first Board was created. In the meantime, I worked with an attorney that specializes in non-profits and got the help I needed to get it approved by the IRS. We were able to get everything complete within the year.
So what happened next? We told stories. There are so many stories of the people and students in Bayonnais. The story of Actionnel and his sponsor Helen Hunter. We went to many churches, both big and small. And before too long, we had about 100 students sponsored. And that number continues to grow today.
- Christmas in July - August 22, 2025
- Ewo’s 5th Annual Back to School Fundraiser - August 22, 2025
- Why is Student Sponsorship So Important? - January 30, 2025
