Finnchurchaid

Main programme countries 2002

Asia and the Middle-East
Southern Africa
East, Central and West Africa
Latin America
Europe

Asia and the Middle-East

Bangladesh, India, Cambodia, Nepal

Main programs:
Village development programs, slum work, landmine clearing, emergency assistance

Total assistance 2.1 million Euros

Development assistance 70%
Emergency and refugee assistance 27%
Interchurch cooperation 3%

FinnChurchAid support for programs in Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Cambodia continues, in spite of difficulties caused by instability in the societies and natural disasters. The basic idea of the programs is to help and strengthen poor societies in rural areas. There is an increasing shift from emergency aid and reconstruction to long-term rural development programs.

In the Middle East, FinnChurchAid’s most significant recipient of assistance is the work done by the Middle East Council of Churches in assisting refugees and asylum seekers. In addition, FinnChurchAid has continued supporting the schools of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan in the West Bank and the social work among the poorest implemented by the Egyptian Coptic Church.

Southern Africa

Angola, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Main programs:
Rural development programs, assistance to refugees and repatriation, repairing flood damage from the year 2000, food aid to drought areas

Total Assistance 2.5 million Euros

Development assistance 53%
Emergency and refugee assistance 39%
Interchurch cooperation 6%
Human rights and peace 5%

Southern Africa continued to suffer from drought that had started already in 2001. In addition to immediate food aid, it was important to put emphasis on preventative measures against future droughts. Dams were constructed and irrigation schemes were developed, income generation was supported by providing training for small-scale enterprises and giving micro-credits through loan schemes and village banks.

In HIV/AIDS work, the emphasis was in education for attitude change in preventing new cases and providing support to those already afflicted.

In Angola, peace was finally reached after thirty years of war FinnChurchAid supported refugees from Angola in Zambia and internally displaced people in Angola. In the refugee camps supported by FinnChurchAid, people are prepared for repatriation through training in agriculture and small-scale enterprises. FinnChurchAid also supported repatriation that started immediately after the peace agreement.

East, Central and West Africa

Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Rwanda, Sudan, Uganda

Main programs:
Rural development programs, reconstruction, reconciliation, HIV/AIDS work, refugee assistance

Total assistance 3.0 million Euros

Development assistance 59%
Emergency and refugee assistance 37%
Interchurch cooperation 1%
Human rights and peace 4%

The main goal of FinnChurchAid’s long-term development programs is poverty reduction and food security. In Ethiopia, which suffers from repeated drought, FinnChurchAid supports agricultural development by improving irrigated production systems.

In Sudan, FinnChurchAid supported the Church’s ecumenical program, which aims to fulfill people’s basic needs. FinnChurchAid supported Sudanese refugees in refugee camps in Uganda and Kenya. It was most important to strengthen the people’s own initiatives in agricultural production and to support education. In Rwanda, reconciliation is emerging as a particularly important part of the program. Humanitarian aid in neighbouring Congo is also coordinated from Rwanda.

Latin America

El Salvador, Guatemala, Peru

Main programs:
Village development work, strengthening civil society, emergency assistance, education, interchurch cooperation

Total development assistance 1.6 million Euros

Development assistance 81%
Emergency and refugee assistance 7%
Interchurch cooperation 10%
Human rights and peace 2%

The work to repair damage caused by the 2001 earthquake and support to local NGOs and civil education continued in El Salvador. Among the most important challenges were efforts to control ecological risks. In Guatemala, the strengthening of civil society and support to Maya-Indians were at the forefront.

In Peru, FinnChurchAid supported rural development programs among the indigenous population. Malnourishment among children is common and the general health conditions among the population are weak. Support for their own language and culture has increased the peoples’ participation and has particularly lifted the children’s self-confidence.

In different parts of Latin America, FinnChurchAid supported refugees and human rights programs aimed at preventing human trade and solving problems of immigration. Important aspects of all the programs were rights of the indigenous population, the participation of women and support for the poorest and marginalized, particularly the illiterate population in rural areas.

Europe

The Balkans, Estonia, Russia

Main Programs
Reconstruction, interchurch aid

Total development assistance 2.1 million Euros

Development assistance 15%
Emergency and refugee assistance 22%
Interchurch aid 66%
Human rights and peace 1%

In the area of the former Yugoslavia, FinnChurchAid supported reconstruction programs in Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as different interchurch aid programs. Together with the local churches, international church organizations have an important role to play in working towards reconciliation in conflicts between different ethic and inter-faith groups.

Cooperation continues with Estonian and Ingrian Lutheran churches. With regard to content, the most important challenge was support for education in the Ingrian church. FinnChurchAid also supported the work of the Russian Orthodox Church among marginalized people in society, particularly among children. It also supported the work of the Interchurch Council for Diaconic Work in St. Petersburg, which strengthened its role in the churches’ HIV/AIDS work in Russia.