Church World Service Eastern Africa and Indian Ocean
photo by Henry Coates
Church World Service (CWS) is the relief, development and refugee assistance ministry of 35 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations in the United States. In 1946, CWS was founded as a response to the devastation in Europe and Asia created by World War II. Now serving in 80 countries, CWS is laboring to fulfill its mission statement: “Christians working together with partners to eradicate hunger and poverty and to promote peace and justice around the world.”
The Church World Service Eastern Africa (CWSEA) regional office is located in Nairobi, Kenya. When CWSEA was established in 1978, it focused on relief for communities affected by disasters because of major droughts and civil strife in the region. Since that time, CWSEA has expanded to include programs addressing the root causes of hunger and poverty.
Adult literacy students outside their classroom.
CWSEA is currently supporting the following development programs: Water for Life, Orphans and Vulnerable Children “Giving Hope,” Improved Livelihoods (micro-loans and business skills), School Safe Zone (improving public schools), Food Security, Adult Literacy and Emergency Response. CWSEA works through partnerships with local community based organizations. The partner organizations implement programs in their own communities while CWSEA provides advocacy, technical guidance, funding and capacity building.
For example, CWSEA partners with Yang’at, a community based organization in the West Pokot district of Kenya. Through CWSEA funding and technical assistance, Yang’at built sand dams and wells with several local communities. Since water sources are now close by, the young girls in those communities no longer walk 6-7 hours a day to fetch water for their families. Consequently, the girls have time to go to school resulting in a 30% increase of girls’ enrollment in primary school in Pokot.
Two dedicated fundraisers for CWS take photo with children in Kenya to advertise for their local CROP walks in the US.
In the US, CWS responds to disasters, advocates for fair policies, provides educational resources, and assists with refugee resettlement. The Presbyterian Church participates in the work of CWS through the “One Great Hour of Sharing” as well as through CROP (Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty) Hunger Walks. Because of the partnership model and empowerment methodology of CWS, the organization is making a better world by providing a “hand up” to neighbors near and far.
(For more info on CWS: http://www.churchworldservice.org and for CWSEA specifically: www.cwsea.org)