Salvation Army World Service Office Sawso

TO PROMOTE COMMUNITY-BASED SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS THROUGH THE INTL. SALVATION ARMY.

DISASTER RELIEF AND RECOVERY:THE TYPES OF NATURAL DISASTERS AND CONFLICTS VARY WIDELY WITH FAR-REACHING IMPACTS. HOWEVER, DISASTER SIZE, FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY AREN'T THE ONLY DETERMINING FACTORS FOR RECOVERY. A COMMUNITY'S CAPACITY TO MANAGE INCIDENTS IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT FOR DISASTER RESILIENCY. SAWSO SUPPORTS DISASTER RESPONSE AND RECOVERY WORK WITH A COMMUNITY-CENTERED FOCUS, EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES TO INCREASE THEIR CAPABILITY TO MITIGATE, PREPARE FOR, RESPOND TO AND RECOVER FROM DISASTERS. PAPUA NEW GUINEA (PNG), A COUNTRY IN THE HEART OF THE RING OF FIRE, IS A REGION GRAPPLING WITH THE DUAL CHALLENGES OF NATURAL DISASTERS AND UNDER-DEVELOPMENT. THE SALVATION ARMY, DEEPLY EMBEDDED IN HEALTH AND EDUCATION INITIATIVES, RECOGNIZED THE NEED FOR ENHANCED DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, BUILDING UPON LESSONS LEARNED FROM PRIOR EMERGENCIES. THIS REALIZATION LED TO THE INITIATION OF THE "EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS TRAINING IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA" PROJECT, A COMPREHENSIVE EFFORT TO BOLSTER THE REGION'S RESILIENCE. SAWSO FUNDED AND CO-FACILITATED AN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS TRAINING WHICH CULMINATED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TERRITORIAL DISASTER RESPONSE PLAN BY EVALUATING PAST DISASTER RESPONSES, PARTICULARLY THE 2018 EARTHQUAKE. THE INTENSIVE FIVE-DAY TRAINING ENGAGED SALVATION ARMY PERSONNEL FROM ACROSS PAPUA NEW GUINEA, ENCOMPASSING WORKSHOPS, PRESENTATIONS, AND PRACTICAL EXERCISES. IN NIGERIA, SAWSO SUPPORTED ELECTION PREPAREDNESS PROGRAMS AIMED TO PROMOTE AND PEACE AND DE-ESCALATE TENSIONS BEFORE FLARING INTO CONFLICTS PRIOR TO THE FEBRUARY 2023 ELECTIONS. SALVATION ARMY ENGAGED AND PARTNERED WITH LOCAL HOUSES OF WORSHIP OF DIFFERENT FAITHS AND LOCAL AND NATIONAL RADIO STATIONS. IN GREECE, THE SALVATION ARMY PROVIDED ASSISTANCE TO DISASTER SURVIVORS WHO LOST HOUSEHOLD AND CLOTHING ITEMS IN THE WAKE OF CATASTROPHIC FLOODING. MATTRESSES, PILLOWS, DUVETS, AND OTHER HOUSEHOLD ESSENTIALS WERE PROVIDED FOR FAMILIES RETURNING TO HOMES DESTROYED IN THE FLOODS. ADDITIONALLY, CLOTHING ITEMS WERE DISTRIBUTED FOR THE ELDERLY WHO EVACUATED EMPTY-HANDED. THROUGH THESE EFFORTS, THE SALVATION ARMY STOOD IN THE GAP TO ALLEVIATE HUMAN SUFFERING.AS UKRAINE APPROACHES THE TWO-YEAR MARK OF THE ONGOING WAR, TSA REMAINS STEADFAST AT MEETING EMERGENCY HUMANITARIAN NEEDS, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY, PLANNING FOR RECOVERY, FOCUSING ON MEETING THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDPS) AND FOSTERING LONG-TERM STABILITY. OUR HUMANITARIAN AID IN UKRAINE AND NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES PRIMARILY CONSISTS OF VOUCHERS, ENABLING REFUGEES AND IDPS TO PURCHASE ESSENTIAL ITEMS SUCH AS FOOD, CLOTHING, AND HYGIENE PRODUCTS TAILORED TO THEIR SPECIFIC NEEDS. ADDITIONALLY, TSA PROVIDED SEASONAL HUMANITARIAN AID FOR PROGRAMS SUCH AS BACK-TO-SCHOOL, WINTERIZATION AND CHRISTMAS. THESE PROGRAMS MEET THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN, WARM WINTER CLOTHING FOR MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN, AND OFFERED HOPE AND HOLIDAY CHEER.

LIVELIHOOD PROGRAMS:AMONG THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO HELP THOSE IN NEED IS TO EMPOWER THEM TO HELP THEMSELVES, AND THAT IS THE PRIMARY AIM OF SAWSO'S LIVELIHOODS PROGRAMS. BY TEACHING INNOVATIVE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES, DIVERSIFIED INCOME GENERATION SKILLS, AND HOW TO ACCESS FINANCE OPPORTUNITIES, THOSE WHO MIGHT OTHERWISE STRUGGLE ARE GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES TO LIFT THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES OUT OF POVERTY AND, IN SOME CASES, BECOME LEADERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, WELL-POSITIONED TO PASS ON WHAT THEY HAVE LEARNED TO OTHERS. DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD, SAWSO ACTIVELY SUPPORTED LIVELIHOODS PROJECTS IN MANY COUNTRIES, BENEFITTING OVER SEVERAL THOUSANDS OF PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. IN MYANMAR, SAWSO ALONG WITH TSA IN NORWAY CONCLUDED A SIX-YEAR PROJECT THAT ALLEVIATED ISSUES OF POVERTY AND UNEMPLOYMENT FOR THOSE LIVING WITH SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS. IT PROVIDED A MICRO-CREDIT LOAN PROGRAM SO THAT PARTICIPANTS COULD START BUSINESSES, BUY LIVESTOCK, OR SEEDS FOR AGRICULTURAL WORK. THE PROGRAM ALSO PROVIDED VOCATIONAL AND LIFE SKILLS TRAININGS AND JOB SEARCH SUPPORT, WITH ABOUT 65% OF PROGRAM GRADUATES EITHER WORKING OR STARTING BUSINESSES SOON AFTER.IN INDIA, SEVERAL HUNDREDS OF WOMEN PARTICIPATED IN SELF-HELP GROUPS THAT ENABLED THEM TO START BUSINESSES, PAY FOR THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION, AND ACCESS GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO BETTER THEIR HOMES AND COMMUNITIES. IN ZIMBABWE, SAWSO PARTNERED WITH BOTH TSA SWITZERLAND AND TSA UK & IRELAND TO IMPLEMENT TWO PROJECTS FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING FAMILIES AFFECTED BY ONGOING CLIMATE DISASTERS. THESE PROJECTS HELP FAMILIES TO DIVERSIFY THEIR INCOME SOURCES BY TEACHING AND PROVIDING INPUTS FOR LIVESTOCK REARING, BEEKEEPING, AND FISHERIES, WHILE ALSO TEACHING CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE, MARKETING, AND GROUP COLLABORATION. THESE STRENGTHENED NETWORKS THEN ALLOW FARMERS AND WORKERS TO ACCESS BETTER MARKETS AND PRICES FOR THEIR GOODS. A NEW PROJECT ALSO STARTED IN EASTERN KENYA IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TSA AUSTRALIA, BUILDING OFF OF THE TERRITORY'S PREVIOUS SUCCESSES. THE PROGRAM CONNECTS LOCAL FARMERS BOTH TO EACH OTHER BY FORMING VILLAGE SAVINGS AND LOAN GROUPS, BUT ALSO TO A REHABILITATED THIKKA RESILIENCE CENTER, A MODEL FARM WHICH WILL HOST TRAININGS AND SUBSIDIZED INPUTS FOR LOCAL FARMERS. FROM THE CENTER, FARMERS WILL BE TRAINED IN LIVESTOCK REARING, CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE, AND OTHER IMPORTANT INNOVATIONS TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF THEIR FARMS.

HEALTH PROGRAMS:THE SALVATION ARMY SERVES THE POOR AND VULNERABLE BY IMPLEMENTING COMMUNITY-BASED HEALTH PROGRAMS AS WELL AS PROVIDING CARE AT SALVATION ARMY-OPERATED HOSPITALS AND CLINICS. SAWSO WORKS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL SALVATION ARMY PERSONNEL TO IMPROVE AVAILABILITY OF SERVICES AND ENHANCE QUALITY OF CARE. PROGRAM FOCUS AREAS ARE MATERNAL, CHILD AND ADOLESCENT HEALTH, NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, COMMUNITY HEALTH AND HEALTH FACILITIES.THE DONOR-FUNDED PROJECT PROVIDING OUTREACH VISITS BY STAFF FROM CHIKANKATA MISSION HOSPITAL TO SMALL, ISOLATED CLINICS IN AN IMPOVERISHED RURAL AREA IN SOUTHERN ZAMBIA ENDED, BUT OUTREACH CONTINUES ON A SMALLER SCALE. UPGRADING THE MISSION'S AGING, INEFFICIENT ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS COMPLETED WITH DONOR FUNDING AND REBUILDING ITS WATER TREATMENT AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS IS UNDERWAY. PROJECTS TO REPLACE AGING INFRASTRUCTURE AT TWO SALVATION ARMY HOSPITALS IN INDIA WERE COMPLETED AND WORK ON THE NEW STUDENT HOSTEL FOR A NURSING SCHOOL IN INDONESIA CONTINUES. THE PROJECT TO PROVIDE TUITION SUBSIDIES TO FACULTY MEMBERS AT ANOTHER SALVATION ARMY NURSING COLLEGE THERE CONCLUDED SUCCESSFULLY. IN PARAGUAY, A PRIMARY CARE CLINIC WHICH ALSO PROVIDES SOCIAL SERVICES TO A NEARBY BARRIO (INFORMAL SETTLEMENT) WAS SUPPORTED BY SAWSO AS IT CONTINUES TO WORK TOWARDS FINANCIAL SELF-SUFFICIENCY. IN INDIA, SAWSO SUPPORTS A PROJECT WHICH WORKS WITH IMPOVERISHED AIDS WIDOWS TO ENSURE THAT THEY RECEIVE ADEQUATE TREATMENT AND CAN ACCESS EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, EDUCATION FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND GOVERNMENT BENEFITS.