The Fight Against Poverty and Injustice
The Salvation Army is a church and a global movement. This is a real strength when it comes to international development.
As a church, we are deeply rooted in many communities around the world, participating in everyday life with those around us. This enables The Salvation Army to work alongside and support some of the world’s most vulnerable people living in areas that are often difficult to access. Our Christian faith strengthens our desire, inspiration and courage to take a stand for those living in poverty and experiencing injustice.
International development projects and programmes are an important part of The Salvation Army’s mission and ministry in many countries. As International Development Services, our work is locally rooted, but our team has a global reach and remit. We partner with Salvation Army territories across the world to help tackle poverty and challenge injustice through a range of different projects and initiatives.
Find out more about our approach at this exhibition, first shown at Gallery 101 in May 2024.
Community Development
Our diverse faith-based community development programmes build on the strengths of community members globally, as they are the key actors in bringing transformative change and fostering resilience in their localities.
Our desire is to use our presence in the community as our entry points to supporting locally led and sustainable community development projects, focusing on the most marginalised and vulnerable groups of people across the world. This is accomplished through a wide range of programmes across all major development themes, including water and sanitation, agriculture and food security, economic empowerment, modern slavery and human trafficking response, gender justice, community health and social work with families.
Currently, there are 136 community development projects implemented by The Salvation Army across a wide variety of sectors, which are reaching approximately 2.5 million people.
Neighbourhood visit in Sinyolo, Zambia, which formed part of The Salvation Army’s community response to HIV/Aids
The Salvation Army promotes a holistic approach to meet the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of the people we serve in all our work. We support partnerships across the international Salvation Army and local corps and communities around the world, whom we believe are the experts and implementers in our development process.
At least 70% of our community development projects target one or more of the first six of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Food Security in Rwanda
The Muko Agriculture and Food Security Project in Rwanda and Burundi Territory aims to empower local farming communities with technical skills and food security. By building the capacity of 500 small-scale farmers through training and extension services, The Salvation Army supports project participants in gaining financial literacy skills and sets them up to be part of a Village Savings and Loans Group. As members of the association pool their savings, access to loans becomes available, which helps them to develop small businesses and other enterprises, enabling them to cope with their basic everyday needs. Participants have realised that by regularly saving small coins, they can achieve great results to boost their family’s economic security.
Nyiranshimiyimana Chantal, a mother-of-two from Jyambereheza Butare, explains: ‘I have managed to purchase 61 shares in the group, which is equal to 12,200 Rwf. I am going to share out 15,500 Rwf including the interest. I am proud that I am now able to rent a small farm through the loan I requested in this group and I paid back the full amount. Now, I am expecting to harvest around 60 kilograms of beans cultivated in that farm.’
In addition to poverty alleviation, this project also has a high focus on conservation agriculture, a method of farming that promotes long-term soil health, plant biodiversity and resilience to heat and drought, which are becoming more prevalent in today’s world.
The Salvation Army supports communities to organise into Village Savings and Loans Groups in countries all over the world. The Muko Agriculture and Food Security Project has 20 Village Savings and Loan Associations, with over 500 direct participants. The Salvation Army has also boosted their efforts by providing more than 500 small livestock (comprising sheep, goats or pigs), which as well as helping the participants to develop their business, also provides them with manure to use in agriculture-related activities.
‘Before, I struggled to find enough manure to use in agriculture due to the fact that I didn’t have livestock. With this goat, I am now generating manure from it and expect an increase of the harvest. We thank The Salvation Army for this meaningful and important support to the community.’
Mr Bizimana Augustin, Kavumu village, Tuzamurane Village Savings and Loan Association, Rwanda
Mission Support
The Mission Support scheme is a vital funding source that advances the Kingdom of God through the global work of The Salvation Army, as well as supporting and strengthening the Army’s organisational capacity and spiritual mission.
Through our Partners in Mission scheme, internal funding from financially independent territories is channelled to other territories around the world as an act of solidarity and kindness. There are typically 700 Mission Support projects each year amounting to around US$25 million. The Newman Feeding Scheme is also implemented through Mission Support projects, enabling The Salvation Army to feed thousands of people living in poverty.
The corps officer with one of the corps members outside the newly built Shankarpur officers’ quarters in rural Bangladesh. The building was funded through the Mission Support programme
International Development Services liaises closely with each of the five zonal offices at International Headquarters, with work spanning across Africa, the Americas and Caribbean, Europe, South Asia, and the South Pacific and East Asia. This ensures that Mission Support funding is supporting and advancing each territory’s strategic priorities.
YOUTH LEADER DEVELOPMENT in Eastern Europe
The Eastern Europe Territory identified gaps in their local leadership in the church and also in communities they serve. They highlighted the need to develop young people to become positive influences and effective leaders, both for now and in the future.
For two weeks in July 2023, 14 young people from the five countries that make up the territory gathered at the territorial headquarters in Chisinau, Moldova, for ‘Leadership School’. This enabled each young person to participate in leadership skills classes, team-building activities, devotional reflection and cultural education evenings. The group also shared in a spiritual day with the territorial leaders before taking on the responsibility of leading worship among local Chisinau congregations. This innovative Mission Support project was funded by the USA Southern Territory.
Viktor Malko
Soldier (church member) Central Corps (church) of Tbilisi, Georgia
‘I am very glad that I was able to get to the Leadership School! It helped me get closer to God and know God more. The most beautiful moment in the Leadership School was when we were given the task to take solitary time with God. It was an opportunity to think about a lot of things in my life and talk with God, as well as hear his voice over my life. I also liked a seminar lead by Lieutenant Evgeny Parfionov.
During Leadership School, I received a vision and made plans for my church. I want to speak into many things in my church now! My testimony is that I am very grateful to God for these wonderful days at Leadership School. I now understand that God is alive and he answers prayers. During prayer time, I became more convinced of this! God gave me more courage to communicate with the public, taught me more of humility and, of course, gave me an understanding of what a leader is, what qualities they should possess and how they should be.
I now have a desire to hold a seminar about leadership in my church. Thank God and all glory to him! And thanks also to everyone who contributed to this school.’
Residential Children's Care Services
The Salvation Army places a strong focus on children and young people in all our activities. We are committed to supporting our education programmes through the provision of boarding schools in some countries where day schooling is difficult or dangerous and education facilities are unreachable. Boarding can make education more accessible, safe and equitable in many parts of the world. The Army’s focus on providing specialist education and living support means that pupils can achieve independence and go on to play a fulfilling role in their community when they leave school.
However, we also recognise that sometimes there are situations and issues that cause some children to be extremely vulnerable or at risk of harm. In such circumstances, The Salvation Army takes children into our residential homes when necessary, and provides them with a safe haven. This is a tremendous responsibility and one which we take very seriously. As well as providing food, shelter and space for play and leisure in a caring environment, our residential homes also act as a place where children can grow and develop.
Many children who come into our care may have known rejection, abuse and pain, all with experienced trauma and loss. We want to be part of their healing as we provide residential and support service in a safe and caring environment.
Residents at Kwetu Mbagala Girls’ Home, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Most of our International Development Services work involves developing a global strategy for our residential care for children, which includes advice and ensuring smooth coordination of residential services around the world. This is to ensure that our children get the best care and our existing services meet the standards set by the local governments. We work with territories to find alternative care options when necessary and help to strengthen local capacity to continually improve the quality of care for the children we look after.
International Development Services is also committed to facilitating learning and training for staff, advocating for best practice and providing funding to develop the children in our care across the world. Our overall aim within all our residential settings is to create brighter futures for children and young people, and help them to achieve their full potential.
Swarna de Silva: My Testimony
At the age of five I was placed in The Salvation Army’s The Haven in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Love, joy, protection, happiness, peace and good food are clear memories, together with toys, gifts and sweets. My role model, Brigadier Gell, was extremely caring, and I saw the love of Jesus in her life. We were given the best start in life and were looked after like princesses.
As I grew and went to school, I was involved in sports, the church choir and the school band. These brought me much joy. My games teacher also encouraged me, and I became the under-16 inter-school high jump champion. Continuing my education, I was also involved in extracurricular activities, and was selected as a school prefect all while The Salvation Army was taking care of me. During these years there were difficult times, but the others who came from The Haven became my family and they were the closest people I had to share my pain and also my joy.
When I was 16 years old, The Salvation Army ’s territorial commander offered me a job working as a telephone operator, receptionist and typist. Every Friday, we distributed food (lunch) coupons to less fortunate people who were hungry. After work, I trained as a nurse, graduated and then married. Unfortunately, my marriage did not last. Again, The Salvation Army provided support for my daughter and myself.
I worked in a number of different places and non-government organisations, and have attended training both nationally and internationally. In 2020, I decided to return to my roots and become the administrator for the Elders’ Home in Dehiwala, a care and nursing home that looks after older people. Recently, I received awards from the government for all my works for charity. In recognition of my work, the US Embassy nominated me to represent Sri Lanka in the USA on the prestigious International Visitor Leadership Programme and I was honoured to be chosen as the Goodwill Ambassador for Arkansas.
I am so grateful to my daughter Yohani for always supporting my ministry. I am truly blessed to be a Child of God, and to have grown up in The Salvation Army’s children’s home. I continue to do my very best to bring change, hope and the love of Jesus to the people around me. All my achievements come from above! To God be the glory!
Older People Services
At the heart of many religious traditions lies a profound reverence for the elderly. The Bible holds older people in high esteem and places significance on caring for the vulnerable. Across many cultures and faiths, the notion of respect for parents and compassionate care for the elderly resonates as a universal principle, deeply rooted in the spiritual fabric of human society.
The Salvation Army has a long history of and extensive experience in providing care for older people. Around the world, many territories offer residential care to older people as a direct service provision, usually when individuals are no longer able to look after themselves. In some countries, The Salvation Army is one of only a handful of organisations offering residential care services to an often vulnerable group of people. For instance, in Zimbabwe, The Salvation Army provides round-the-clock care to older people in three residential homes, and aims to adapt the care given depending on each resident’s individual needs.
Bumhudzo Home, Zimbabwe
There are currently at least 196 residential care facilities for older adults, ranging from sheltered or independent living complexes to nursing homes. Due to the increasingly ageing global population, International Development Services has recently placed a much stronger focus on this important ministry with older people.
Child Sponsorship
Facilitated through International Development Services, The Salvation Army’s Child Sponsorship Programme aims to ensure holistic development of children, in terms of their physical, spiritual, emotional, economic, intellectual, cultural and social well-being.
At present, we support two forms of sponsorship programmes: Child Support for our Residential and Day Centres, and Community/Corps-Based Support. The funds from our Child Sponsorship Programme are usually used for shelter, safe spaces, education, care and health, which helps children living in vulnerable settings to build a better life for themselves.
Health Services
International Development Services supports and encourages the development of Christian health services throughout the world. We operate 24 hospitals and around 132 other health-care facilities, as well as a number of mobile clinics stretching from the Toronto Grace Health Centre in Canada to the Koki Clinic in rural Papua New Guinea.
Salvation Army health facilities are often situated in hard-to-reach, rural areas where others are unable or unwilling to deliver health care. They are usually the focal point of the community and offer a safe space and care to people of all faiths or none, always serving patients without discrimination.
Each health institution focuses on areas related to the local needs, offering a wide range of services.
A community health worker holds an under-fives clinic, Zambia
Catherine Booth Hospital, Nagercoil
Hear from some of the team at The Salvation Army Catherine Booth Hospital in Nagercoil, India: