India
The Every Home for Christ community development program in India gives priority to girls and those of a low caste from one specific village and includes primary school education, health activities and vocational training for women. The children receive a basic education, school uniforms, daily lunches, access to clean water and toilets and new clothes at Christmas.
Funded by Every Home for Christ child sponsors, this program is implemented and managed by our Indian partner “Every Home Crusade”, a registered NGO with whom we have partnered for more than 20 years. The Board and staff are all Indian as are the Project Manager, school Principal and 8 teaching staff. 9 or 10 local men and women also find employment in the school as bookkeepers, cleaners, bus drivers, security guards and cooks. A new computer training program initiated by Microsoft USA is to be introduced in the school in 2021 which will provide the study material and modules and train the teachers (who will be our own staff). They will also provide all required computers and necessary equipment … a wonderful asset to the school program.
The Love Anupampattu program also conducts a 6 months tailoring course for 20 women a year where women learn both tailoring and embroidery skills. One class works from the school premises and another class is trained in the community hall built after the Tsunami. Many of the graduates find work in an export company and the others use our project centre machines to earn enough money to be eligible under the EHC 50% saving scheme to receive their own sewing machine, a wonderful achievement for previously unskilled women; their pride in this achievement has been immense!
As a result of this program men, women and children’s lives are being changed… making a difference that lasts.
Bangladesh
The Every Home for Christ Community Development program in Bangladesh targets whole families and includes 3 schools and vocational training centres in Dhaka and one in a country area. Over many years these schools have educated around 1,000 children each year – from extremely poor families (mostly from the slum areas) and enabled the women to gain a skill in sewing and earn some money. The schools set a good standard and almost all children pass the government-set exams each year. Girls are especially targeted so that they have the opportunity to be educated, as are the children of rickshaw pullers and the unemployed.
For more than 40 years EHC has partnered with Bangladesh EHC, a registered NGO whose programs and budgets are approved each 5 years by the Bangladeshi government. All staff and teachers are nationals from Bangladesh being paid, along with the program expenses, from funds raised in Australia and New Zealand.
We are delighted to report that, as a result of this program:
- 1200 boys and girls each year in 4 primary schools in Bangladesh have received a basic education, school uniforms, daily lunches, health and hygiene training, access to clean water and toilets and new clothes at Christmas.
- Many of the children have progressed to higher education and become engineers, doctors and government workers or are working in other professional positions.
- 200 unskilled women each year have been trained in sewing and embroidery skills, enabling them to earn an income, often at a clothing factory or by being enabled to buy their own sewing machine.
- Rickshaw pullers have been able to own their own rickshaw or van, pay off their debts, pay back 50% of the rickshaw, leave the slums, provide an education for their children and, in many cases, start their own business.
We are grateful for the donors and sponsors who make all this possible.
Malawi
Malawi EHC was registered as a charity in 1973 and is a national organization with its own national staff of 15 men and women and a 6 member Board of Directors. Every Home for Christ has been partnering with Malawi EHC since 2004 after funds were raised to help with food after a devastating famine. In partnership with the Australian government aid department this was followed up with the implementation of a food security program. Since then, working in 3-5 year cycles in areas most in need, EHC Malawi, with funding from Australia and New Zealand, has implemented and managed a community development program which emphasizes food security and income generation.
The main components are –
- conservation agriculture, crops and livestock diversification, seed multiplication and climate change interventions
- income generation activities, capacity building training and financial management
- nutrition education, dietary diversification, distribution of mosquito nets and construction of Community Based Care Centers for orphans under 5 years of age
- a water and sanitation program emphasizing sanitation education, construction and rehabilitation of shallow wells and construction of toilets
A similar program has been introduced to Zambia and, as a result, the lives of men, women and children have changed for the better with less sickness and disease, better crops, more income, more nutritious meals and healthier and more productive lifestyles.
Thank you for the part you have played in making this possible.
Zambia
Zambia EHC is a registered NGO with its own staff and Board of Directors. All are nationals and work under the umbrella of the Zambian government strategic plan for the improvement of their country and its people. Every Home for Christ in Australia has worked in partnership with Zambia EHC since 2012 and continues with a food and income security program to improve the lives of the people.
The main emphasis is on food security projects with training, income generation and health components as in Malawi.
Now included in some villages are Supplementary Feeding Centres for orphaned pre-school children as well as village income generating groups where men and women are taught how to save money and borrow from the pool of funds to increase their small businesses. This is having phenomenal results and the people are so excited!
Ethiopian Prison Ministry
In Ethiopia, when a woman is imprisoned, so too are her children!
In partnership with Eloi Ministries, Every Home for Christ is making a difference by providing health and sanitation needs, increasing literacy and education for the children of prisoners and providing skills training for adults. Alongside this development assistance, Bibles and correspondence courses are distributed, encouraging believers.
2020 was an eventful year for Eloi Ministries as, after much paperwork and setting up of policies and procedures, it gained NGO status in Ethiopia. Funds are raised in Australia and the work is implemented by one full-time Ethiopian staff worker along with volunteers. Each year a monitoring/evaluation trip is undertaken from Australia to visit the prisons and present any new machinery.
Debrebrhan Prison embraced the scheme and Eloi Ministries was able to donate a bakery machine so that prisoners are learning a new skill and enjoying fresh bread. As the children of prisoners go to prison with their parents, one of the issues being addressed by Eloi Ministries is the lack of education for these children. Assela Prison agreed to rebuild a school for the children, paying 50% of the cost. Durame Prison has already built a school in partnership with a High School in Sydney and the school principal agreed to pay 50% of the cost of new toilets, a TV set and DVD player for the school. The inaugaration ceremony for the school was held during the visit and new books were donated to the school. In a new prison to Eloi Ministries, Ambo Prison, used clothes for male and female inmates and children as well as soap were donated and discussion took place regarding further assistance in the future.