Global Link Summer 2023

GLOBALLINK

A GROWING ARMY

TheSalvationArmyfirstmadea presenceinLiberiain1988and expandeditsworktoneighbouring SierraLeone,in2010 Justlastyear,Guinea joinedtheLiberiaandSierraLeonefellowship, makingitthe133rdcountrytojointheArmy world.

TheSalvationArmyisexpandingin westernAfrica,andIwasprivilegedtoseethe growthfirst-hand.

InLiberia,wevisitedtheSustainable AgricultureinLiberia(SAIL)project,a farminginitiativefundedbyCanadians

Wemetmorethan30farmerswho travelledagreatdistancetogreetandthankus inperson.Theyshowedtheirgratitudeby sharingproducegrownontheirfarms afeat madepossiblethankstotheagriculture trainingprovidedbyTheSalvationArmy.

InSierraLeone,wewitnessedthe inaugurationoffourmotorbikesgiftedtothe division Withthesenewbikes,officersand staffcanreachmorepeopleandbuildthe kingdomofGod

By Kathy Nguyen

InGuinea,wevisitedtheSalvationArmy corpsinCoyahwheremorethan20faithful communitymembersgatherforachurch serviceeverySunday.Thebuildingisowned byJean-Paul,amanwhowasinspiredtogive hisbuildingtoSalvationistsafterhisson-inlawshowedhimtheamazingthingsThe SalvationArmyisdoing

“Wearecontinuingtogrow,”saysLtColonelLukaKhayumbi,theterritorial commanderforTheSalvationArmyin Liberia,SierraLeoneandGuinea.“Anditis withthegloryofGodthatwecancontinueto reachouttothoseinneed.”

FromthefarmlandsacrossLiberiatothe bustlinghilltopsofSierraLeoneandthecalm ofruralGuinea,TheSalvationArmycontinuestomeethumanneedandtransformlives, andtheworkineachcountryisonlygetting biggerandstronger.

The Salvation Army corps in Coyah, Guinea, where community members gather every Sunday.

TERRITORIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IN CANADA AND BERMUDA

2023 SUMMER

Overthepastfewweeks,spring

hasturnedtosummer,andwe havewitnessednewgrowth first-hand.Thebudsandflowershave blossomed,andthegrasshasturned greenandseemstogrowsoquicklythat wecan'tkeepupwithit Childrenpour intotheparksandcommunitiescome tolife

Newgrowthisimportantinall aspectsoflife,whetheritispersonalor professional,orwearechartingnew territory.

Inthisissueof Global Link,youwill readaboutfarmersinLiberiawhoare using“conservationagriculture”farming techniquesandproducinggreatyieldsof harvest.Youwillseehowserving individualsdisplacedbytheUkraine crisisisdependentuponforming partnershipswithotherNGOsandcivil societyformulatingabetterunderstandingoftheimportanceofworking together.Finally,youwillreadhow children'slivesarebeingchanged becausetheyhavetheopportunityfor education,providingafoundationfor futuregrowth

Pleasetakeafewminutestoread through Global Link toseehowyour contributionsenableustoprovide essentialservices,offeropportunitiesfor growthandeducation,andcreate positivechangeincommunitiesaround theworld

Thankyouforyourtrustinusand forbeingpartofourmission

Sincerely,

Lt-ColonelBrendaMurray

Director of International Development

ARESPONSETOTHE UKRAINECRISIS REACHING OUT IN LOVE:

By Lt-Colonel Brenda Murray

TheongoingconflictinUkrainehasresultedinthedisplacementofmillionsof people,bothinternallyandacrosstheborderintoneighbouringcountries Displacementcanhaveadevastatingimpactonindividuals,familiesandcommunities,disruptingsocialnetworks,livelihoodsandaccesstobasicservicessuchashealth care,educationandshelter Thiscanleadtoarangeofchallenges,includingincreased poverty,socialexclusionandvulnerabilitytoexploitationandabuse.

Humanitarianaidplaysa criticalroleinaddressingthe needsofdisplacedpopulationsinUkraine.This includesprovidingemergency assistanceaswellas longer-termsupporttohelp individualsandcommunities rebuildtheirlives.

Overthepastyear,The SalvationArmyinCanada providedapproximately $2millioninsupportof variousemergency responseprojects,with morethan50,000people receivingdirectassistance throughvoucher-based assistance,foodparcels, waterandsanitationprojects, housingsupportandmore.

Theseemergency projectswereimplementedbythelocalSalvationArmyinUkraine, Bulgaria,Romania,Moldova,PolandandLithuaniaandprovidednewopportunitiesfor partnershipwithlocalgovernment,foundations,churches,localpolice,schoolsand hospitals.ThiswasonlypossiblebecauseofyourgenerousdonationstotheUkrainecrisis.

Theprovisionofhumanitarianaidiscrucialinrespondingtothedisplacementcrisisin Ukraineandaddressingtheneedsofaffectedpopulations Itisimportantforgovernments, donorsandtheinternationalcommunitytocontinuetoprovidesupportandresourcesto ensurethatdisplacedindividualscanaccesstheassistanceandsupporttheyneedto rebuildtheirlivesand achievelastingpeaceand stability

Becauseofyoursupport, TheSalvationArmycan reachoutinloveand respondtocrisesaround theworld Thankyou!

By Major Heather Matondo

Formanychildrenaroundtheworld,accesstoeducationisnot alwayseasy.Childrenlivinginruralvillagesoftenwalklong distancestoattendschool,ortheydon’tattendatallbecausethe nearestschoolissimplytoofaraway.

Formanyyears,TheSalvationArmyhasbeenprovidingopportunitiesforchildrentonotonlyhaveaccesstoschools,butasafeplaceto live,eatnutritiousmealsandhaveeasyaccesstomedicalcare

DuringavisittoIndia,ImetRanya(namechanged),someone whohasbenefitedfromthesupportofTheSalvationArmy.Sheis16 yearsoldandisfromasmallvillageinIndiawherehermotherand fatherarefarmers

AfterGrade5,therewasnoschoolcloseenoughforRanyato attendsoshebeganlivingataSalvationArmychildren’shostel.If shedidnothavethisopportunity,sheknowsthatshewouldbe spendingherdaysworkinginthefieldswithherparents

Therearesomanychildrenthroughtheyearswhohavelivedin thehostelstoattendschool,andbecauseoftheopportunityto receiveagoodeducation,arenowlivingasuccessfullife

ThiswasevidencedwhenImetalocaldoctorinBapatla,India,whooncelivedinTheSalvation Army’sboy’shostel.HenowhasasuccessfulmedicalpracticeandgivesbacktoTheSalvationArmy byprovidingcarefortheleprosypatientsatTheSalvationArmyEvangelineBoothLeprosyHome.

Hisstoryoftransformationwon’tbethelast,andRanya’sstoryisonlyjustbeginning. Storieslikethisarepossiblethankstothegenerosityofsponsorswhocare.TheSalvationArmy BrighterFuturesChildren’sSponsorshipprogramcurrentlysupportsmorethan700childreneach yearwholiveintheresidentialcareofTheSalvationArmy.

INVESTING IN INDIA’S CHILDREN A CONTINUED DREAM

In2020,TheSalvationArmyinCanadaandBermuda,in partnershipwithTheSalvationArmyinSriLanka, completedtheSafeWaterandLivelihoodDevelopment (SWALD)project Theinitiativeestablished18waterboreholes toprovidemorethan6,800familiesinthePolonnaruwaregion withcleanwater,implementedagriculturetrainingtomore than3,000farmers,andsupportedmorethan130womenwith businessandlivelihoodsupport.

Thisfive-yearprojectwastheresultoftirelesseffortsfrom thelocalandinternationalprojects’team,thebeneficiariesand thedonorswhosupporttheinternationalworkofThe SalvationArmy

Buildingonthesuccessofthisproject,wearegearingup foranotherSWALDprojectinSriLanka.

ThroughourpartnershipwithourfriendsinSriLankaand TheSalvationArmy’sWorldServicesOfficeinWashington, D.C.,we’rebringingmorecleanwaterandlivelihooddevelopmentprogrammingtotheAnuradhapuraregion

Thisnewprojectwillseetheconstructionofsixadditional waterwellsandlivelihoodsupportandagriculturetrainingfor morethan100farmersacrosssixremoteareas

Theselife-savingprojectsareonlymadepossiblethrough thesupportofourdonors,andwe’reexcitedtocarryonthe dreamofcleanwaterforall.

To learn how you can support the next SWALD project, email SAID@salvationarmy.ca

To become a sponsor, visit SalvationArmy.ca/brighter-futures

By Kathy Nguyen

RAISING RWANDA

TheSalvationArmyopeneditsdoorstoministryinRwandain1994through reliefworkamidstcivilwarandgenocide.Sincethen,TheSalvationArmyin RwandahasexpandeditsworktotheBurundiregionandhasgivenhopeand carethroughchildren’scamps,communityengagementinitiatives,women’s ministriesseminars,anewofficerstrainingcollegeandmore.

ProvidingeducationtochildrenandyouthisacorecomponentofTheSalvation Army’sworkinall133countrieswheretheflagflies Rwandaisnoexception,where TheSalvationArmyoperates11earlychildhoodeducationcentresacrossthe country.

“Allofthecentreswereestablishedtointerveneinruralcommunitieswherethis kindofeducationdidnotexist,”saysFrancoisNsengimana,headofthedevelopment officeforTheSalvationArmyinRwandaandBurundi “Tenofthe11centresare locatedinvillages,andtheyprovideaneducationtomorethan500children.”

ThroughtheBrighterFuturesChildren’sSponsorshipprogram,Canadiansare helpingtouplifttheseimportantcentresthroughintegrativeandholisticways

Withyoursupport,weprovidedthe11centreswithschoolmaterials,first-aid kitsandnutritiousmeals.

Fourofthecentreshavebuilttheirownpoultryfarmsandkitchengardenswhichwillenablethem tosustainablyproducetheirownfood.

Thankyouformakingaworldofdifferenceinthelivesofchildrenandyouthtodayandeveryday.

By Kathy Nguyen