THE SALVATION ARMY WORLD SERVICE OFFICE

DISASTER RELIEF AND RECOVERY:THE TYPES OF NATURAL DISASTERS AND CONFLICTS VARY WIDELY WITH FAR-REACHING IMPACTS. HOWEVER, DISASTER SIZE, FREQUENCY, AND SEVERITY ARE NOT 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. THE TERRITORY IS NOW DEVELOPING A DISASTER EMERGENCY PLAN, WHICH WILL ALSO FOCUS ON WAYS TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF DISASTERS.IN ZAMBIA, MALAWI, AND ZIMBABWE, SAWSO PROVIDED FUNDING TO ADDRESS THE IMPACT OF MAJOR DROUGHTS. THE FUNDS PROVIDED FOOD FOR FAMILIES IN EACH OF THE COUNTRIES. SAWSO IS ALSO HELPING TO ADDRESS THE WATER SHORTAGE WITH A PROJECT TO DIG BOREHOLES IN THE MOST AFFECTED COMMUNITIES.IN CHILE, SAWSO PROVIDED FUNDS FOR A PROJECT TO REBUILD HOMES IN THE COMMUNITY OF VINA DEL MAR FOLLOWING A DEVASTATING FIRE THAT DESTROYED MUCH OF THE HILL COMMUNITY. MOST OF THE HOMES DESTROYED WERE THE HOMES OF THE POOR AND VULNERABLE PRECARIOUSLY LIVING IN THE HILLS ON THE EDGES OF THE COMMUNITY.IN BRAZIL, SAWSO PROVIDED SUPPORT FOLLOWING DEVASTATING, TORRENTIAL RAINS IN THE SOUTH OF THE COUNTRY. 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.AS UKRAINE APPROACHES THE THREE-YEAR MARK OF THE ONGOING WAR, THE SALVATION ARMY 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. THE SALVATION ARMY'S 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, THE SALVATION ARMY 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. PROGRAMS ALSO FOCUS ON THE PSYCHOSOCIAL NEEDS OF MOTHERS AND CHILDREN AS WELL AS ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

EMPOWERMENT AND 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.A PILOT PROJECT IN ANGOLA CONCLUDED THIS YEAR, WHICH PROVIDED CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE TRAINING, SEEDS, AND TOOLS TO FARMERS IN THE MBANZA KONGO REGION. THE PROJECT DOUBLED ITS TARGET BENEFICIARY GOAL. THE PROJECT IS AWAITING EVALUATION RESULTS ON HOW FARMING PRACTICES AND YIELDS HAVE CHANGED AS A RESULT OF THE INTERVENTION.A NEW PROJECT BEGAN IN WESTERN KENYA THAT WORKS WITH LOCAL WOMEN IN THE COMMUNITIES TO FORM VILLAGE, SAVINGS, AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS, AND IMPROVE THEIR KITCHEN GARDENS FOR FOOD SECURITY PURPOSES. THIS PROJECT IS THE CONTINUATION OF A LONG-STANDING AND SUCCESSFUL WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT MODEL THAT HAS BEEN USED BY THE SALVATION ARMY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, AND IS HOPING TO SPREAD TO EACH CORPS THAT THE SALVATION ARMY WORKS IN.AFTER MANY YEARS OF OPERATING A WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT PROJECT IN INDIA, THE PROGRAM BEGAN TO PILOT A SUSTAINABILITY MODEL THAT WOULD LOOK TO REDUCE THE PROGRAM'S RELIANCE ON EXTERNAL FUNDING AND COVER ITS OWN COSTS IN THE LONG RUN. THIS MODEL INCLUDES BOTH INCOME GENERATION ACTIVITIES, AS WELL AS CHARGING FOR CERTAIN SERVICES THAT THE PROJECT HAS OFFERED IN THE PAST. SAWSO WILL MONITOR CLOSELY THE SUCCESS OF THIS MODEL AND SEE IF AND HOW IT CAN BE REPLICATED IN FUTURE PROJECTS.