We work towards this vision in two ways...
Firstly, through our work we want to see that communities are changing their stories – becoming places of vibrancy, trust, cohesion, safety, health and mutual support. Our programmes vary depending on the context, but are all integrated, empowering, inclusive and comprehensive. For example...
- In Johannesburg we work in a community where people were unable to access primary health care. In partnership with the government and a number of local NGOs we run a community wellness programme that combines community based care, follow up and primary health care services. This has contributed to a reduction in the incidence of HIV, and empowers people to take responsibility for their own wellness.
- In the UK we run Academies in some of the country’s most disadvantaged communities. Not just centres of educational excellence, our academies are community hubs around which a wide variety of activities and services take place offering support and opportunity for local residents.
Steve Chalke talks about Academies in the UK:
Secondly, we want to see changes in the stories of those people who are excluded – by helping them to be brought back into a community where they can find wholeness and fullness of life.
- In Belgium we work with victims of human trafficking who are isolated and trapped in Thai massage parlours. Staff and volunteers build relationships with the girls, many of whom do not speak the local languages, and help with their individual needs.
- In Zimbabwe we work with girls who live on the streets of Harare. We provide medium term accommodation whilst the girls reach a more stable place in their lives and then work with them towards either reintegration with their families, or to a longer-term residential setting.
- In Bangalore, India, we work with the police and other bodies to stop people from being trafficked into forced labour and prostitution. Research is undertaken and when appropriate raids are made to free the people who are being exploited or who are about to be sold. We also work with the government to provide follow up and transitional care and where possible the people who have been freed are re-integrated back into their communities.
A young girl is reunited with her family in Bangalore:
Banner image: Armando Licoze