About Tearfund Ireland

In August 2010, Pakistan was hit by its worst natural disaster in living memory. An estimated 18 million people were affected by the floods and we were able to respond rapidly to support thousands of families affected. Over the past year we have also continued to support the disaster recovery work in Haiti. Working alongside partner organisations, programmes have been established to rebuild schools and homes, provide trauma counselling and support for people in re-establishing their businesses.

Lives transformed: 85,500

Key achievements:

• Pakistan: 2,059 households in Southern Sindh and 4,300 households in Khyber Pashtoonkhwa Province received emergency food packages and mosquito nets.
• Pakistan: More than 10,000 people received medical assistance through health camps being set up in remote rural communities.
• Pakistan: 100 teachers participated in five-day disaster recovery training and received small grants and business skills to enable them to find new ways to earn a living.
• Haiti: 500 new homes built to re-house people living in temporary shelters
• Haiti: 70 children’s clubs educating children about good hygiene
• Haiti: More than 400 families received small grants to re-start businesses
• Haiti: 1,500 farmers received tools and seeds to enable them to re-plant their fields

Lives transformed: 5,2000
One third of Cambodians live below the poverty line. Drought over recent years has led to the failure of crops, Tearfund’s programmes are helping farmers adapt to the changing climate and improve their agricultural practices.

Key achievements:

• 200 rural families taught new methods of farming and irrigation and 100 families started breeding pigs
• 300 families received loans and skills training to help them start and manage their own small business.
• 25 orphaned or abandoned children placed with local foster families;
• 430 existing foster families provided with financial support to cover school fees and relational support through monthly social work visits.
• 60 foster parents given additional training on parenting skills, life skills and child protection.
• Task’s foster care programme evaluated as a model of best practice. This learning is being shared with other Tearfund partners.

Lives transformed: 3,750

Key achievements:

• 17 shallow wells were improved and protected
• 17 Water Point Committees (WPCs) were trained to repair and carry out routine maintenance
• A community fund for spare parts was established in each community
• Hygiene and sanitation sensitization and training was conducted with 3,750 people

Lives transformed: 2,500

Corruption is endemic in Uganda and is an accepted way of life. Tearfund is working with local partners and churches to bring accountability to local government.

Key achievements:

• 57 communities and churches engaged in the Participatory Empowerment Programme (PEP) which enables them to identify their own needs and tap into local resources to address health, education, and other issues associated with poverty.
• 500 orphan children supported and encouraged to speak out about issues which affect them.
• 255 vulnerable women provided with small-scale grants and skills training to enable them to establish their own businesses.

**Lives transformed: 4,000

Trafficking remains a major issue with an estimated 575,000 children being forced into slavery within India.

Key achievements

• Five high-profile convictions of brothel keepers who were trafficking women and girls.•
• 122 women and 81 girls supported to leave prostitution and given counselling and practical support through a rehabilitation and care programme.
• 60 women and 75 girls received job skills training to help them find employment or set up a small business, such as seamstresses or hairdressers for example.
• 26 orphans received community-based care and support, including food, clothing and access to education.
• 88 families affected by AIDS received regular counselling, home visits and care.
• Eight families affected by HIV were provided with nutritional and material support.
• Thousands of people living in Mumbai slums, who would not otherwise have access to healthcare, received basic healthcare thanks to two new clinics being created
• 4,000 people living in slums learnt about HIV awareness and prevention through proven techniques such as street plays and film shows.

The political and economic state of the country remains dire with continuing emigration as poor villages seek employment in neighbouring Thailand. Our partners (Mekong Minority Foundation, Myanmar Baptist Convention, New Life Centre Foundation, Bless China International, and Cedar Fund) have established a focus on projects that protect the legal rights of migrants and train them in job skills so they can become less dependent on agriculture and earn a living through other means.

Key achievements:
(This work will continue with revised objectives in 2011)

• 15,000 migrants learnt about HIV as a network of 150 HIV champions raised awareness in their communities
• 35 legal cases taken up on behalf of migrants who were being exploited by their employer in Thailand
• Four people received job skills training
• 16 churches trained to support migrants in adapting to their new culture, to know their legal rights and to protect themselves from exploitation and HIV

Lives transformed: 55,000 people

KHC is one of the fast growing denominations in Ethiopia. Currently KHC has more than 7,700 local congregations and an estimated 6.7 million members. One of the challenges of rapid growth has been developing effective and accountable management systems. We have supported and trained KHC leadership to improve governance, financial accountability and the monitoring of their impact.

Key achievements

• 343 self-help groups established to enable vulnerable women to work together to socially and economically improve their lives. These women have been trained in micro-business skills, including basic financial management.
• 500 members of rural self-help groups that were already in existence were helped to start silk production and bee-keeping businesses.
• Thousands of illiterate members of self-help groups helped through an informal education promotion programme.
• 300 KHC staff members trained in self-governance and strategic planning.
• 150 KHC key staff trained in financial and project management.

The past decade has seen deterioration of living conditions, increased poverty and the impact of HIV, which is currently at 20%. Zimbabwe also has the highest orphan per capita rate in the world due to high death rates in adults.

Key achievements:

• 16,000 orphans cared for in their local community and receiving regular support from 400 trained volunteers
• 900 volunteers trained to initiate and run livelihoods projects
• 150 orphans given basic training on looking after livestock and provided with animals and veterinary support
• 150 orphans provided with training, seeds and tools to establish nutritional gardens
• 150 orphans trained to set up a small business with workshops on basic business skills
• 900 volunteers, representing 90 churches, trained to advocate for orphans, promote children’s rights and provide trauma support to orphans
• 81 prison inmates educated at Junior Certificate level and 161 inmates educated at Leaving Certificate level through a prison rehabilitation programme