FIDA INTERNATIONAL’S DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION PROGRAMME

The emphasis of the programme is to train and empower local partners to become positive influencers in their own communities and to ensure that development impact reaches the poorest of the poor and those who are most vulnerable.

Development Cooperation Programme for 2007-2010

Programmes and projects in Europe

Programmes and projects in South America

Programmes and projects in East Asia

Programmes and projects in South Asia

Programmes and projects in South East Asia

Programmes and projects in East Africa

Programmes and projects in North Africa and Middle East

Development Co-operation Support Programme for Fida’s Partners

United Against HIV/AIDS

The term of the 1970’s was development aid, today it is development cooperation. During this change numerous things have happened. In the beginning the public development aid was characterized by the idea of western development being transferred to Africa with an imminent change. However, quite the opposite occurred and the remains of that period of time are visible in the rusted machinery and empty factories all around Africa.

Slowly the awareness that the power and the keys for development were in the hands of the locals began to spread. In order to reach the poorest of the poor, the weakest of the weak, the smallest of the small, the development has to be based on their needs and situations and constructed on what they already have. In this way development becomes sustainable and reaches those who truly need the help.

We, as Fida International, have been and will continue to be in this process of change. Our old slogan “for one of the smallest” is still a burning issue in this world of ours where poverty and inequality increases daily. The methods we use to meet our weaker neighbours have been changed into more participatory ones. Thus, it enables us to meet the ones in need at a close distance.

We look at programmes from a holistic perspective; spirit, soul and body. We want to meet the needs of people in their entirety, as we believe it is the key in the change of individuals, families and communities. Sound individuals bring change into their communities. Fida International has established a comprehensive cooperation network in over 30 countries. By empowering that network we also empower the national society. This group has tremendous amounts of various potentials.

We continue to move more and more from individual projects into larger regional programmes, e.g. South America or East Africa Capacity building programmes. Through these programmes we wish to empower and train our partners to take the responsibility of developing their own communities; villages, cities, slums etc. This is to ensure that the work is not dependant on us, but on the locals and therefore sustainable. We will stand by them by giving training and support as long as it is needed. When the time comes for us to move on, we will leave and let the development continue.

We are grateful that our financier, the Finnish Foreign Ministry values our development cooperation and is increasing our possibilities to operate our programmes independently in developing countries. They trust our professionalism and respect our independence. All this increases our responsibility but we believe we will be capable of managing it with the help of our committed personnel, wide international cooperation network, Finnish donators and most of all our Heavenly Father. We have seen the power of cooperation in practice and have faith in it.

As an NGO we cannot solve all the problems of the world but want to give our input through our programmes to the best of our ability and according to our knowledge and skills. This input annually reaches hundreds of thousands of individuals in developing countries. Thank you for being involved in our work!

FURTHER DETAILS: Fida Development Cooperation Programmes