By Apostle Richard James
chair, World Hunger Team

Your contributions to Worldwide Mission Tithes help support ministries designed to Abolish Poverty, End Suffering such as, Oblation, and World Hunger and are positively and profoundly impacting lives, creating opportunities, and breaking cycles of poverty. Your generosity builds a bridge to clean water, education for girls, and empowerment for women, fostering self-sufficiency. 

We’re making progress. 

Your generosity builds a bridge to clean water, education for girls, and empowerment for women, fostering self-sufficiency.

In 2023, the Worldwide Mission budget allocated $200,000 USD to the Council of Twelve Apostles for projects dedicated to Abolish Poverty, End Suffering. The bulk of this funding was channeled into supporting existing educational endeavors in Haiti and India, in partnership with Outreach International. The school in India now has transitioned to local-government oversight. Additionally, contributions were made to Bread for the World, a Christian advocacy group based in the USA. Its committed to effecting policy changes to combat global hunger. 

During the deliberations of the World Hunger Team, the remaining $55,572 USD was earmarked for projects vital for sustaining life while empowering women and promoting education for girls. This allocation supported various initiatives: 

• Six projects focused on providing clean drinking water to communities near our congregations, amounting to $41,572 USD. 

• One project aimed at enabling women to generate regular income through establishment of small businesses, funded with $4,000 USD. 

• Another project, in partnership with HeathEd Connect, allocated $10,000 USD to produce benches for schools, creating comfortable learning environments for girls and boys. 

The World Hunger Team members felt they needed to support drilling of boreholes in several African nations (the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Zambia) to ensure access to clean drinking water, a fundamental human need. 

In communities where the nearest water source can be four to six hours away, women and girls bear the responsibility of fetching water daily, often spending several hours on a round trip. With clean water readily available, girls can devote a full day to education, and women can gain time to earn income and meet family needs. 

Furthermore, initiatives such as soap-making projects in Malawi empower women economically, liberating them from dependence on abusive relationships and providing stability for their families. Empowering women through this kind of project holds profound significance. 

In a culture where women traditionally rely on husbands for financial sustenance, this dependency extends to vulnerable groups such as children, youths, widows, and orphans. Regrettably, this reliance often exposes them to various forms of abuse from within their social circles. Many women remain in abusive marriages to secure financial stability for themselves and their families. However, the loss of the primary breadwinner leaves them struggling to provide for their children. 

The generosity of church members intervenes at this critical juncture, offering a path to financial empowerment.

The generosity of church members intervenes at this critical juncture, offering a path to financial empowerment. Through the soap-making initiative, we are equipping 300 women and youth with resources, entrepreneurial skills, and support to establish small businesses. Consequently, these women are beginning to experience economic autonomy through a steady income and control over their financial futures. 

Similarly, the provision of benches in schools promotes equal educational opportunities, particularly in regions like the Democratic Republic of Congo, where education is instrumental in breaking the cycle of poverty and fostering gender equality. 

That generosity has tangible and transformative effects. As we explore and execute diverse initiatives, we are learning and refining our strategies to combat poverty and alleviate suffering effectively. 

Your compassionate actions transcend the confines of nationality and culture as we embody our oneness in Christ. We stand together as sisters and brothers, extending help to those in need. 

World Hunger Projects

Funds were approved for the following projects by the World Hunger Team in 2023:

• Borehole at Mulundu, Zambia; $5,312 USD; Zambia, Zimbabwe, Republic of South Africa Mission Center
• Borehole Drilling Water Supply in Lodwar Congregation; $7,880 USD; Kenya Mission Center
• Mzuzu Soap-making Project Proposal; $4,000 USD; Malawi Mission Center
• Monrovia Microfinance Project; $7,540 USD; Zambia, Zimbabwe, Republic of South Africa Mission Center
• Borehole Project Kikungu, Democratic Republic of Congo; $8,500 USD; Democratic Republic of Congo
• Manufacture of 200 Benches; $10,000 USD; Lumabashi Mission Center
• Drinking Water Well; $6,000 USD; Katanga Mission Center
• Drilling Water Well Number 2; $6,340 USD; Katanga Mission Center