Africa

CWS has brought its skills in emergency relief, humanitarian development and refugee assistance to bear in Africa since first stepping onto the continent in 1964 to establish an emergency food program in the Congo.

Today, CWS continues to impact the most vulnerable and marginalized on the continent, through both partnerships and direct program implementation. CWS has offices in Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania, with operations in more than 30 countries throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

Emergency Response: CWS responds to both natural and man-made disasters - including the 2017 drought emergency in Kenya and the 2015 Burundian refugee crisis - through relief supply and cash for work activities.

Safe Space: CWS supports faith and civic leaders to expand safe spaces for LGBTI persons, particularly those who have fled their homes because of violence and persecution related to their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Additionally, the program strives to expand safe spaces for LGBTI forced migrants in Kenya to access voluntary HIV counseling and testing and medical treatment for persons who are HIV+.

Livelihoods: CWS assist vulnerable women and men to seek employment or develop the skills and assets needed to succeed as entrepreneurs in both rural and urban settings.

Sustainable Access to Water & Sanitation: The life changing WASH support in Kenya and Tanzania involves the construction of innovative and multiple local solutions inform of sand dams, shallow wells, rock catchments, water tanks, water kiosks and animal troughs. Additionally, there is drilling of boreholes; installing water tanks in schools, rehabilitation of earth dam and setting up of water management committees and promoting community sanitation and hygiene using the Community-Led Total Sanitation and Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation approaches.

School Safe Zones: CWS creatively expands opportunities for all children to attend school safely, both by making existing schools more secure and by catalyzing new school infrastructure in isolated communities where none exists. Through a community-based, integrated approach, CWS supports mothers and fathers to mobilize resources toward their children's education and ensures that students have access to safe water, sanitation and food as necessary ingredients for success in school.