Gifts which support Community

These gifts help to improve the lives of people impacted by poverty and marginalisation through a range of development activities and programs that will make a difference for generations to come.

Tearfund supports work that draws people together and creates opportunities for them to drive their own change. These projects are designed to build on existing strengths and resources to solve community problems. We see communities as visionaries of their own development, and work with our partners to focus on root causes of poverty rather than superficial challenges.

“My visual impairment has not stopped me,” says Victor, who is part of farmers’ and savings groups in his village in South Sudan. This father of nine lost his sight 10 years ago due to illness. Soon after, he connected with Tearfund’s partner Sudan Evangelical Mission, which was active in his village. Its staff helped him to believe that “disability is not inability”, and supported him in learning to use a cane and manage the tasks of daily living.

Today, Victor is still an active farmer, participating in all of the activities of his farmers’ group, and in the life of his community.

“I may not have vision, but I have my mind,” says Victor. He and his wife have used money from the savings group to help meet their children’s school costs and to start a poultry-raising business, which has continued to grow. And his wife is running her own small shop selling cooking oil, onions and small household items.