Development Priorities

Education

Over 115 million children worldwide don't get to go to primary school. Our child sponsorship program pays for a range of costs including tuition and school uniforms. Often our local partners and short term medical teams provide medical check-ups in remote locations. So many of the world's children live in insecure environments. It is a wonderful opportunity for us as Australians, to make a difference in even one child's life. Millennium Goal 2 is the right of every child, not just those growing up in the developed world.

Health

Around 529,000 women die each year while giving birth. 99% are from developing countries and 80% of deaths are preventable. Millennium Development Goal 5 aims to reduce these appalling numbers. Our partners in DR Congo see some atrocious suffering inflicted on young and old mothers - fistula caused by gang rape is the most extreme. We are currently supporting a Safe Motherhood program run by HEAL Africa.

Over 30,000 children die every day (9.2 million under fives) of preventable diseases. Malaria, diarrhoea, measles and respiratory illnesses are common killers. Malnutrition is an underlying cause in over a third of those deaths. Our partners work in their local communities to combat such statistics. They conduct primary health clinics, immunisation campaigns, training of health workers and a multitude of other preventative and restorative activities. They are actively contributing to Millennium Development Goal 4 (Reduce Child Mortality).

Disaster Relief

Earthquakes, Tidal Waves, Floods, Famines, Wars - Natural disasters strike without warning. We are committed to responding with financial and human resources wherever possible.

Micro-Enterprise Development

Several of our partners work to make access to credit a basic right for poor people across the world. With Millennium Development Goal 1 being to see the number of people living in extreme poverty reduced by 50% by 2015, solutions such as micro-enterprise development are critical. This approach provides loans, insurance, savings and training services that allows people to start their own small businesses and work their way out of poverty.