Collaboration with the Lutheran World Federation

The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is a global communion of Lutheran Churches. It was established in 1947 to promote collaboration between the Churches. The Federation has 128 member Churches from all the continents. The LWF world service provides long-term development assistance to the poorest populations of 37 countries.

FELM funds LWF activities in Bolivia, Colombia, Mauritania and Zimbabwe.

Mauritania

Mauritania is a Muslim country that states Islam as its official religion. Missionary organisations cannot operate in the country but the work of the LWF is accepted and valued by the government.

The main focus of the work of the LWF in Mauritania is poverty alleviation. Literacy and education form the basis of development. Women’s groups are provided microfinance that allow for the establishment of village shops, mills and vegetable gardens that provide income. In some villages women also make money from local handicrafts such as reed mats and tents typical to the area.

The objective is to ensure that villages have sustainable forms of income and are not dependent on external assistance.

The LWF also works to improve the quality of life of the people. In practice, this includes awareness programmes on the dangers of female circumcision and providing information on the rights of women and children.

The spread of HIV/AIDS has not been as rapid as in some of the other African countries. Less than one percent of the population in Mauritania is HIV positive. Together with local organisations, the LWF is engaged in awareness activities for HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases.

Bolivia

The LWF works in close collaboration with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bolivia, which is the largest Latin American Church formed of indigenous populations. The majority of its 22,000 members are ethnically Aymara.

The Aymara live in the plateaus of the Andes at an altitude of 3500-4800 metres south of Lake Titicaca. Many live in poverty, food is scarce and health problems rife. Most adult Aymara are illiterate.

The community education project of the Church aims at preserving the Aymara culture and language. Literacy projects focus on literacy in Aymara first, Spanish second.

Health problems, due to the lack of variety in the diet, are aimed at being reduced by the increased cultivation and consumption of vegetables. Villagers are taught how to manage and sustain cultivation in green houses. Irrigation systems are developed in support of this. The project development staff of the Church monitors progress and the usefulness of the initiatives for the target population.

These activities also aim to improve the position of women. A vast majority of the students in literacy classes are women. It is evident that women become more self-confident and are better able to influence the development of their communities.