The World Day of Prayer Offering Since the first WDP worship service celebrated world wide in 1927 an offering was collected at each WDP worship service. As women were uniting in prayer with women around the world, asking God to relieve their suffering, to bring healing, to mend brokenness, to overcome barriers, and to bring peace, justice and well being, they were also putting together whatever they could give as their offering. Also from the beginning it became a guiding principle to collect the offering, even when it was very small, in each country so a real difference could be made in the lives of others through the projects selected. In the same spirit WDP women on the local level, women in denominational women's organizations, and WDP Committee Members themselves gave their time and skills as voluntary services to the work of WDP. Sometimes larger women's or missionary organizations contributed staff services, and their organizational structures to cover other expenses so that the offering could be given way. When many WDP Committees developed further and also became more independent of other organizations, it became common understanding that limited expenses for the operating of the committee and for promoting WDP in a country could, by the decision of the committee, be paid from the offering collected. The principle was and is that the hiring of part time or full time staff has as its purpose to serve and improve WDP work itself. Also from the formation of the WDP International Committee in 1968, the WDPIC constitution called upon WDP National Committees to contribute from the offering toward the financial support of the International Committee. In all these developments the basic understanding of the meaning and purpose of the offering remained unchanged. In making their offering women make their personal connection between prayer and action. In gathering the offerings women provide a visible sign of their ecumenical collaboration. The ecumenical partnership in prayer moves into another level of partnership within their own national committee in deciding on the allocation of the offering and then into a partnership with the recipients in support of their work. These levels of collaboration build and strengthen women's collective power and effectiveness. Sharing and gathering the offerings are both key to our expression of lived solidarity. As this process is repeated each year, there is growth and renewal. To download the printable version of the Grant Report, CLICK HERE. |
WDP-USA GRANTS 2007: PARAGUAY |
2007 WDP USA COMMITTEE GRANT RECOMMENDATIONS |
| CEPAG is an organization formed in Paraguay to promote education, needed social changes, and intercultural dialogue between indigenous peoples of Paraguay and other members of Paraguayan society. CEPAG runs a rural development program called Teko Pyahu ('Working together' in Guarani). This program helps to improve the life of rural workers by promoting sustainable agricultural techniques and the diversification of produce. $3000 for CEPAG's work with the rural poor mixed Spanish and Guarani Indian communities in the Teko Pyahu (working together) program to improve the life of rural workers in Paraguay by promoting sustainable agricultural techniques and diversification of produce. |
PROJECT FOR THE PEOPLE OF PARAGUAY (PPP), Ascuncion, Paraguay |
| PPP in Ascuncion offers the Women of Dignity program to enable women to receive continuing education, job training, job placement, access to micro loans, housing opportunities, legal assistance, psychological, medical and dental assistance. Dignity Elderly is a three phase program to assist elderly women in living out their lives with dignity, many of whom live in high-risk situations. $3000 for the Project for the People of Paraguay's program, Dignity House in Ascuncion, for the care of elderly women and the Women of Dignity program's micro loan fund. |
PLAN INTERNATIONAL PARAGUAY |
| Plan International's mission is to achieve lasting improvements in the quality of life of at-risk children in developing countries, enabling marginalized children, their families and their communities to meet their basic needs and to increase their ability to participate in and benefit from their societies promise. Building a safe and healthy environment for children is key to their healthy growth and development. A large number of people in Paraguay lack basic services and 40 per cent of families do not have access to safe, clean drinking water and are therefore at increased risk of serious health problems. Last year, PLAN worked with communities to build 32 new water systems, bringing access to clean water to over 3,400 children and their families. Last year, Plan worked with communities to build and repair 96 school classrooms, 91 school bathrooms and two water tanks. $2000 for Plan International Paraguay's at-risk children's work to bring clean water to communities in need, thereby reducing susceptibility to waterborne illnesses. |
HOUSE OF HOPE FOR WORKING CHILDREN , Haiti |
| Many children living in Haiti, one of the poorest nations in the world, must work in order to increase their families' incomes which is on average less than $1 a day. Oftentimes, children come from the countryside to work in the cities, subjected to abuse and finding no opportunities for education and recreation. The Ecumenical Foundation for Peace and Justice in Haiti, founded by Roman Catholic lay-persons developed House of Hope for Working Children, an ecumenical program for churches of Haiti to respond to the situation of impoverished children who must work and sometimes live on the streets. The program supports 83 children working as domestic servants, 37 young mothers and single girls and 15 elderly women needing support services. $1,500 is granted to the House of Hope for Working Children program of the Ecumenical Foundation for Peace and Justice in Haiti, to respond to the needs of impoverished children who must work, sometimes living on the streets. |
CFDN CENTRO FEMININO DA DIASPORA NEGRA Salvador, Bahia, Brazil |
| Centro Feminino Da Diaspora Negra is an Afro-Brazilian association whose mission is to fight against women's oppression in Brazil through cultural, social and political activities to address forms of oppression that Afro-Brazilian women experience. Currently CFDN is working on its Education and Health Project involving volunteers and employed persons to work at pre-schools and in neighborhoods to determine the health of children and their progress in learning as it can relate to good health. The process involves training family health educators to chart benchmarks by periodic measuring and assessing what is needed to further the children's growth. Healthy children and healthy families is the aim through education of Brazil's most marginalized population. $1500 for the Centro Feminino Da Diaspora Negra in Salvador Brazil to support its struggle against women's oppression through its Education and Health Project of training family health educators to support children's healthy growth. |
CAFOD -CATHOLIC AGENCY FOR OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT, Middle EastCAFOD's work in the Middle East centers on protecting the rights of migrant workers in Lebanon to running day care centers for disabled children in the Palestinian Territories (the West Bank and Gaza Strip) and providing emergency relief in Iraq. The key challenges posed are the situations of armed conflict, number of refugees and displaced persons and the enormous poverty and poor living conditions in the Palestinian Territories and now in Iraq. CAFOD's priorities are to uphold the rights of refugees and migrant workers, provide vocational training for refugees, support community-based work with disabled people and respond to the effects of sanctions and war.$2,500 for Catholic Agency for Overseas Development's work in the Middle East protecting the rights of migrant workers in Lebanon and running day care centers for disabled children in the Palestinian Territories in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. |
GRENCODA, Grenada |
| GRENCODA started in 1985 is a community- based and indigenous, non governmental development agency committed to development of the Eastern Caribbean island of Grenada's rural communities who have suffered tremendously since Hurricane Ivan in 2003 destroyed 90 % of the country’s dwellings, and destroyed the livelihood no longer available from agriculture and fishing sectors. GRENCODA is committed to the rebuilding of community and economic life in rural Grenada, particularly that of the poor still struggling to regain their means of livelihood and the building of decent housing. GRENCODA struggles to support small business development such as the Grenfruit Women’s Cooperative, a furniture cooperative and young farmers. $3,000 to support GRENCODA’s work in rebuilding rural communities and economic life following Hurricane Ivan, particularly its Youth Development and Skills Training for Rural Women. |
ISIS WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL CROSS CULTURAL EXCHANGE (ISIS – WICCE), Uganda |
| ISIS – WICCE based in Kampala, Uganda has worked tirelessly to document gender-based violence which is then used for advocacy in the quest for sustainable peace around the world. An international documentation forum is one of the research methodologies held annually to bring women representatives from armed conflict areas such as Somalia, East Timor, Philippines, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi to produce reports documenting the horrors of war inflicted on women and children promote justice and empowerment of women through documenting violations of women’s rights and facilitating the exchange of skills and information to strengthen women’s capabilities, potential and visibility. Sexual violence against women and children is a common occurrence during conflict and Isis WICCE advocates for women’s right to health services and to changing the culture of sexual violence against women during war. $2500 for Isis-WICCE’s work in documenting gender-based violence against women in war torn areas, especially Northern Uganda, Somalia, East Timor, Philippines, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwand and Burundi. |
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS/MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES-Global |
| Doctors Without Borders works in areas of Africa, the Americas, Australia, Asia and Europe where it has found services inadequate to meet a population’s medical needs. Most often, need arises in situations of wars and conflicts, refugees and displaced people, natural and man-made disasters and in countries with collapsed and insufficient health care systems. When conflicts erupt, “Doctors” immediately sends teams of surgeons, nurses and anesthetists to establish operating rooms with necessary equipment. Conflict zones are often complicated by security problems and primitive living conditions which medical volunteers must endure alongside those needing care. “Doctors” works with refugee populations in conflict zones which has exploded tremendously in the last thirty years, to provide primary health care, epidemic control, immunizations, nutrition, clean water and sanitation systems. $2,500 to Doctors Without Borders to provide support for the particular medical needs of women and children suffering in conflict zones and refugee camps. |
UNHCR – THE UN REFUGEE AGENCY, Subdivision: UNRWA |
| The United Nations High Commission for Refugees in more than five decades, has helped an estimated 50 million people restart their lives and with the many situations that have caused people to flee their homes due to weather, wars and natural disasters, UNHCR is continually challenged to meet refugee needs worldwide for shelter, security and food. The present war in the Middle East region has resulted in millions of newly homeless families crossing borders within and outside of the region for safe haven. By far the most protracted and largest of all refugee problems in the world today is that of the Palestine refugees, whose plight dates back 57 years. Today, more than 4.2 million Palestinian refugees are dispersed across areas of the Middle East. In addition, another 4 million Iraqis are now in flight seeking safe haven, mostly within the Middle East region. $2,500 for UNHCR”s work in providing refugee shelter and resettlement, particularly in the Middle East region for women and unaccompanied children. |
AGRICULTURAL MISSIONS AND MUDHA |
| Agricultural Missions, Inc. is an ecumenical organization that accompanies rural peoples in their efforts to address the structural causes of impoverishment and injustice in their communities. In the Dominican Republic, Agricultural Missions works with MUDHA – Movement of Dominican-Haitian Women, to protect the rights of the ethnic Haitian minority living in the DR for three generations, denied citizenship, basic education, adequate housing, access to water and other fundamental human rights. MUDHA has a preschool education and parent organizing, community-based health education program and environmental conservation program all operating in the “bateys”, Haitian-Dominican slums around the sugar cane plantations close throughout the Dominican Republic. MUDHA's work is carried out through teams of women living in the bateys. $2,500 for the support of Agricultural Missions work with MUDHA to improve the lives of Haitian-Dominican women, children and their families living in the bateys, near plantations in the Dominican Republic. |
MADRE IN GUATEMALA |
| In Guatemala, MADRE works in partnership with the Rigoberta Menchu Tum Organization to support Indigenous rights in Guatemala and worldwide. Over the years, MADRE has provided support for Demanding Accountability, a program that supports legal challenges in cases of politically motivated violence against Indigenous Peoples and human rights activists. MADRE and the Rigoberta organization developed Escuela para Padres, a parenting-education and health project for Indigenous Peoples in rural Guatemala. Fifty families who survived Guatemala's long and brutal civil war receive training in early childhood development and education as well as needed healthcare services which they currently lack access. $2,500 for MADRE’s work with indigenous women in Guatemala who survived the long civil war as they seek training in early childhood development and access to healthcare services. |
FORUM FOR WOMEN’S RIGHTS AND DEVELOPMENT (FORWORD) |
| Chennai, IndiaFORWORD is a Dalit (untouchables in the Indian caste system from the lowest rung of society) women’s organization striving to empower deprived women and children, for the past fifteen years. Since the Tsunami in 2005, FORWORD has worked in affected areas to provide two community sheds and financial support to renovate 50 houses of poor Dalit and fisher folk. Landless, bonded, lacking in education and skills, the Dalits depend upon daily earnings for daily living. Before and now in the aftermath of the tsunami, shelter is inhabitable, with most living in remote areas in thatched huts. The fisher folk are the other group affected by the tsunami and who are also still in crisis. Therefore FORWORD’s aim is to build two community shelters in each affected area-one for the women and one for the fisher folk, thereby giving a roof to the roofless and supporting a roof with a wall. They especially work with the women to reclaim their self-dignity and human dignity of women in society. $2,500 to support the building of community sheds by FORWORD, a Dalit women’s organization in Chennai, India striving to provide shelter for Dalit women and fisher folk affected by the tsunami. |
USA RELATED GRANTS |
UNITY FOR THE HOMELESS, New Orleans, LouisianaUNITY is a collaboration of non-profits whose aim is to identify the processes of governmental agencies to access housing and services to people experiencing homelessness in greater New Orleans. While the effects of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath will be felt by all residents of the Gulf Coast region for years to come, the people most adversely affected and at risk of permanent displacement from their home communities are the Gulf Coast’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens. Before Katrina, New Orleans had thousands of people who were homeless and at risk of homelessness, many of whom have serious and long-term disabilities, living on limited incomes. Not surprisingly, these individuals and families had little capacity and limited resources to cope with disaster. It is clear that new rental housing must be an integral part of rebuilding strategies. UNITY is working with government to create a model of housing that ensures that people who were the most adversely affected by these devastating storms – specifically people with disabilities, elders, and others with special needs – will have a place to call home once again in New Orleans.$2,500 for Unity for the Homeless Coalition to alleviate homelessness with New Orleans remaining most vulnerable populations, those with disabilities, elderly and other special needs. COMMON GROUND COLLECTIVE, Gulf Coast Katrina ReliefCommon Ground is a community-initiated volunteer organization offering assistance, mutual aid and relief for victims of Hurricane Katrina, through donations of supplies and labor from volunteers. The relief gives hope to devastated communities by working with individuals and neighborhoods, providing for their immediate needs and emphasizing the need for people to work together to rebuild their lives in sustainable ways. Its mission is to provide short term relief for victims of hurricane disasters in the gulf coast region, and long term support in rebuilding the communities affected in the New Orleans area. A distribution center has been opened in the Upper 9th Ward, serving 75 families a day. Since September 2005, Common Ground has housed, fed and organized over 12,000 volunteers to gut houses and clean communities in New Orleans. Ensuring access to housing remains a critical need, and volunteers are working around the clock to assist residents in making their damaged homes livable and safe to occupy.$3,000 for Common Ground’s work in opening distribution centers in New Orleans, cleaning and gutting homes and gathering supplies in preparation for returning evacuees. CHRIST HOUSE - A MEDICAL FACILITY FOR THE HOMELESS , Washington, DCIn the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, over 15,000 people are homeless. They try to survive the streets in all kinds of weather, sleeping in overcrowded shelters and finding themselves extremely vulnerable to illness. Hospitals treat people who are homeless for emergencies but a lack of continuity in care forces them to return to the street where they cannot rest and recuperate. Many people with non-emergency, though chronic, diseases--AIDS, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, pneumonia--cannot receive hospital treatment, and so their illnesses worsen on the streets. The mission of Christ House is to provide comprehensive health care for sick, homeless women and men while assisting them in addressing critical issues to help break the cycle of homelessness. A 33-bed health care facility in Washington, D.C., Christ House is a temporary residence for those who are ill and homeless. It is a place where they can receive plenty of rest, nutritious meals, medical care, and social services every year at Christ House.$2500 to Christ House medical facility for homeless women and men in Washington, DC most in need of non-emergency medical services, for chronic illnesses such as AIDS, diabetes, cancer, heart disease and pneumonia, all of which worsen when those afflicted are living on the streets. WEST END CENTER FOR YOUTH, Roanoke, VAWest End Center for Youth in Roanoke is establishing a safe haven for the neighborhood children as a response to poverty, crime and drug trading that have characterized the West End and Hurt Park neighborhoods. In 1979, vacant lots, abandoned buildings and rental property were widespread in Roanoke. At that time, a number of children were wandering the streets without supervision and there was an increase in vandalism. However, since the establishment of the West End Center, this neighborhood has experienced tremendous growth, both in the number of children served and the available programs and services to support healthy growth and development of youth.$2,500 to the West End Center for Youth in Roanoke, Va to provide a safe haven for the increasing number of children in the impoverished neighborhoods served, providing supervision to support healthy growth and development of youth. ELIZABETH GREGORY HOME, Seattle, WAThe Elizabeth Gregory Home provides transitional housing and supportive services for women who are recovering from homelessness. It recognizes and incorporates women as assets by emphasizing the development of a community which relies on the contributions of each resident. Through this focus on community, the home’s program empowers women to value themselves as contributing community members.$2,500 to the Elizabeth Gregory Home in Seattle, WA to further provide transitional housing and supportive services for women recovering from homelessness to enable them to again become contributing community members. TURNING POINT, INC., Woodstock, ILTurning Point provides bilingual and bicultural advocacy, counseling, shelter and 24-hour crisis-intervention for Latino victims of domestic violence. It is a domestic violence agency with a mission to confront violence against women and children in McHenry County, Illinois. An emergency shelter, along with other services, provides a safe environment for a woman and her children fleeing a violent situation. All of McHenry County’s neighborhoods have Turning Point shelters and services for these victims of abuse.$2,500 to Turning Point in Woodstock, IL for its shelter and 24-hour crisis intervention for Latino victims of domestic violence, providing emergency shelter as a safe environment for women and children fleeing a violent situation in the home. AFRICA HEALTH NOW, NY, NYAfrica Health Now is a much needed organization that recognized that African immigrant women living in the United States often do not have access or know how to access health services and treatment options. The primary focus is in New York City and Atlanta, GA where large numbers of African women are residing, some who have recently come to this country and others who have been residents for a long-time but still unfamiliar with traditional health services. A series of mobile health clinics and screenings are organized and staffed by volunteer mostly African US medical professionals who understand the immigrant population’s issues and why these women are often reluctant to seek medical attention. Most have never had mammograms and screenings for high blood pressure and diabetes or pap smears. It is hoped that through regular screenings in African immigrant communities, women will become proactive about their health prior to needing emergency services.$2,000 for Africa Health Now to provide series of regular health screenings to African immigrant women who have migrated from many countries and are now living in NY City and Atlanta, GA , with a focus on educating and encouraging immigrant women to become proactive regarding their health. GLOBAL RIGHTS, Washington, DCGlobal Rights is a human rights advocacy group that partners with local human rights advocates in communities around the world to challenge injustice as these communities work to create just societies. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Global Rights has worked with local women human rights activists who cannot always raise their voices for fear of recrimination, to ensure that the thousands of gender violations against women and young girls receives global attention and is considered a war crime. In the past decade, these crimes have gone almost unnoticed by the international community, in a situation where over four million Congolese have died, and as many living as refugees or internally displaced within their own country.$2,500 to Global Rights for its work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where years of war and strife have resulted in thousands of women and girls being violated, living as refugees or internally displaced within their own country. CHILD INTERNATIONAL’S ONE WORLD, MANY VOICES, Kansas City, MOOne World, Many Voices is a program of Child International, which is known for its sponsorship programs, though not as well known for its housing and community programs which transform slums into safer environments for children and their families. The environment is changed by building and repairing homes and equipping them with basic furnishings, providing small loans and training so families can start home-based businesses and implementing community improvements like clean water sources and playgrounds. Programs are in every region with Africa being the newest region.$2,500 for Child International’s One World, Many Voices initiative, lifting children beyond poverty through its housing and community programs which transforms slums into safer environments for children and their families. WDP-USA GRANTS 2006: SOUTH AFRICA 2006 WDP USA COMMITTEE INTERNATIONAL GRANT RECOMMENDATIONSFor securing food and nutrition and medical care for infected children, and mothers in Nyanga Township, Cape Town, South Africa.SOUTH AFRICAN COUNCIL OF CHURCHES, Johannesburg, South Africa : $5000 To continue the SACC’s critically needed work on the role of the church and women in all of South Africa in responding to the HIV and AIDS crisis. GROOTS TETU, Nyeri District, Central Province, Kenya : $2500 For the women from Groots Tetu in the Nyeri district of Kenya, to organize home-based care HIV and AIDS trainings for more women in the community of Tetu, as they continue to seek means of generating income. ILITHA LABANTU, Cape Town, South Africa : $3000 To deepen the organization’s HIV and AIDS training outreach in townships where prior to the early 1990’s, there were no social services in Black communities. SOCIO-ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT NETWORK FOR RURAL WOMEN (SEEN-RW), Zimbabwe, Southern Africa: $4000 To strengthen its goal of giving income opportunities to rural and semi-urban women through small enterprise development in rural Zimbabwe in Southern Africa and to provide more education to reduce the spread of HIV and AIDS in rural areas. SOCIO-ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT NETWORK FOR RURAL WOMEN (SEEN-RW), Zimbabwe, Southern Africa: $4000 To strengthen its goal of giving income opportunities to rural and semi-urban women through small enterprise development in rural Zimbabwe in Southern Africa and to provide more education to reduce the spread of HIV and AIDS in rural areas. GIFT FOR LIFE, Kigali, Rwanda : $3500 To sustain the multiple services needed by the women raped during the Rwandan genocide ten years ago, resulting in HIV And AIDS infection in thousands of women. PHAKASMANI, Pinetown Methodist Church, South Africa: $3500 To enable the Phakamisa Caregiver Groups and Monitors to deepen their work with more and more orphaned and abandoned children affected and afflicted with HIV and AIDS in Pinetown South Africa. GROUTVILLE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST AIDS MINISTRY WITH WOMEN, South Africa : $4000 To meet the increasing need of the Groutville UCC South Africa ministry for food, medicine, and home visitation travel expenses and stipends as they minister to HIV and AIDS affected and afflicted individuals and families. USA RELATED GRANTSCAPE TO CAPE PARTNERSHIP, Provincetown, Massachusetts : $1500Provides school supplies for the pre-school being established by Cape to Cape for the many HIV infected and at-risk children in Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. PROJECT PEOPLE FOUNDATION, NY, NY : $4000 For the Project People Foundation’s Aid-To-AIDS campaign to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS in the US with people of color and the epidemic in South Africa. OPEN ARMS, Meal Delivery for People Living with HIV and AIDS, Minneapolis, Minnesota : $4000 For the Open Arms meal delivery program for people living with HIV and AIDS, their dependent children and related caregivers. CHICAGO WOMEN'S AIDS PROJECT, Chicago, Illinois : $4000 For the Chicago Women’s AIDS Project to enable services that will empower women living with HIV and AIDS to live more fully productive lives. CHILDREN WITH AIDS PROJECT (CWA). Tempe, Arizona : $4000 For the Children With AIDS Project to further the creation of adoptive, foster, family-centered care for children who are living with HIV and AIDS. UNITE FOR CHILDREN, UNITE AGAINST AIDS - US Fund for UNICEF : $4000 To enable UNICEF’s work with children and families, especially in Africa, in its campaign, Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS, to stem the spread of HIV and AIDS in the world’s children. WDP-USA GRANTS 2005: POLAND The WDP USA Committee's 2005 grant recommendations focused on efforts to end the trafficking of women and children in Poland, and to improve education and health care for exploited women and children. Dramatic political, social and economic upheaval in Eastern Europe since the 1980s has displaced many people in the region, resulted in social and economic decline and created a fertile climate for the prostituting of women and children. Trafficking of women and children has increased and Poland is a country of origin, transit and destination.2005 WDP USA COMMITTEE INTERNATIONAL GRANT RECOMMENDATIONSTHE WOMEN'S RIGHTS CENTER, Warsaw, Poland : $5,000To ensure inclusion of gender perspective in laws, to foster recognition of women’s rights as human rights and to educate society about discrimination and violence against women. CARITAS FOR CHILDREN, Poland : $5,000 Works with Catholic religious orders that provide direct care and services to needy children. Orphanages in Poland administered by the Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception receive support through CARITAS. ECPAT(End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes), Thailand : $5,000 Was started in Thailand to stop this growing form of abuse of children. This grant will further the work of the World Congress on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children. UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fund for Women) : $5,000 To support its continuing work on eliminating violence against women and girls, especially in Central and Eastern Europe. UNICEF(United Nations Children’s Fund) received a grant to support its work related to the protection and development of children, especially in Central and Eastern Europe. $5,000 Support for Marzena Szewczyk,a student from Poland : $5,000 Will enable her to contribute to women’s and children’s concerns in her home country on issues of conflict, security, human rights and the protection of children’s rights. 2005 USA/POLAND RELATED GRANTSFAITH TRUST INSTITUTE : $5,000To support its work as an international, multifaith organization working to end sexual and domestic violence by providing communities with tools and knowledge needed to address the religious and cultural issues related to abuse. ECPAT USA : $5,000 To prevent international criminals from bringing children into the United States for purposes of sexual exploitation and to make the U.S. a country where every child is free from sexual exploitation. $5,000 URGENT ACTION FUND : $5,000 To support its work in Central and Eastern Europe to eliminate violence against women and girls in situations of armed conflict and rebuilding of societies. FRIENDS OF POLAND : $1,000 An all-volunteer nonprofit, founded in 1982, which provides medical and educational assistance to Poland. Health care needs in Poland are critical. Friends has donated thousands of updated medical books, medical equipment, x-ray machines and operating equipment. |