REDUCING POVERTY & HUNGER IN
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES:
A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE ROLE
OF FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS
Association for International Agriculture & Rural
Development 41st Annual Meeting
Washington, DC; June 5-7, 2005
By
Charles E. Owubah, Ph.D.
Research Questions



What are the causes of Hunger?
What has been the early roles (1400s to World
War II) of faith-based organizations in
reducing hunger and poverty?
What are examples of successes of how
have faith-based organizations have helped
to reduce hunger and poverty?
Outline




Definition of faith-based organizations
Early Roles of faith-based organizations
Uniqueness of faith-based organizations
in addressing the causes of hunger &
poverty
Examples of success stories
Faith-Based Organizations?

“Religious and religious-based
organizations, places of religious worship
or congregations, specialized religious
institutions, and registered and
unregistered non-profit institutions that
have a religious character or mission”
(Global Health Council, 2005)
Faith-Based Organizations?

Definition

Registered faith-based relief and development
organizations

Large American faith-based relief and development
organizations involved in reducing hunger and
poverty in developing countries




Adventist Relief and Development Agency
Catholic Relief Services
Food for the Hungry International
World Vision
CRS, WV, ADRA, & FHI
Name of Organization
Year
Established
Countries of
Operation in 2005
Catholic Relief Services
(CRS)
1943
99
World Vision (WV)
1950
100
Adventist Relief &
Development Agency
(ADRA)
1956
120
Food for the Hungry
International (FHI)
1971
46
Growth of World Vision
Figure 1. World Vision: Countries of Operation, 1950-2004
96
100
No. of Countries
81
80
74
55
60
40
40
20
20
10
1
0
1950
1959
1969
1979
1989
1995
1999
2004
Growth of World Vision
Figure 2. World Vision: Number of projects, 1959-1995
5509
Number of Projects
6000
5049
5000
4000
3000
1932
2000
1000
165
388
0
1959
1969
1979
1989
1995
Early roles of Faith-Based
Organizations

Development of Human Capital

Development of Agriculture
Early Roles

Ghana


Roman Catholic Church conducted its first
mass in Ghana on 20th January 1482, in
Elmina, a small fishing town along the
coast of Ghana
The Catholic faith grew and was followed
by the Anglican, Presbyterian, and
Methodist Churches
Early roles: Development of Human
Capital

Ghana



In 1876, the Methodist Church built the first
secondary school, Wesleyan High School, in
the country
Early missionaries did set up clinics,
maternity homes, hospitals, and orphanages
In 1980, a third of the bed strength of the
hospitals in Ghana was under the care of
Churches (Buah 1989)
Early roles: Agriculture

Ghana


The Methodist Church established the first
“Scientific Farms” in Cape Coast to train
farmers on appropriate technology
The Presbyterian Church established nurseries
and experimental farms in Akuapem to supply
farmers with seedlings of new crop varieties
Early roles: Development of
Human Capital

Kenya



In 1892, the East African Scottish Mission
(Presbyterian) started a school in Kibwezi
In 1926, Protestants in Kenya collaborated to
establish Alliance High School. In 1948, Alliance Girls
High School was established to improve the level of
education for girls
Churches established mission hospitals as part of
their outreach: (Kikuyu in 1901; Maseno in 1906;
Tumutumu in 1908; Chogoria in 1915; Kijabe in
1915)
Early roles: Agriculture

Kenya


Missionaries taught new farming
techniques (terracing, intercropping, etc.)
Missionaries introduced new crop varieties
E.g. Presbyterians planted the first coffee
seeds in Kibwezi in 1893
Early roles: Agriculture and
community development

United States


In the early 1900s, the clergy were often instrumental
in efforts to improve health care, farming, and the
establishment of credit unions and farming
cooperatives.
Theodore Roosevelt:

“Any consideration of the problem of rural life that leaves out of
account the function and possibilities of the church and of
related institutions would be grossly inadequate…because,
from the purely social point of view, the church is
fundamentally a necessary institution in country life.” (Prins and
Ewert, 2002)
Early roles: Agriculture and
community development

United States


Church-extension collaboration strengthened rural
communities in the early 1900s.
In the 1920s and 1930s, seminaries and colleges
collaborated in summer school curricula to:
“assist ministers in acquiring new insight into tested
methods of town and country church work and
understanding of the trends and problems in modern
country life; to develop a fellowship among those
engaged in rural service; to develop contacts between
agricultural leaders, particularly those in extension
work and rural ministers” (Landis & Willard, 1933, Prins and Ewert,
2002).
Causes and dimensions of
Hunger

Key Causes of Hunger



Lack of assets and resources to produce
sufficient food
Limited, or lack of income to procure
adequate food for consumption
Dimensions of Hunger


Transitory, or short-term
Chronic
Relief Interventions to address
Transitory/Short-term Hunger

WV Relief Interventions

Relief Interventions
Chronic Hunger



Chronic hunger is a manifestation of poverty,
and that attempts to eradicate hunger can only
be successful when poverty is alleviated
“Hunger is, in most instances, a consequence of
economic impoverishment and marginalization.”
“It is imperative that economic empowerment
form the core of strategies to eliminate the
underlying causes of hunger.” (1993 NGO platform at the World
Bank Conference on Actions to reduce Hunger WorldWide)
The Big Five Developmental
Interventions (UN Millennium Project)





Agricultural Inputs
Investment in basic health
Investment in education
Power, transport and communications
services
Safe drinking water and sanitation
Uniqueness of Faith-Based
Organizations



An already existing infrastructure
Loyal groups/followers
Holistic ministry/programming
Uniqueness of Faith-Based
Organizations

An already existing infrastructure


Alliances and partnerships with churches,
synagogues, mosques, temples, etc. have
been used as entry points to deliver aid and
engage in development activities
In times of disaster, access to individuals and
groups who understand a culture, and knows
the terrain, and location of hamlets and
villages is essential to saving lives
Uniqueness of Faith-Based
Organizations

Loyal groups/followers


Have unique advantage in delivering
appropriate and scientifically proven
development messages to needy
communities
E.g. Resistance to polio vaccine in Northern
Nigeria
Uniqueness of Faith-Based
Organizations

Holistic ministry/programming


Encompasses all aspects of interventions that address
the well being of the mind, body, and soul
Deep belief that it is not enough to preach the gospel
of God, and that humankind must have access to food
and other necessities of life (John 6:35; “I am the bread of life.
He who comes to me will never go hungry and he who believes in me
will never be thirsty.”

Values-based programming—”the ABc approach”—has
become important in the fight against HIV/AIDS in
Africa and other places
Success Story: Morulem
Irrigation Scheme in Kenya

Background




In 1979, African Inland Church began an irrigation
scheme in Morulem, Turkana District, Kenya
In 1984, the African Inland Church withdrew its
support and in 1990, the Morulem community
approached World Vision for support
In 1992, World Vision secured PL 480 Title II funding
from the Office of Food for Peace, USAID
In 1997, WV secured additional funding from USAID to
support the program
Success Story: Morulem
Irrigation Scheme in Kenya

Outcomes


The objective of increasing food production to meet
80% of household annual grain requirements, has been
met and exceeded. In 2000, for example, household
grain production met 138% of household grain
requirements.
In 2000, massive food aid distributions were done in
Turkana and other districts to save lives, but the
beneficiaries of MIS were food secure to the extent
that they had surplus food in their grain bank.
Success Story: Morulem
Irrigation Scheme in Kenya

Outcomes



Program has diversified the local economy and has
created 938 jobs, in an area where there are no other
job creators beside the Government of Kenya
Farmers are able to produce enough grain to feed
their families throughout the year, while selling
surpluses on the market
The Program is sustainable on all four key criteria;
Financial, Infrastructural, Environmental, Institutional
Success Story: Morulem
Irrigation Scheme in Kenya

Awards



1999: “Outstanding Performance in Environmental
Conservation”—resulting in UNDP commemorating the
World Day to combat desertification with the people of
Morulem
2000: “Outstanding Performance in Food Production”
(FAO)
2001: “Outstanding Performance in the Field of Food
Security” (FAO)
Success Story: Brazilian Farmers
Access to International Melon Market

Background

In 1999, WV established a partnership with the
Inter-American Development Bank, and began
helping poor farmers in the Rio Grande do
Norte State to gain direct access to the melon
market in Europe.
Success Story: Brazilian Farmers
Access to International Melon Market

Results



1999: 45,000 boxes were exported to Europe,
and increased incomes by 54%
2000: 75,000 boxes of melons were exported
to Europe
2000: 15,000 boxes sold to a Brazilian
national chain of supermarkets
Success Story: Brazilian Farmers
Access to International Melon Market

Results




2001: 140,000 boxes of melons exported to Europe
2001: 30,000 boxes sold to local consumers in Brazil
WV strengthened the capacity of a small local export
company and reduced legal costs from 26% to 8%,
thereby increasing farmers incomes exponentially, and
allowing them to pay off debts and build assets
Local export company is financially sustainable and no
longer depends on WV.
Success Story: Tomoya Irrigation
Project, Bolivia

Background



1994: Leaders of Sorojchi, Yoroca, Chua Chua,
Molle Molle and Sorocoto requested Food for the
Hungry International to help build an irrigation
system along the Tomoya river to irrigate 1,300
acres of arid farmland, and provide clean drinking
water for the communities
FHI secured PL 480 Title II, Title III, and
Development Assistance funding from USAID to
support the project.
The project took seven years to complete
Success Story: Tomoya Irrigation
Project, Bolivia

Results
 A 28 kilometer road along
the sides of the cliffs have
been constructed

Communities have been able
to build irrigation canals,
and terraced hillsides and
are able to harvest crops
two to three times in a year
Success Story: Tomoya Irrigation
Project, Bolivia

Results



Crop yields have doubled and
tripled, in some cases, allowing
farmers to sell surplus food
FHI has helped farmers to build
a food processing plant, allowing
local farming cooperatives to
add value to their produce
Clean water is available all year
round and is having a positive
impact on the health of children
Conclusions


Faith-based organizations have been
instrumental in reducing poverty and
hunger for centuries
Faith-based organizations continue to
be significant and influential change
agents on the war on hunger and
poverty
Conclusions

The growth and uniqueness of faith-based
organizations is a reflection of their assets;




(a) an already existing infrastructure,
(b) Loyal groups/followers, and
(c) Holistic ministry/programming
Strategies to end hunger and poverty are
known, and that there continues to be
hunger and poverty because the level of
commitment and scale of operation continues
to be meager compared with needs
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Columbus Ohio.
Landis, B. and Willard, J. 1933. Rural adult education. Macmillan Company, New York.
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