Presbyterian World Service and Development recently received an additional $200,000 from the Canadian International Development Agency for new projects. Along with more than $66,000 from PWS&D, the funds will help the church's overseas partners expand their current development work and have an even greater impact on vulnerable communities. The new money, secured in January, will augment the $458,000 PWS&D received from CIDA for 2006-2007 under a five-year agreement.
Some of the projects that will benefit from the additional funds include:
• Ekwendeni Hospital in Malawi will purchase equipment to help monitor the health of people living with HIV and identify when they need anti-retroviral therapy to help them stay healthy.
• The Church of North India will purchase furniture and equipment for HIV Care Centres at 15 of their hospitals. These centres will provide HIV testing and counselling and help people living with HIV and AIDS access medicine and other basic needs. The CNI will also provide sewing machines for income-generating projects.
• Roofs for the Roofless will improve evening tutoring classes for children near Chennai, India, by installing solar lighting systems in their night schools, taking the children on special educational tours and purchasing books, notebooks and general supplies for the classes. The agency will also purchase computers, sewing machines and nursing lab equipment for its community college, which provides post-secondary practical training for youth from poor communities.
• India's Madurai Non-formal Education Centre will train 30 women in community health work and establish a center for voluntary HIV counseling and testing, and provide care and support to people living with HIV.
• In El Salvador, the Institute for Research, Training and Development of Women will provide loans to help groups of women start small businesses in animal husbandry, vegetables and small retail and service industries. – AM with files from PWS&D
