Bella Lam is leaving Presbyterian World Service and Development after five years as the Africa and Middle East program co-ordinator.
PWS&D "has grown a lot" over the past five years, she says. Programming has expanded, especially in the aftermath of the tsunami and other natural disasters during which many international partnerships were developed. Several of its most prominent programs, including the Word Without AIDS campaign, began shortly after Lam arrived at national offices. "I'm really proud of the way the whole denomination pulled together with World Without AIDS. And the way partners have stepped up to the plate."
According to Ken Kim, staff director of PWS&D, partnership is key to the organization's work. Ties with partners are important, he said, "but partnership is a two-way street" and sustainability is integral to long-term success. "It's not enough to simply build a well," Kim said, the local community must be involved as an equal partner in all aspects of the project, and must be educated and able to sustain that project without continual assistance. He was quick to add that while it is important to maintain ties with partners, the organization looks forward to the day when it is not needed anymore.
"We very much see ourselves as providing tools," Lam said. "We're helping our partners to be in the driver's seat more."
Kim said the new co-ordinator "will help us discern what to do as a faith based organization to deal with partners, both church and non-church groups, and to tackle issues that are very complex." -CPurvis
