Development Programmes

International Service works in five countries in three distinct geographical regions, and each country has its particular development needs that are reflected in the individual country strategies. However, in order to focus our efforts and thereby to maximise impact as well as our ability to network and learn from experiences, we concentrate our programme within three themes:

• Sustainable Livelihoods
  International Service helps communities to make a living in ways that are environmentally sound and economically sustainable. Micro credit, the establishment of small enterprises, food security and the conservation of natural resources all help to create sustainable livelihoods.

• Reproductive and Sexual Health - HIV/Aids Awareness
  This is a growing problem in the areas where we work. Sub-Saharan Africa has just over 10% of the world’s population, but is home to more than 60% of all people living with HIV - some 25.4 million, whilst more than 1.7 million people are living with HIV in Latin America. By working with organisations dealing with these issues, be they family planning groups, organisations of people living with HIV/Aids or awareness-raising initiatives for teenagers, we can make a huge difference to peoples’ lives.

• Human Rights
  This theme cuts across all of our work but it is also an activity in its own right. Human rights workers can provide effective advocacy for discriminated groups, legal aid and advice, training for local NGO workers, documentation and external representation, and promotion of good governance. The promotion of local democratic structures through capacity building and networking helps poor people gain access to services and have a say in how their society is run.

In all our programmes we seek to work in areas of the greatest need, and we select as our local partners, organisations who represent, or prioritise the needs of the most disadvantaged groups in society.
In particular we prioritise: