Fida works in seven African countries. We improve educational opportunities for children and young people and help communities cope with the impacts of climate change. We support partner churches in their children’s and youth ministries, as well as Bible training.
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Fida’s work in Africa
Fida in Ethiopia
Fida has been active in Ethiopia for decades. Finnish missionary work has played a significant role in the growth of Pentecostal churches in the country. Today, partner churches working with Fida have over 10 million members.
Large church movements also have a major impact on the country’s development. Fida works in Ethiopia on development cooperation, focusing on vocational training and employment for young people and women. Peacebuilding efforts are also underway in conflict areas.
Fida’s partner in Burundi is the local Pentecostal church, CEPBU. Work is carried out in the provinces of Bubanza, Cibitoke, and Ngozi, with a focus on advancing education for children and young people.
A key focus in Burundi is working with the Batwa, an indigenous minority group. Fida and CEBPU also promote early childhood education and preschool initiatives.
Fida works in Malawi, equipping local churches for youth ministry. Football clubs and training sessions reach young people in Malawi and neighbouring Mozambique.
Fida in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Fida has been active in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for decades, focusing on supporting refugees and communities affected by conflict.
We also engage in long-term work to prevent violence against women and children.
Tanzania is Fida’s largest development programme country. We work to improve education for children and young people, enhance livelihood opportunities for women, and support the schooling of children and young people with disabilities.
In Tanzania, we are also involved in impactful mission work, focusing on developing the children’s and youth ministries of the Free Pentecostal Church of Tanzania, as well as Bible and missions training.
Fida has been active in Uganda since 1987. Cooperation with the partner church, Pentecostal Churches of Uganda (PCU) focuses on development cooperation in the Yumbe, Karamoja, and Masindi districts. In ministry, Fida supports PCU in leadership, missions and youth ministry.
Over the decades, Fida has supported the training of church workers and the development of Bible teaching.
Fida has been active in Kenya for decades, in partnership with the Full Gospel Churches of Kenya, which was founded in 1949 with the involvement of Finnish missionaries. Over the years, Fida and Finnish Pentecostal churches have sent over 170 workers to Kenya. The collaboration continues through development cooperation, diaconal work, mission efforts, and child sponsorship programmes.
In Kenya, development cooperation supports children’s education, youth employment, and family livelihoods.
Fida’s mission in Kenya aims to strengthen the Full Gospel Church, enabling it to plant new churches in unreached areas and expand its growing children’s and youth ministries.
Fida launched a support program for teenage victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The initiative is carried out in partnership with the healthcare organization led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege.
Ethnic conflicts, war, natural disasters, poverty, and social issues—these all threaten the nation’s development and the realization of human rights. Rebuilding the future requires restoring connections between people and communities.
Tanzania still has a long way to go to achieve equality and human rights for all. Fida and the Free Pentecostal Church of Tanzania (FPCT) have made significant progress in improving the rights of children with disabilities. The partnership has brought them from the corners of their homes to school.
In Europe, Fida supports the work of evangelical churches in their missions and social ministry. In Ukraine, humanitarian aid is being provided in crisis areas struck by the ongoing war.
The work of Finnish Pentecostal churches in Asia began in 1928 in Tibet. Today, our focus is primarily on children’s education and supporting minority churches.