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.
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Fida works to support children and youth education across Bangladesh, with a particular focus on preventing early marriages. In the capital, Dhaka, the Joy&Hope school promotes quality education for children and youth.
Development work in Bangladesh
Fida has been active in Bhutan since 2011, as one of the few foreign organisations in the country. We support women’s entrepreneurship, livelihoods, and vocational training in collaboration with RENEW, an organisation founded by the country’s Queen Mother.
Development work in Bhutan
In Japan, Fida supports the church ministry of the Pentecostal movement, with a focus on the city of Kyoto. The work in the country has also expanded to include supporting media ministry for churches.
Fida has been working since 1998 among the poorest people in Cambodia, in partnership with Assemblies of God Church of Cambodia (AGC). Fida cooperates with its sister organisation, Cambodia Global Action (CGA) in villages advocating for a better preschool education and family wellbeing.
Fida’s development work in Myanmar enhances learning opportunities for poor children and promotes peace in communities affected by conflict. Together with the Assemblies of God Church in Myanmar, we have established learning centres in villages.The education project operates in three rural villages in three different provinces (Kompot, Kratie and Takeo). The project is run in partnership with local churches who run learning centres for children from poor families.
The project supports children’s right to education by establishing learning centres within local churches in three villages. Volunteer groups are also being formed and trained in children’s rights and advocacy.
The project works with local authorities, schools and parents to ensure a safe living environment and access to quality education for children.
Fida’s development work in Myanmar enhances learning opportunities for poor children and promotes peace in communities affected by conflict. Together with the Assemblies of God Church in Myanmar, we have established learning centres in villages.
Development work in Myanmar
Fida has been active in Nepal for nearly two decades, working to improve access to education. We enhance educational opportunities for children and young people across Nepal and assist families in sustainable farming. Our work has had a significant impact on improving the rights of girls and children from Dalit families.
Development work in Nepal
Fida and a local Assemblies of God church have been working in Pakistan since 2007 to support children’s education and women’s literacy.
The work focuses on a Christian community. Christians are a small minority in the region. They face discrimination at work and in schools, and many Christian families live on the margins of society. The income level of Christian families is low and many children cannot attend school without help.
With the support of Fida, AoG established a Christian primary school in 2008. It provides primary and secondary education for the Christian minority. The school currently has over 300 students, half of whom are girls and some of whom come from very poor families. The school offers children the opportunity to attend for a fee based on their parents’ income.
Teacher training is a priority. The well-being of the children is addressed holistically through various clubs and events, and the parents of the children are supported through various training programmes
For decades, Fida has supported the education of mountain tribe children in Thailand. Fida’s work in Thailand also includes the prevention of human trafficking, comprehensive support for local churches, and media-based mission work.
Fida is strengthening the social work of the Full Gospel Churches of Thailand by providing tools and training for child protection and development work.
Fida supports the education of children in boarding schools. Finnish missionaries established boarding homes in Thailand as early as the 1980s. These homes provide a safe living environment, food, health care, life skills education and value-based guidance according to Christian principles.
Fida and the partner church are gradually moving from an institution-centred model to a family- and community-centred approach, offering support to families and whole communities.
Together with our partner church, Filadelfia Fellowship Churches, we are working to improve access to education for children and young people and to create a safer living environment in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
We strengthen the capacity of local communities and promote the realisation of children’s rights.
The project targets marginalised ethnic groups who have the lowest status in the caste system, which means their human rights are not always respected. Many families earn their living by collecting waste and scrap metal, leading to extreme poverty.
The work of the Finnish Pentecostal churches in Papua New Guinea has a history of more than 55 years. Fida supports the ALC Pentecostal movement in their children’s ministry as well as missionary training.
Fida supports the right of children and young people with disabilities to attend school in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
Development work in Iraq
Fida supports evangelical churches in Turkey in opening new locations and providing Bible teaching. Fida’s partner in Turkey is Kurtuluş Kilisesi, a Protestant church founded about 25 years ago. Fida is involved in church ministry in the Antalya and Alanya regions.
Fida works in Israel in partnership with several local churches. Currently, two families working alongside Fida are based in Israel. Together, they collaborate with Messianic churches on various initiatives, including church planting, humanitarian programs, music ministry, and training for home churches.
Fida also supports the Lech’lcha Bible and Discipleship School, which offers young people the opportunity to study the Bible. Fida also provides financial support to the Bible Society in Israel.
During the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, Fida has provided humanitarian aid to people evacuated from towns near the Gaza and Lebanon borders into the Yad Hashmona community. Additionally, Fida has sent assistance to the Palestinian Bible Society, which is helping those trapped amidst bombings in Gaza City.
We engage in development cooperation to improve education for children and young people. Key themes of our work include inclusive education, digital learning, the prevention of child marriages, and peacebuilding in communities affected by conflict.
We work among the most vulnerable children. The work has a long history: Finnish missionaries established orphanages and school homes in India, Bangladesh, and Thailand as early as the 1980s. Today, the work is focused on supporting education and the well-being of families in various ways.
Approximately 60% of Asia’s population belongs to ethnic groups with very few Christians. We support church work through 27 different projects across eight countries in Asia. For security reasons, we do not disclose all of our project locations publicly.
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