We are delighted to welcome our new members, Fida International from Finland and Khachmeruk Educational Consulting Center from Armenia.
Fida International is a Finnish faith-based organisation founded in 1927 engaged in global missions, community development and humanitarian aid in 50 countries. It is currently among the largest NGOs working in mission and development cooperation and one of the largest chain of secondhand stores for charity causes in Finland.
Fida’s work is focused on children, women and people with disabilities. It works in development cooperation for sustainable development and justice in 13 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, extends humanitarian aid in Ukraine, Yemen and Congo DRC, and conducts transformational (Diaconal) development programs in 11 countries. Fida works on children’s education, community development, health education, child safeguarding, Roma rights, gender equality/girls’ rights and the rights of people with disabilities. Fida International is Eurodiaconia’s first associate member. You can find more information on Fida by visiting their website.
The Khachmeruk Educational Consulting Center Foundation was founded in 2018 in Shirak province in Armenia. Based on a mission to foster a universal system of values grounded on tolerance and collaboration, Khachmeruk provides educational, consulting and social assistance services. The primary focus of the services is on the poverty-stricken population in the Shirak region. The foundation serves socially vulnerable individuals, including children, youth, single women, the elderly, displaced people, community groups, the unemployed, and those with mental and psychological concerns.
Khachmeruk serves its communities through:
- Social Care and Assistance to vulnerable individuals and families (e.g. offering food and clothing drives, emergency financial aid, and access to healthcare resources);
- Community Outreach Programs (improving living standards through education, healthcare, and vocational training; and
- Tolerance and Cooperation Initiatives (interfaith dialogues, peace-building activities, and collaborative projects).
As we look forward to a fruitful and meaningful work together, we remember the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself.”