Imagine a life with no access to a formal bank account, card payments or mobile banking. For many people living in extreme poverty, this is the norm, making people more vulnerable to 'loan sharks' and violence associated with this. The work that The Salvation Army does within this thematic area targets families who have little or no access to formal financial services - providing a way to earn a living and support themselves with a sense of dignity and save money for their family’s future....

This episode highlights our work in Food Security. For decades the number of people who are food insecure has been decreasing, but tragically since 2015, the number has actually been increasing. We are now living at a time where an increasing number of people in this world are experience hunger – and now COVID is only exacerbating this trend. Economic downturn, disruption of food markets and agriculture translates into families that are living close or below the poverty line being unable to...

Today in International Development Week we highlight the work around providing access to Clean Water. On one level, the work is straight forward, protecting sources of water and ensuring that safe and clean water is accessible to communities who don't have it. But Violet Ruria, who works as a specialist technical advisor for our WASH programmes, explains that the reasons why we should care about Clean Water go much deeper than simply providing access; it is about dignity, respect, and...

Over this International Development week we will be highlighting the areas of work The Salvation Army in the UK does with other SA partners world. We start by focusing on international Mission Support – which is funded by the Self-Denial campaign. Mission Support pays for the basic infrastructure and operations in SA territories across Africa, Asia and South America. It is essential in providing the facilities we use to base our other community development work and Humanitarian Responses...

International Development week (ID Week) runs from 26th October to 1st November and is a chance for everyone following the work of SAID UK to unpack a little more about what we do around the world. Listen to Aimee Margott as stand in host, as she chats to Ben Gilbert on what ID Week has in store. We have a host of online resources available to download at www.salvationarmy.org.uk/international-development-week webpage. Get stuck into our mini podcast series, use our Sunday video resource for...

Every territory/command in The Salvation Army has a 'project officer'.Together, these project officers form a global network of people who coordinate virtually all the internationally funded projects for the organisation, ranging from Anti-Trafficking to Clean Water to Disaster Response and much more. But when a territory, such as Latin America North (LAN), consists of ten separate countries (Panama, Costa Rica, Cuba, Venezuela, Guatemala, Colombia, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Honduras,...

Human trafficking is a global crime which even in pre-pandemic times is extremely challenging to stop. So how has COVID impacted the work that The Salvation Army are doing to fight against it? What new risks does COVID bring to people who are vulnerable to being trafficked, and to survivors of trafficking? Listen to Tribeni, Toluwanimi and Anne from The Salvation Army’s Anti Trafficking & Modern Slavery Unit speak about how this crucial work continues despite the challenges of...

We are used to disasters, but not global pandemics. The Salvation Army regularly responds to localised disasters such as earthquakes or floods. Typically this would involve the local Salvation Army setting up a response which would be supported by other Salvation Army territories through funding and technical support. What about a global pandemic, when every country is dealing with it on their own? Listen to this conversation with Damaris Frick (Emergencies Coordinator at IHQ) as she explains...

The term resilience is everywhere. But what does it really mean? It’s a word that is neither positive or negative. It can describe how easily a community might bounce back after a disaster. It can also describe the resurgence of a terrorist group! But what is it exactly, and why would taking “a resilience approach” be important to The Salvation Army? Capt Ben Cotterill reflects on his experience in the UK as a Corps Officer and relates this to his work in International Development,...

The Salvation Army is currently present in 131 countries. The breath of work and contexts in which it operates is enormous. So how do we stay connected and true to our core mission values despite having to operate in a multitude of cultural contexts and languages? Listen to Elise Belcher reflect on the role of the International Headquarters in coordinating the territorial responses around the globe. And especially during disasters - can we utilise The Salvation Army networks which are deeply...

Behind every product you buy is a story. A story of people who were linked to your purchase through a supply chain. In today's global market the constant drive for profit can lead in many instances, to people being exploited by low wages and poor working conditions. OTHERS is The Salvation Army's response to this. Listen to Bo Chris Brekke explain how producers are recruited through The Salvation Army’s local programmes in countries such as Bangladesh and what a difference OTHERS can make in...

A project in Kenya that started by simply building some toilet blocks in schools soon expanded into a far reaching programme involving the children, their parents, their communities and even government officials getting involved. Richard Bradbury and Ngolia Kimunzu reflect on what they have experienced in Kenya and what this means for the wider Salvation Army.

Develop is a new monthly podcast that brings you closer to International Development. Produced by The Salvation Army International Development UK, each episode will feature conversations about how a faith-based organisation tackles poverty around the world. Listen to our host Ben Gilbert (Head of International Projects in the UK) speak with practitioners from around the world as they grapple with the complexity of tackling poverty and injustice.