about us
what we do
The Methodist Relief and Development Fund makes small miracles possible in some of the world's poorest communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America through:
MRDF is currently providing financial and organisational support to more than 40 community-based organisations in over 20 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Faced with overwhelming need in so many areas of the world, MRDF focuses on a small number of the world's poorest nations, countries such as Mozambique.
Within these countries, MRDF seeks to support those who are ‘doubly disadvantaged' and therefore find it especially hard to escape poverty – people marginalised because of gender, age, disability, social position or location. For example, MRDF partners work with the elderly in Cameroon, Dalit communities in India and street children in Bangladesh.
To address need in the most effective way, MRDF works with local organisations that understand the issues facing their communities and are best placed to find and implement solutions. For example, MRDF's local partner in El Salvador has introduced permaculture projects to communities facing the consequences of deforestation. And in Cambodia, MRDF works with an organisation promoting sustainable agriculture and education in communities recovering from the effects of the Khmer Rouge regime.
These fledgling organisations are often unable to access funding from larger donors, so MRDF helps build their capacity so that they can flourish and become self-sufficient. The benefit of this work was seen when MRDF's partner in Ethiopia was able to respond quickly to the food crisis in 2008.
In addition to long-term development work, MRDF responds to emergencies through its own partners if possible, Methodist Church links or Action by Churches Together (ACT) International. We focus particularly on forgotten emergencies – those situations that receive little media coverage or places that are no longer in the public eye despite ongoing difficulties. MRDF has recently provided emergency funding for Haiti, Pakistan and Zimbabwe.
Development education and campaigning
MRDF also tackles the root causes of poverty, such as climate change, unfair debt and trade, by raising awareness and campaigning in the UK. MRDF works in partnership with UK campaigning organisations, such as Stop Climate Chaos and the Jubilee Debt Campaign.
Current campaigns
If you are a UK-based campaigning or development education organisation interested in partnering with MRDF, click here for more information and to apply.
A further dimension of MRDF's education work is the World AIMS (Action in Methodist Schools) programme, a partnership between Methodist Schools and MRDF. This project seeks to promote global development issues in Methodist and Ecumenical schools across the UK and provide opportunities for students to respond to these issues as global citizens.
