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USA/Angola: From Destruction to Reconstruction

Nearly a quarter of a century of continuous warfare has earned Angola the title of ‘a country in disarray’. Despite its abundant natural resources, output per capita is about the lowest in the world. Extensive unemployment and under-deployment affect more than half the country’s 10 million inhabitants.

Driven by its mission to support and strengthen The Salvation Army’s efforts to improve the health, socioeconomic conditions and spiritual development of the poor, the USA-based Salvation Army World Service Office (SAWSO) works with communities to implement programmes for growth. From its offices in Alexandria, Virginia, SAWSO has made a commitment to bring healing, help and hope to many people in Angola who have so little.

Matthew Smith, SAWSO’s Food Security Project Officer, recently visited Angola and the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. His mission was to identify, and work on ways to support, development projects in the region. Most urgently needed, he discovered, are programmes to assist orphans and badly injured children who are paying the price for wars in the region that have left them abandoned and wounded.

Describing The Salvation Army’s Angola Regional Headquarters, Matthew pulls no punches: ‘It is badly located, lacking basic computer equipment and office furniture for the project staff. Electricity, when available, is inadequate. the dirt and filth in the streets surrounding the building are almost unbearable.’ Plans are now under way to relocate the offices.

But despite the conditions they work in, Matthew was impressed with the people he met. ‘The Angola project staff,’ he says, ‘are extremely devoted and dedicated to the work of developing, funding and implementing new and innovative projects to help move Angola on.’

He’s not alone in his views. An experienced development expert from Norway described The Salvation Army as the ‘most responsible’ non-governmental organisation (NGO) he worked with in Angola. Some influential Angolans have received assistance from the Salvation Army while they were refugees themselves. Now they, including the president of the Federation of Angolan NGOs, are using their influence to aid the Army’s work.

Matthew was able to see some of the projects in action, and he was impressed with what he saw.

‘It was encouraging to see the happy, smiling faces on the children helped by our street children project and those receiving assistance through various food distribution programmes,’ he reports. ‘People are concerned about being able to get clean drinking water, they want good health facilities and they want to see communities in Angola rebuilt.’

After 25 years of conflict there is now hope for permanent peace – a peace that will enable Angolans to rebuild their land.

The Salvation Army World Service Office will do all it can to help the people of Angola fulfil their dreams.

Some students from the Farmers Training Centre are pictured with Projects Officer Major Gracia Matondo (front row, in uniform) and Major Lydia Matondo (far right)
SAWSO's Matthew Smith, featured in the article, with men from the agricultural training school. The school teaches 45 farmers improved techniques and production has increased substantially
A project for the future — this school, built by the community in Caxito, Angola, is badly in need of repair

A young mother and her twins receive assistance at a Salvation Army refugee camp
A Salvation Army corps building, which will also serve as a school, under construction in Angola. The work is taking a long time because of a lack of funds

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