ARDF Project Receives White House Grant
An Anglican Relief and Development Fund (ARDF) project, Substance Abuse Rehabilitation and HIV/AIDS (SARAH) Network in Kenya, has been named a sub-grantee in the first round of three-year grants awarded in the fight against HIV/AIDS by the New Partnership Initiative (NPI) announced by President George W. Bush last year on World AIDS Day. The primary project grantee is Global Outreach for Addiction Leadership and Learning (GOAL) Project based in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. The GOAL Project was one of 23 recipients that will share the $72 million NPI grant.
As Director/Founder of GOAL, Terry Webb, formerly of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was invited by President and Mrs. Bush to the White House to receive the grant award and to kick off World AIDS Day on December 1, 2006. “We are happy to share the blessing of this grant with ARDF’s SARAH Network project. We started praying for the GOAL project a year ago and have been overwhelmed with what God has provided,” said Webb. “The objectives of GOAL and SARAH both address the wide ramifications of the alcohol abusing behaviors that lead to the spread of the HIV virus. By supporting SARAH, we can not only serve our neighbors next door through GOAL, but also our neighbors half way around the world through ARDF.”
The grant money for the SARAH Network project will be used to provide the administrative support for SARAH and help their nine grassroots projects with seed money that will generate income and produce self-sufficient micro-enterprises. Created by founder, Margaret Namirembe Oketch. of the All Saints Cathedral Diocese of the Anglican Church of Kenya, and led by Canon Wycliffe Balongo, the SARAH Network is a group of Christian professionals, church leaders and volunteers coordinated by these Anglican clergy and lay persons who work together to implement projects that break the cycle of substance abuse and addiction and the spread of HIV/AIDS in communities. In November, the SARAH Network held its first clergy conference in Kenya to train pastors in AIDS education on topics including understanding addiction, the 12–step program for recovery, and prevention.
SARAH was the only Kenyan group to be selected for funding. GOAL was one of only ten faith-based non-governmental organizations and the only Anglican group selected. In addition, Geneva Global, the organization with which ARDF partners to do project research, received grants for their work on AIDS projects in Ethiopia and Cote d’Ivoire.
For more information on The Anglican Relief and Development Fund, contact Executive Director, Canon Nancy Norton at nancy@anglicanaid.net or go to www.anglicanaid.net.
Posted 1/14/07