Ministry gets $8M grant to help reduce violence against women, girls in Africa

An Episcopal Church charitable organization has received an $8 million grant to expand its work to combat violence against women and girls in hard-to-reach African communities, hoping to reach half a million people with "proven approaches and interventions."

Amid a crisis of sexual and gender-based violence, the Episcopal Relief & Development announced that it received a four-year grant from The Laura Ellen and Robert Muglia Family Foundation. The funded work will be centered on five African countries: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Liberia, and South Sudan. 

Abagail Nelson, executive vice president and chief strategy officer at Episcopal Relief & Development, told The Christian Post in an emailed statement on Friday that the grant is part of a five-year relationship with the foundation.

“In the first year of this five-year catalytic partnership with The Laura Ellen and Robert Muglia Family Foundation, Episcopal Relief & Development, together with our local partners, has reached approximately 85,000 people living in rural and hard-to-reach communities in Liberia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo with violence prevention and response services,” she stated.

The programs supported by the grant will support local faith and community leaders to address the root causes of violence against women and girls, and to refute stigmas and misinformation associated with said violence.

"The work has been to connect survivors of violence against women & girls to medical, economic and legal support and engage communities' faith leaders and religious networks in broader violence prevention efforts.”

Nelson cited Matthew 25, where Jesus "calls those who follow Him to bind up all wounds and share life-saving resources with all people," he said.

"This work aims to do just that," he said. 

Episcopal Relief & Development was founded in 1940 originally as the Presiding Bishop’s Fund for World Relief. The foundation began supporting Episcopal Relief & Development efforts in 2005.

“The Muglia family has made a transformative investment in God’s mission around the world,” said Presiding Bishop Sean W. Rowe in a statement. 

“This expression of Christian charity will enable Episcopal Relief & Development to significantly scale up its innovative and impactful work to promote equality and women’s empowerment. Their gift is an example to all that supporting God’s work, as we are able, has an enduring impact.”