Adventist Development and Relief Agency

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is the worldwide humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Día, established with the specific purpose of developing economically and socially disadvantaged communities and helping to alleviate the effects of disasters.

ADRA International fulfills its mission in 131 countries, without discrimination based on race, gender, or political or religious beliefs. It operates in five main activities: food security, economic development, first aid, response to disasters and catastrophes, and basic education.

Mission

ADRA's mission is as follows:

"ADRA works with people in poverty and suffering to create a fair and positive change through empowering alliances and responsible actions"

ADRA.

ADRA says its reason for existence is to "follow the example of Christ by being a voice to serve and accompany those in need."

Vision

ADRA's vision is as follows:

ADRA is a professional training and efficient network built with integrity and transparency. It extends beyond borders, strengthening and advocating for those at risk and forgetfulness to achieve verifiable, documented and lasting changes in people and society.

ADRA.

Origins

The origins of ADRA, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, date back to around the 1980s. But Adventist humanitarian action predates this. In 1918, just after World War I, the Seventh-day Adventist Church established a committee to help Europe for the disasters caused by the war. The first countries that received humanitarian aid from Adventist believers were: Belgium, France, Germany, Turkey, Egypt, Russia and China.

Afterwards, and because of the First World War, the devastation in Europe, North Africa and Asian countries prompted the Adventist Church to immediately organize itself to help the victims of the war. Warehouses were prepared to organize and process the materials and food that were later sent by boat to the different countries that suffered the horrors of war.

In 1956 the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church created the SAWS, Charitable Service or Society of Community Services. This name was modified in 1973, calling itself the World Service of the Adventist Church. In each country this service had a different name. In Spanish-speaking countries it was called ACFE, Philanthropic and Educational Civil Association. But in 1983 this worldwide service took the current name of ADRA. The objective was to put more emphasis on development programs for the poorest countries, and boost humanitarian and emergency aid where the needs were most urgent.

ADRA is considered by international organizations as a network of humanitarian aid and development agencies. It is a confessional NGO that, being linked to the Adventist Church, maintains its structure and administrative organization independently. At present it is acting in more than one hundred and forty countries. ADRA-Mexico is one of those countries in which it is present.

Examples of ADRA's work in Haiti

Following the magnitude 7 earthquake on the Richter scale, which struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, ADRA launched a plan to help the victims. ADRA's response is shown below in numbers:

• 4,200,000: Water treatment tablets distributed by ADRA to provide additional access to clean water by affected people. The water treatment tablet takes 20 minutes to purify a liter of water.

• 1,300,000: Food rations that ADRA distributed among survivors to date.

• 1,000,000: U.S. dollar aid with which ADRA contributed in response to Haiti’s earthquake just hours away from the disaster.

• 200,000: Number of Haitian residents who benefited from the largest water purification system in ADRA, which was installed on January 28, 2010. The new system can supply approximately 17 gallons (64 litres) of water per minute, and is currently being operated by a team of ADRA volunteers and local leaders.

• 153,000: The number of people waiting for ADRA fed for two intense weeks of food distribution currently taking place in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, which are being coordinated by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). Each day, ADRA provided 25 kilograms of rice rations to 1,700 families, or approximately 10,200 people, which was enough to feed them for two weeks.

• 100,000: The number of pounds (45 tons) of rice, beans, oil and salt that were distributed on 25 January to thousands of displaced survivors who are currently living in the areas of the Adventist University of Haiti, southwest of Port-au-Prince.

• 71,000: US dollar value of a shipment of medical supplies sent by the Florida Hospital in Orlando on January 21. The donation included 23 IV solution pallets, IV lines, antibiotics, painkillers, masks, and other emergency supplies, which were delivered to the Adventist Hospital in Haiti.

• 55,000: The number of people who have gained access to drinking water through 12 additional water points installed by ADRA and its GlobalMedic partner throughout the Carrefour region.

• 15,000: Amount, in US dollars, of the medical supplies given for the Heart to Heart International response.

• 1,000: The number of pounds (454 kilograms) of medical supplies donated by the International Aid (International Aid).

• 40: canvas pallets, dense plastic covers, water, hygiene items, generators, childcare supplies, and sanitary material sent through ADRA to Haiti by Harvest Time International, a Florida-based organization.

• 11: The number of ADRA Network offices that have provided emergency response personnel.