Every Wednesday morning, rain or shine, public holiday or not, Albertville Church of the Nazarene in Johannesburg, South Africa, part of the Gauteng District, hosts a food distribution. The church provides an average of 80 meals each week to people in their community who live with food insecurity. Attendees are also given the opportunity to hear the Gospel and learn about the hope that only Jesus can provide.
In the rural Rachuonyo community of Kenya, access to clean water had long been a challenge. Women and children bore the burden of walking long distances every day to collect water from contaminated sources, exposing them to waterborne diseases and leaving little time for school or income-generating activities. Water scarcity also led to poor sanitation, frequent illness, and high school absenteeism.
Recognizing this urgent need, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries (NCM), in partnership with local churches, launched a community-led water project to provide a sustainable solution.
Since the start of 2025, more than 70,000 people have fled the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) into Burundi to escape ongoing conflict.
“Some have traveled from as far as Goma, hundreds of kilometers to the north—another devastating example of repeated displacement in the East Africa region,” said a Nazarene Compassionate Ministries leader in Burundi.
In Ethiopia, economic hardship and social barriers have limited opportunities for women to achieve financial independence. Many women lack access to education, vocational training, and economic resources, making it difficult for them to support their families.
During the last three years, Nazarene churches in Burundi, Malawi, and Zambia have partnered with Nazarene Compassionate Ministries to address hunger and malnutrition. The individuals and families who have joined these projects are finding new hope after years of food insecurity.
Fabiola is a single mom who struggled to make ends meet before joining one of the projects.
"Before, we had no plans and were not saving for the future," Fabiola said.
Gender inequality is a signific
“If you are not interested in the community, the community will not be interested in you,” says Christelle Bossina, national director of NCM for Cote D’Ivoire.
“My kids were sick, always sick,” says Sylvane.
Sylvane lives in Kagazi, Burundi. A mother of several children, Sylvane recently spoke about the past health condition of her family and compared it to their health now. She and her children have been changed by an integrated project designed to their community thrive through economic and agricultural development.
The volunteers who regularly make the rounds between villages have a challenge set before them. They are visiting people to talk to them about HIV and AIDS, issues that will mean combatting a deeply-rooted stigma.
Ms. Ruth, a widow in Zambia, recently began cultivating a donated plot of land. She is new to farming, though, and wasn’t sure of the best way to care for her garden.