LWF WORLD SERVICE For hope 2020 ANNUAL REPORT and a future © The Lutheran World Contributions by: Cornelia Omagwa (19, 27), Suman Rai Federation, 2020 Kästner, Ruth Foley, Léa (3,8), Ophélie Schnoebelen (6, Gillabert, Philbert Habonimana, 9, 34, 36, 39, back inside cover), Published by: Office for Maria Immonen, Leonard Kwelu, Ezdihar Shaheen (28), Jojanneke Communication, Department Chey Mattner, Susan Muis, Spoor (16, back cover), Starry for Planning and Coordination Ophélie Schnoebelen, Joseph Sprenkle (07), Shin Thandar Route de Ferney 150 Pfattner, Marie Rénaux, (26), Harriet Turyahabwa (17), P. O. Box 2100 Caroline Tveoy Zoraya Urbina (27), Sieglinde 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland Weinbrenner (28) Photos: Nu Nu Aye (cover), Editor: Cornelia Kästner Lorena Acevedo (31), Geraldo Cover image: Ms Khin Myint Anyite (32), Daniela Bastidas Myint, 38, an ethnic Rakhine Design: Weaver Creative, (20), Allan Calma (2), Sam entrepreneur, sews face masks in www.weavercreative.co.nz Chatteriji (25), German Alberto Tan Gyi village in Sittwe Township, Moreno Clavijo (32), Yagya Myanmar. Micro-enterprises set up Gautam (4), Sophie Gebreyes by LWF in Myanmar changed their (34), Sean Hawkey (inside cover, production to meet the increased 10), Albin Hillert (3, 13, 16, demand for reusable face masks 30), Bhoj Raj Khanal (10), Heidi among displaced Rohingya and Lehto (20), Charles Masanga vulnerable Rakhine communities. (12), Helan Remzi Muhammed, Justin Notang (21), Pauline Cover photo: LWF/Nu Nu Aye IMAGE LEFT Amanda, Cristobal, Eta, Iota: Central Americans will remember the year 2020 for its devastating tropical storms. LWF World Service and the local LWF member churches have worked together to support people who have lost everything in those disasters. Here, LWF Honduras Representative Carlos Rivera (with white face mask) visits Chamelecón, Honduras, to look at damage done by hurricanes Eta and Iota. Photo: LWF/Sean Hawkey CONTENTS Welcome 02 Quality services 24 About us 04 Augusta Victoria Hospital 28 COVID-19 07 Rights-based approach 31 Emergencies 10 Safety and security 34 Livelihoods 14 Partners 37 Protection and social cohesion 18 Finances 40 Where we work 22 Governance 45 Lutheran World Federation: World Service Annual Report 2020 01 Welcome 2020 – the year that the world turned upside down, the year the pandemic hit us all. The year we pivoted globally to make sure our work in the service of refugees, internally displaced people and host communities adapted to take the pandemic into account. 02 Lutheran World Federation: World Service Annual Report 2020 This annual report tells the story Our staff in the field has had to deal with the challenges of restricted movement, inability IMAGE LEFT of how our work all over the Maria Immonen, world was impacted deeply by at times to reach project sites, the stress of Director of LWF World unforeseen changes to schedules, inability to Service, visits a camp this new disease, and how we plan with certainty. Many frontline staff who for internally displaced needed to learn how to operate spend long periods of time away from their Rohingya in Myanmar’s in the middle of a new global families have undergone extended periods away Rakhine state, together threat that changed many working from home and not being able to take R&R or with the Committee leave on schedule. All have dealt with the fear for World Service, modalities. of the virus and the knowledge that medical help January 2020. You will see how the Augusta Victoria Hospital, may not be easily available. And yet, they have Photo: LWF/A. Calma which treats extremely vulnerable populations, stayed at their duty stations, continued with their scaled up its preparedness programs within work and showed compassion and care in how a number of days and became an instrumental they have approached the people we work with. part of the response and a center of excellence I want to thank them all for their dedication and in East Jerusalem, serving the Palestinian commitment. Without our staff, we would population. The report also tells how our be nothing. supporters and donors pivoted too, and enabled all this to happen by providing extra funding, The year of the pandemic’s arrival taught us flexibility in reporting mechanisms, and to see how fragile life is, even in the wealthier specifically earmarked funding to support parts of the world. We are inter-connected, and staff dealing with the new situation. where one of us suffers, we all suffer. As vaccines begin to be used as an element to combat the But what this report also shows, and what I pandemic we are also reminded that unless find most amazing, is that the normal work of vaccine distribution reaches everyone, everyone World Service and our country programs also will remain vulnerable to new waves and new continued. Where needed, it was adapted mutations of the virus. None of us will be safe and new methodologies used, but our work in until all are safe. protection and social cohesion, sustainable livelihoods and quality services continued. In We thank you, our supporters, for joining us in this 2020 World Service reached over 2.4 million work as we continue to find evidence that we can people – girls and boys, women and men. make a difference, for Hope and a Future. Over half were children whose education and sometimes feeding programs were disrupted because of lockdowns and other restrictions. Maria Immonen Our emergency operations in many countries LWF World Service Director even grew, and it became evident that for communities dealing with displacement, floods or severe drought and malnutrition, COVID-19 was, in the end, just one more challenge to cope with. Lutheran World Federation: World Service Annual Report 2020 03 About us LWF World Service is a faith-based humanitarian organization. We are particularly known for our timely and professional humanitarian work, for our long-term development experience, and our field presence in hard-to-reach areas. The Lutheran World Federation that we are able to take the struggles experienced by affected communities to the global level, IMAGE ABOVE is a global communion of 148 Mr. Yagya Gautam Lutheran churches in 99 countries thereby bringing about change over time. (center) briefs the Recognizing countries shift from emergency to local community about worldwide. In 1952, it established the LWF COVID-19 World Service to provide recovery to development conditions, and often response during a humanitarian and development back again, we strive to remain with communities handover of medical support to people affected by war for as long as necessary through sustainable, equipment at the quality programming carried out by committed hospital in Morang, and other disasters. staff where accountability, learning, safety, and Nepal. Today, LWF World Service has grown to operate security are prioritized. Photo: LWF/S. Rai in 27 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, A rights-based approach underpins our work in and Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2020, livelihoods, quality services, and protection and we served 2.4 million people, of whom half social cohesion, paying particular attention to were refugees and internally displaced persons. climate and gender justice. LWF World Service We have 7,615 staff globally, mostly national operates through strategic partnerships, employees and incentive workers, with only 35 including civil society and local governments, staff in headquarter functions, making us a locally LWF member churches and faith communities, connected and highly decentralized organization. LWF World Service also comprises a diverse related organizations, United Nations agencies, range of international staff: of the 18 Country and global networks. Representatives alone, 17 come from different During the COVID-19 pandemic, we worked countries across all regions of the globe. intensively to ensure our work continued in all We are driven by a commitment to challenge and country programs and emergency operations address both the causes and effects of human despite limited travel and restricted access to suffering and poverty by linking local responses communities. The statistics you see here and the to national and international advocacy, and we stories you will read throughout this report are a do this by working at individual, community and result of a deeply committed team across all of institutional levels. It is through this approach our operations. 04 Lutheran World Federation: World Service Annual Report 2020 Our staff Geneva headquarters: 35 staff (0.4%) International staff: 54 (0.7%) 7,615 National staff: 2,528 (33.2%) Incentive staff: 4,364 (57.3%) Volunteers: 634 (8.3%) 67.8% 5,162 male 32.2% 2,453 female People we serve Refugees: 1,018,863 (41%) IDP: 391,598 (16%) 2,484,110 Host communities and people at risk: 1,073,649 (43%) Age Adults: 1,223,120 (49%) Children: 5–18 yrs 959,730 (39%) Infants: <5 yrs 301,260 (12%) IMAGE ABOVE 49% 1,217,877 male 51% 1,266,233 female LWF Volunteer Esraa from Jordan leads a ceramics class at the LWF community centre in Zarqa. Through a Statistics based on data entered in the LWF’s PMER System, Newdea, as of 4 May 2021 variety of activities, the center offers psychosocial support and strengthens social OUR STRATEGY cohesion among Syrian, Iraqi and other refugees Our programmatic framework in Jordan and their host focuses on protecting and fulfilling communities. the rights of refugees, internally Photo: LWF/Albin Hillert displaced people (IDPs) and returnees, as well as hosts and at-risk communities, to access improved livelihoods, quality services, and protection and social cohesion. The three areas cut across the humanitarian, early recovery, and development phases of our work, and embed advocacy and a rights-based approach into each one. Lutheran World Federation: World Service Annual Report 2020 05 REFUGEES SPEAK OUT I am a woman of the world.