As we come to the end of 2025, FH Canada is celebrating another milestone! We’ve officially completed 100 partnerships with communities around the world.
100 communities in Ethiopia, Haiti, Peru, Burundi, Bangladesh, Rwanda, Guatemala, Burundi, Cambodia, and Uganda are thriving. All thanks to the support of over 20,000 Canadian individuals, churches, and businesses who’ve given faithfully for over three decades.
Together, we’ve walked with communities as they pursue their visions for a stronger future. We’ve listened, supported local leadership, and stayed long enough to see stability take root. We’ve seen what’s possible when partnership is patient, consistent, and grounded in dignity.
- In Svay Leu, Cambodia, families now have enough to eat 99% of the year
- In Busekera, Rwanda, 97.8% of children are in school by age 7
- In Mbale, Uganda, 91% of households now have access to clean water
- In Busekera, Rwanda, 99.5% of families own a farm animal
Now, we are ready to begin the journey to the next 100 partnerships.
With the knowledge from the last thirty years, we are making an exciting shift to how we partner going forward.
In May 2025, I had the privilege of visiting Bergville, South Africa, to see the work of the Gabriel Foundation. I had heard about their work through the Food for the Hungry International Federation (FHIF). The Gabriel Foundation is part of a network of local organizations supported by FHIF with training and small grants to support community transformation.
The foundation was founded by a woman named Monicah Zanele, with the support of her family. After years of working for an international NGO, Monicah knew she wanted to do things differently and wanted to transform her own community of Bergville, KwaZulu Natal. As we drove by the high school, Monicah proudly pointed out that she had attended the school in her youth. She wants today’s youth of Bergville to have more opportunities than her peers did. Unemployment in KwaZulu Natal sits at about 48 per cent, and alcoholism and domestic violence are major social challenges in the community.
As we moved through the community, Monicah was clearly well-known and loved. She was greeted by name and conversed easily as a friend. Monicah started her work in Bergville by introducing New Nations Training, developed by FHIF, to in churches and community groups. The training is designed to help people see what God has already provided and open trainees' eyes to the possibilities that already exist in their communities.
Monicah Zanele (second from left in the grey jacket) founder of The Gabriel Foundation with members of Bergville Comunity including Cebisile on the far left.
In addition to changing mindsets, Monicah is also working with women and traditional leaders in Bergville to address the issue of domestic violence. She set up a women’s shelter to help women escape abuse and build better lives for themselves.
During the day in Bergville, I heard many stories of how the training and support had changed people’s perspectives and confidence. One of the women I met named Cebisile learned to weave from her grandmother. She specialized in making traditional mats, called Icansi, from seasonal grass. Icansi are used in South Africa for many purposes and are in demand for modern decor and traditional wedding gifts.
Cebisile (left) showing us her icansi and other handmade crafts and explaining their importance in South African cultures.
Cebisile not only knew how to weave, but also understood the planting and harvesting cycle of the particular grass needed to produce the valuable, authentic Icansi. Cebisile is now making a better living selling Icansi and other crafts. She is also part of a community-based co-operative garden started with others who took the New Nations training. They sell the produce for income, and the co-op has strengthened community relationships and improved nutrition for their children.
Stories like these demonstrate that our model of community-centred development is effective across the world through local organizations. We realize we can do even more through partnerships that build on the strengths that donors have supported for years:
- Local leadership shaping the direction
- Partnerships starting with an end in mind—putting dignity before dependency
- Practical support rooted in what’s already growing
These foundations will stay at the centre of who we are. For example, knowledge of the value of Icansi and the inputs needed to produce it are indigenous to Bergville; assets within a community that we might miss as outsiders. This is why leaders like Monicah, with knowledge of the community resources, are better placed to see the potential in partner communities.
Over the past three decades, we have seen growing evidence of stronger outcomes when local leaders are supported and strengthened.
The Gabriel Foundation works with local church leaders to change mindsets and set the children in Bergville on a pathway to a more hope-filled future.
That is why, starting in 2026, our next 100 community partnerships will be with organizations like Gabriel Foundation and leaders like Monicah who are already embedded in communities and who will be there when we exit—as we always do.
FH Canada’s history of long-term holistic community development provides clear evidence that this approach leads to sustained improvements in child well-being, food security, education, and livelihoods. Independent research consistently shows that development efforts led by capable local organizations create deeper community ownership, more sustainable outcomes, and faster adaptation to changing needs.
The transition to new partners doesn’t change the model—it strengthens our ability to apply what we’ve learned over decades of effective practice and reflects the growing evidence that locally-led work delivers stronger, long-term impact.
Over the next five years, we have set a goal to impact 600,000 people each year through investing in local leaders around the world. We will achieve this with support from you and the community of Canadians who walked with us to reach the first 100 communities.
We’re excited to be on this path, and I invite you to join us as we begin the journey.