The Salvation Army is there for people around the world. Our international development work plays a key part in achieving the organisation’s overall objective of helping people live with independence, dignity and a sense of purpose. But the limits of solidarity are becoming apparent – it has fractured and faltered as Western states – most notably the US – have cut back or ended their aid programmes. Switzerland is no exception here, and has scaled back its international cooperation by several hundred million francs.
Although The Salvation Army is also affected by these cuts, we have not yet had to end any projects – partly thanks to the support of private and institutional donors. In 2025, we again reached around 300,000 people in over a dozen partner countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia.
We continue to operate in places where others have turned away their focus, or where state funding has been cut. In Haiti, for example, the Salvation Army’s new school programme has enabled some 2,500 pupils to attend school. We therefore remain the largest non-state education provider in the country, where 1,600 schools closed in 2025 alone. Following the earthquake in Myanmar in March 2025, 3,000 families received food packages and medicines, providing them with a vital foundation to live with independence, dignity and purpose.
Confidence and hope
Hear the stories of people The Salvation Army has supported – people who are at the heart of our work. Krayzie Heroda, Nisha Haleen and Bruno da Silva tell us about their lives and how they’re fighting for a better future and new opportunities – for themselves, their families and their communities. Their moving and inspirational stories, full of confidence and hope, show the impact international cooperation can make.
States are withdrawing, but The Salvation Army remains
What is the global impact of the budget cuts in development cooperation? And how do private aid organisations like The Salvation Army respond to this unprecedented dismantling of state development cooperation?
We wrote an article exploring these issues in the ‘Spendenreport 2025’ (2025 Donations Report), published by the Zewo foundation and Swissfundraising.
In addition to long-term development cooperation, The Salvation Army also provides rapid and targeted assistance in disasters. In 2025, this included support for people affected by the earthquake in Myanmar and Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean.
Myanmar
On 28 March 2025 a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Myanmar, killing 3,300 people and leaving thousands more injured or homeless. The local Salvation Army provided emergency humanitarian aid.
Teams on the ground distributed vital relief supplies such as water, rice, cooking oil, blankets and mats in Mandalay and the surrounding areas – including in isolated villages that were challenging to reach. Over 450 households received emergency assistance. In addition, a longer-term emergency aid project was initiated to support thousands more families. Partially funded by donations from Switzerland, the local Salvation Army is providing those affected with food, clean water, a place to sleep and solar lighting.
Jamaica
Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica on 28 October 2025, with wind speeds exceeding 300km/h leaving a trail of destruction including impassable roads, damaged houses and landslides. It was among the most powerful storms ever recorded. The sustained winds and days of torrential rain caused power cuts and damaged the drinking water supply across the country, with many families losing their homes.
The Salvation Army was on the ground immediately after the storm and was able to respond rapidly thanks to its established local presence – even in hard-to-access regions. Over 212,000 people across the island received emergency aid, including 27,000 bottles of water, 25,000 hygiene sets, 9,000 food packages, 131,000 meal kits and 66,000 meals. Support from Switzerland helped ensure that people could again meet basic requirements in terms of food, water and communication, clearly demonstrating how targeted assistance on the ground can support people in acute emergencies.
Salvation Army support following Hurricane Melissa
Our work in figures
523
families in Kenya received rainwater tanks under co-funding models, leaving them with more time to attend school, work and rest instead of making daily trips to fetch contaminated water.
93 %
of households in Zimbabwe increased their income through savings groups, income-boosting activities such as poultry farming and beekeeping, and harvest surpluses of up to 40%.
1,250
people – mostly young women – completed vocational training with the Salvation Army’s support – five times as many as expected.
21,909
project participants learned their rights and now have the confidence to assert them. The use of corporal punishment in day-to-day life has fallen.
22,248
people learned how to recognise and prevent sexual and gender-based violence and how to seek help.
10%
more women participated in village committees and other decision-making and management bodies in our projects in 2025 compared to 2024 – a sign that empowering and supporting women has a real impact.
2025 report for 'Clean water for Africa' sponsorship
Alongside Kenya, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, we are now also implementing projects with WASH components in South Africa and the Republic of the Congo. Three new learning centres in the Republic of the Congo were provided with access to water via borehole wells. In Kenya, new water tanks were installed in more than 500 households and toilets were built in six schools. The installation of new water tanks in 21 other schools provided children with access to clean drinking water, while hygiene training courses also took place in 19 communities.
An external evaluation conducted in Zimbabwe confirmed that the WASH project helped to improve food security and dietary diversity while strengthening numerous local value chains. The major WASH project in Zambia also concluded in 2025 after making great strides: 93% of participating households said they had better access to clean drinking water.
“We no longer have to make long journeys to fetch water.”
Stella Mayoukou (46)
Republic of the Congo
Stella Mayoukou's success story
"My husband and I have four children. We live in the Republic of the Congo, where we grow cassava and peanuts. After a series of misfortunes left us with nothing, the Salvation Army project gave us fresh hope and a new foundation to build on. We now have better access to clean drinking water, my children are sick less often and I have more time for the harvest. I’m proud of the direction the project is taking and the progress we are making. I am part of the project, and can attend meetings and help make decisions to ensure our community undergoes a real transformation."
What was achieved with the 2025 donations?
Most of the funding was used to drill boreholes and build toilet facilities and hygiene stations. Other expenditure covered salaries for project staff, solar panels to power the borehole pumps, and additional hygiene measures. These include training courses to raise awareness in communities and schools, providing participants with vital information on health and hygiene and thereby contributing to disease prevention.
Outlook for the future
In South Africa, the fifth country with an active Salvation Army WASH project, more than 10,000 people have received access to clean drinking water, including 6,000 children. The project’s staff were recruited in 2025, and the implementation of the first activities will begin this year. There are also two new project phases with WASH components starting in Zambia and Zimbabwe, following the successful completion and evaluation of the two previous projects.
Other themed sponsorships
The Salvation Army offers three other themed sponsorships in addition to the one for children and families: clean water for Africa, education worldwide, and knowledge and education in Haiti. The themed sponsorships allow us to put your donations to work in an ongoing and sustainable manner.
