Disasters, poverty, exploitation, and a changing climate. Tearfund supporters have championed bold, compassionate responses to some of the world’s toughest challenges, for more than 50 years.
Thanks to your generosity, Tearfund has partnered with trusted Christian organisations to create community-led solutions that help communities thrive and care for their most vulnerable.
Together, we’ve been able to move beyond short-term fixes to long-term change that transforms lives for good.
In Nepal, women and their families take part in training to protect themselves and others from human trafficking. Photo: Tearfund
From Rescue to Resilience: Tackling the Root Causes of Human Trafficking
When we first started confronting human trafficking together, the focus was mainly on rescuing people from harmful situations and supporting survivors. These efforts saved lives from harm, but the root causes remained. For every person rescued, others were trafficked in their place.
The system itself had to change.
Preventing Human Trafficking in Nepal
In 2008, Tearfund began partnering with Share and Care, a grassroots organisation in Nepal. At the time, thousands of Nepalese people were being trafficked into India, lured by fake job offers and sold into brothels or forced labour.
Share and Care focused on prevention by:
- Helping communities understand traffickers’ tactics
- Creating income-generating activities to overcome poverty
- Guiding people toward safe migration opportunities
- Working to change social attitudes
And it worked. In communities where survivors of sexual exploitation were once shunned, dignity and acceptance began to take root. Survivors were no longer hidden but empowered to rebuild their lives within their communities.
Strengthening Justice Systems in Thailand
In 2013, the commitment of Tearfund supporters allowed us to start a new partnership with Nvader to fight trafficking in Thailand.
Like many organisations, Nvader began with rescues, but soon recognised that real impact came from deterring criminals in the first place through stronger policies and laws. Now known as LIFT International, the organisation turned its focus to collecting intelligence, facilitating prosecutions and survivor compensation, and working with government to strengthen legal systems.
Survivors were supported in their healing and courageously testified against their traffickers — helping to secure justice and prevent further abuse of others.
Thanks to the unwavering commitment and financial gifts of our supporters, Tearfund has been able to trial and innovate solutions to human trafficking that go beyond short-term rescue to long-term systemic change that stops modern slavery and exploitation for good.
Introducing milk chilling centres was a game-changer for Sri Lankan smallholder dairy farmers. Photo: Tearfund
Farming and Enterprise: Harnessing Business to Overcome Poverty
The brutal civil war in Sri Lanka, which ended in 2009, left millions of families without loved ones or livelihoods. Many of those left behind — especially widowed women and children—fell deep into poverty.
Yet even amid violence and loss, we know that with God, it’s never the end of the story.
Rebuilding Livelihoods in Sri Lanka
New Zealand has long been a leader in dairy farming. When an opportunity arose to partner with the community organisation Yugashakti, it felt like a God moment.
What followed has been a 15-year partnership, leveraging New Zealand’s dairy expertise to support small-scale Sri Lankan farmers.
Over the years, the programme has:
- Provided training in animal care, feeding, and breeding
- Established field schools and mentoring groups
- Built milk collection centres to improve market access
- Introduced milk chilling stations, enabling farmers to keep milk fresh and secure better prices
The result has been stronger rural economies and more resilient livelihoods for families devastated by war—allowing them to look to the future with hope.
Innovation in Mongolia's Harsh Conditions
A continent away in Mongolia, the winter of 2009–2010 was catastrophic. More than eight million animals died in freezing temperatures, sending nomadic herders who relied on them into crisis.
Tearfund partnered with FARM Mongolia and a New Zealand agriculture and horticulture specialist to assist families to grow vegetables resilient to the harsh environment.
This initiative required not only technical innovation, but a cultural shift away from nomadic herding and a constant diet of meat. However, it was necessary for families to survive while rebuilding their lost herds.
Standard tunnel houses deteriorated quickly in the extreme conditions, so Tearfund introduced rammed earth tunnel houses that trapped heat and extended the short growing season. New underground storage facilities prevented produce from freezing in sub-zero temperatures.
Families began growing and selling crops such as potatoes, cabbage, and tomatoes—improving diets, restoring income, rebuilding herds, and strengthening resilience against future environmental shocks.
Traditional herders turn to growing vegetables after extreme weather wiped out their livestock. Photo: Tearfund.
The SAFE Programme: A Holistic Approach to Protecting Communities from Exploitation
Seeing how these efforts—addressing human trafficking and building resilience through farming and enterprise — have strengthened communities over time, Tearfund recently stepped out in faith to launch a new initiative: the SAFE Programme.
SAFE stands for Safe, Aware, Free and Empowered. This five-year, multi-million-dollar programme is backed by the New Zealand Government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and Tearfund supporters. It is currently active in:
- Fiji
- Vanuatu
- Sri Lanka
- Solomon Islands
- Myanmar
When people live in poverty, their risk of exploitation rises sharply. By increasing incomes through agriculture and educating women and children about their rights, the SAFE Programme helps reduce vulnerability to exploitation of all kinds. It also strengthens legal protections and advocates for change at local and national levels.
Tailored to each country’s context—whether coffee farmers in Vanuatu or dairy farmers in Sri Lanka—the programme is expected to impact more than 100,000 people by 2026.
Agriculture initiatives in the Solomon Islands are making communities less vulnerable to exploitation. Photo: Tearfund
Facing Environmental Challenges in the Pacific
In the Pacific Islands, environmental pressures are an urgent reality.
In Fiji and Vanuatu, rising sea levels, erratic weather, and changing seasons threaten food security and livelihoods.
When you support Tearfund’s farming and enterprise initiatives, you are helping strengthen communities at risk through three core strategies:
• Introducing climate-smart agriculture to boost food and income security
• Integrating carbon credits to reduce emissions and open new economic pathways
• Ensuring women are central to solutions and involved in key decision-making roles
Through this bold, two-year initiative—also backed by MFAT—families are learning how to diversify crops, protect biodiversity, and lead their own solutions.
Supporters gather in Christchurch for one of Tearfund's 50th Celebration events. Photo: Tearfund
A Legacy of Transformation
Over five decades, Tearfund supporters have helped pioneer some of the most innovative responses to global challenges.
Because of your generosity:
• Children are safer
• Farmers are thriving
• Survivors are standing tall
• Communities are more resilient than ever
Thank you for being part of this bold, compassionate journey. The story isn’t over, but because of you, it is full of innovation and hope
Support the SAFE Programme or learn more.
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