Alongsiders International is an innovative new grassroots movement mobilizing young Christians across the developing world to walk alongside those who walk alone, their own neighbours (vulnerable orphans and children in their village/slum).
Organization Name: | Alongsiders International Foundation |
Location: | Vancouver, BC |
Project Name: | Comic Book Discipleship and Leadership Curriculum Project (Rwanda) |
Amount Awarded: | $25,000.00 |
Date Awarded: | 12/10/2016 |
Participating Grantmakers: | Bridgeway Foundation, Kehila Fund, Redleaf Foundation, River Dali Fund |
Purpose of Investment: | To expand a grassroots kids-mentoring organization into East Africa through the development of comic book materials into Swahili and English. |
Executive Summary by Alongsiders:
To spread this movement, AI partners with church networks in Asia and Africa to equip thousands of their young Christians to disciple one child each (called a “little brother” or “little sister”) and take them through a 3 year, unique, comic book based discipleship curriculum, that teaches Biblical principles and life skills.
The curriculum is made up of 27 lessons over 3 years (based on the Circle of Courage and other frameworks for working with at risk children and youth). Lessons cover topics such as God’s love, prayer, dealing with abuse, goal-setting, drugs/alcohol, gambling, pornography, servant leadership, creation care, encouragement, community organizing, and many more.
We currently work with church networks and denominations in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Rwanda, Malawi & Senegal. In the coming months we would like to expand to several new Asian and African countries by training up new movement coordinators in those places.
Additionally, we have developed online leadership training (video-based) for the movement coordinators in 12 languages. Once coordinators are trained they are able to mobilize and follow up the Alongsiders in their own region.
Our impact assessment in Cambodia showed that children who have an Alongsider mentor are much more likely than the control group of similar children (from the same village with no Alongsider) to express hope for the future (99% vs 59%), believe that God cares for them (92% vs 34%), be attending school (99% vs 55%) as well as receiving help with their homework (97% vs 38%).
We are seeing similar results in new countries and would like to expand the movement to meet the demand. To do that, we need to develop the curriculum together with local artists and church leaders, as well as train up new movement coordinators.
Measurable Outcomes:
- 18 comic book lessons developed by local artists in Rwanda
- 1000 copies printed in Swahili