Faith-Based & Community Organizations

An Afghan girl looks at the camera during a Women's Day ceremony held by the All Afghan Women Union in Kabul on March 8, 2009.

Massoud Hossaini / AFP

USAID relies on the strength of faith-based and community groups to raise awareness around critical issues.  Through the Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI), USAID provides assistance to people in need all over the world by:

• Connecting small non-governmental organizations with the USAID mission

• Connecting groups with similar goals to each other and encouraging collaboration

• Informing groups and organizations about partnership opportunities

In 2010, USAID, in collaboration with the Pakistan Ministry of Population Welfare, brought together religious leaders from six different Islamic sects – Shia, Ahle, Hadith, Deobandi, Barelvi, and Sunni – for the first time. The purpose of the workshop was to educate the religious leaders about the role of modern contraceptives in ensuring that pregnancies are timed and spaced to occur at the healthiest times of a woman’s life, thus helping to achieve the best health outcomes for women, newborns, and children.

By the end of 2012, an additional 100 religious leaders were trained in each of Pakistan’s 134 districts.  A reli­gious leader who attended said the workshop was:

“...instrumental in removing doubts and misperceptions regarding family planning...[and] we now realize that spacing between pregnancies is the fully Islamic way of living.”

For general questions or more information on how to apply for funding please contact us by email.