CDA (Corporation God is Love) is a non profit organization founded in 1996 upon the missionary work of a New Zealand expat, Lindsay Lloyd Christie (1934 - 1994), which for over 18 years has built an important track record, working in partnership with international development entities, such as Woord en Daad, in The Netherlands; and Word and Deed in Canada, among others, as well as partnering with corporate foundations and government agencies. CDA is member of the Caribbean and Latin-American Alliance, CLARA, working with grassroots organizations in Haiti, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Colombia to achieve a greater level of effectiveness in each of its efforts.

 

We are active in the levels of Direct Poverty Reduction, Societal Structure and Advocacy. Our commitment is toward ensuring relevance of our actions and tangible results. We work to become a valuable actor in the process of generating an improvement in the quality of life of individuals and families victims of poverty, violence and conflict.

 

APPROACH

 

Faced with a context characterized by violence and lack of access to the most essential services needed by a human being, CDA stands for an approach to development that is based on the fundamental value of Dignity.

 

We work from the individual to the collective sphere, from the mind, to the heart, to action.

 

CDA works toward the sustainable transformation of individuals living in poverty, and the systems they are part of, considering the multifaceted and multidimensional characteristics of poverty. The path followed leads both people and stakeholders to participate in processes that enhance their capability to take on responsibility for their own development, with a clear understanding of their identity and purpose in this world.

 

CORE VALUES

 

Dignity. Each human being, having been crafted in the image and likeness of God, has an intrinsic value that makes them worthy, obliging respect for their condition and identity, independent of their economic, social or cultural condition or beliefs. The worth of every human life is the reason why we take action.

 

Integrity. Each human being has been endowed with talents and abilities, is responsible for their own life and has the right to enjoy the world in which he lives. Therefore, each person must have the opportunity to develop their talents and potential, in order to enjoy the benefits of their training and the application these abilities offer, placing them at the service of their society or group.

 

Freedom. Every human being has an intrinsic power inherent to their condition, whereby they have the capacity to value and respect the dignity and integrity of others, and the right to receive reciprocal treatment. People should therefore exercise sovereignty over their own process of development.

 

OUR INSPIRATION

 

Love. The kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind, enable us to obey His mandate of Loving one another and be an example of His word put into action

 

Identity. Every human being has been created in the image of God. In this, all human beings are equal, while also diverse and unique. Man stands apart from all other creatures because of his relationship to God. Man was the crown of the physical creation and was designed to rule over it.

 

Stewardship. Jesus saw the large crowds and had compassion on them. Linked directly to the principle of Love, compassion implies being moved by others, not only their suffering but also their aspirations and capacity.

 

Compassion. Every human being is created as a responsible creature. This implies we are responsible for our own lives, the people around us, and are to have an attitude of respect and protectiveness towards life. We believe in the responsibility of making the world a better place.

 

Interdependence. We are completely dependant on God, knowing that apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5) and that we are individual parts of a much larger organism, -The Body of Christ-. Our actions are never completely isolated from others.

 

OUR PROGRAMS

 

We work through five program areas, Education, Basic Needs, Child Protection, Community Development and Income Generation, which together have an overarching nature. These constitute the five main interconnected areas common to the implementation of all projects; condensing the functional activity and guiding the organization's efforts towards these five strategic social fields. 

 

The program focus defines and guides actions, facilitating the achievement of results that will significantly impact the individuals, families and communities with whom we work toward a sustainable transformation. 

 

Finally, the program focus provides a thematic scenario for the development of research and innovation, essential for the current institutional vision.