Why work with faiths?

Faith groups are the biggest organised element of civil society globally – and often the most influential and trusted. In Africa, for example, 90% of people say they are Christian or Muslim. Faith groups are also involved in more than 50% of schools worldwide.
'Often it is communities of faith and faith-based organisations that are there working when the rest of the world has forgotten about people 
who have no other place to turn.'

– USAID administrator Rajiv Shah
Religion is central to many people's lives throughout the world. More than one in eight people say they belong to a faith and many would say their beliefs and spirituality are the most significant influence shaping their understanding of the world around them. 

In many communities, religious leaders are the most trusted individuals. According to a Gallup Poll commissioned by the BBC World Service in 2005, some 74% of people in Africa identify religious leaders as the group they trust most. 

Yet faith groups are often overlooked by secular organisations as partners in development. Our experience of working with faith communities around the world shows this is a missed opportunity. Consider the following facts. ​
The church can do more for a struggling African village than any other organisation because it is with the people all of the time. Organisations come and visit, but the church is here not only 
on Sunday, but every day of the week.’

Pastor Harry, Fombe village church, Malawi
(as told to Tearfund)

Religions FAQ

Globally, more than eight out of ten people say they belong to a religious group. Here's how the figures stack up:

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2.2 billion people are Christians
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1.6 billion people are  Muslims
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1 billion people are Hindus, most in India
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0.5 billion people are Buddhists
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400 million people belong to folk religions
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58 million other (Sikh, Shinto, Daoist, Jain etc)
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14 million people are Jewish

In addition

  • Faith groups are involved in 50% to 70% of schools worldwide. 
  • The faiths own 7-8% of habitable land on the planet, and have influence over another 15% considered sacred.
  • They are among the largest investment blocks on the global stock market
  • In many countries they are the most trusted institutions – more influential than governments, politicians and military leaders.
(Figures taken from the Pew Forum and the 
Alliance of Religions and Conservation.)

How working with faith schools is different

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Faith schools offer a unique opportunity to engage the wider community. For a start, they are usually linked to the local church, mosque or temple. 

They are also part of a bigger faith structure – the parish, diocese, church headquarters, Islamic Supreme Council or National Hindu Council – which has the leadership and structure to scale up WASH promotion and activities. That's why working with faith schools offers the opportunity to make a broader and deeper impact.
Picture credits, left to right, from top:  Sheik Zayed school, Mombasa, by Mary Bellekom. Church alter, by James Morris. Mombasa mosque by Susie Weldon. 
The Hindu god Ganesh by Oyvind Wahl. Buddhist prayer flags, Ladakh, by Manfred Uhde. African masks by Steve Evans. Itsukushima Shinto 
Shrine by Ranpie. Mullah Jacob's Synagogue, Istafan, by Horizon. Kilimanjaro church, by Susie Weldon.