A Better World (ABW) is an organization that is based in

Lacombe, Alberta Lacombe ( ) is a city in central Alberta, Canada. It is located approximately north of Red Deer, Alberta, Red Deer, the nearest major city, and south of Edmonton, the nearest metropolitan area. The city is set in the rolling parkland of central ...

, Canada. It is a

charitable organization A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definitio ...

, founded in 1990.

Eric Rajah Eric Rajah (born January 12, 1958) is a Sri Lankan-born Canadians, Canadian businessman and Humanitarianism, humanitarian based in Lacombe, Alberta, Lacombe, Alberta. Early life and education Eric Rajah was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, on Janua ...

is one of the co-founders of ABW. More than 1800 people had volunteered on ABW projects by 2010.

Projects

ABW has several projects in

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

, including the support of a

hospital A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...

Maasai Mara Maasai Mara, sometimes also spelt Masai Mara and locally known simply as The Mara, is a large national game reserve in Narok County, Kenya, contiguous with the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. It is named in honour of the Maasai people, th ...

. ABW has also provided

humanitarian aid Humanitarian aid is material and Humanitarian Logistics, logistic assistance, usually in the short-term, to people in need. Among the people in need are the homelessness, homeless, refugees, and victims of natural disasters, wars, and famines. Th ...

to Burmese refugees in India. In 2009, Cross Roads Church in

Red Deer The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or Hart (deer), hart, and a female is called a doe or hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Ir ...

considered partnering with ABW on a project to give two

internally displaced person An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who is forced to leave their home but who remains within their country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the legal definitions of a refugee. I ...

s camps in

Kosti, Sudan Kosti (also Kusti, ) is one of the major cities in Sudan that lies south of Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, and stands on the western bank of the White Nile river opposite Rabak, the capital of the White Nile state and is connected to it by ...

, access to a water source. In 2011, Azalea Lehndorff started the 100 Classroom Project, an ABW initiative that educates girls in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

. The goal of the project is to build 100 classrooms in

Jowzjan Province Jowzjan, sometimes spelled Jawzjan or Jowzjan () is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the north of the country bordering neighboring Turkmenistan. The province is divided into 11 districts and contains hundreds of villag ...

in the space of three years. ABW has also helped with building development of St Luke's Leprosarium, Peikulum in Tamil Nadu.

Partnership with Raise Their Voice

ABW partnered with Raise Their Voice throughout the 2012 tour of

Andrew Kooman Andrew Kooman is an author and playwright from Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. Personal life Andrew Kooman is from Red Deer, Alberta, and graduated from the Bachelor of Arts collaborative degree program between Red Deer College and the University of ...

's '' She Has a Name''; while the play toured across Canada to raise awareness about

human trafficking Human trafficking is the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. This exploitation may include forced labor, sexual slavery, or oth ...

, ABW raised money to help women and children who had been trafficked in Thailand as part of the country's prostitution industry. Specifically, the money raised went to Home of New Beginnings, a

safe house A safe house (also spelled safehouse) is a dwelling place or building whose unassuming appearance makes it an inconspicuous location where one can hide out, take shelter, or conduct clandestine activities. Historical usage It may also refer to ...

established in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

in 2006, where former human trafficking victims can receive

life skills-based education Life skills-based education (LSBE) is a form of education that focuses on cultivating personal life skills such as self-reflection, critical thinking, problem solving and interpersonal skills. In 1986, the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion rec ...

and spiritual healing, thereby allowing them to attain a healthy and financially stable lifestyle. At the time of the 2012 tour of the play, Home of New Beginnings had 17 residents, the oldest being 33 and the youngest being 11. From their fundraising initiative with Raise Their Voice, ABW hoped to raise $12000 to pay an outstanding property bill, $18000 to buy two

auto rickshaw An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. They are known by many other terms in various countries, including three-wheeler, Adaidaita Sahu, Keke-napep, Maruwa, auto, ...

s, $9000 to finance a training building, $9000 to buy

vocational education Vocational education is education that prepares people for a skilled craft. Vocational education can also be seen as that type of education given to an individual to prepare that individual to be gainfully employed or self employed with req ...

equipment, and $5000 to finance a gift shop in which the residents sell products they have made, such as baked goods. All five members of Raise Their Voice had previous connections with ABW, and the plan to have the two organizations working in conjunction had been developing since 2011. The

program Program (American English; also Commonwealth English in terms of computer programming and related activities) or programme (Commonwealth English in all other meanings), programmer, or programming may refer to: Business and management * Program m ...

passed out at each performance recommended ABW to audiences as a good organization to support, as well as listing the websites of several other

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Better World Adventist organizations established in the 20th century Children's charities based in Canada Christian educational organizations Christian organizations established in 1990 Development charities based in Canada Independent ministries of the Seventh-day Adventist Church International volunteer organizations Lacombe, Alberta Organizations based in Alberta Foreign charities operating in Kenya Foreign charities operating in Thailand Social welfare parachurch organizations Human trafficking in Thailand Adventism in Canada