The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) was initiated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The basis for its existence, its reason for being, is to follow Christ’s example by being a voice for, serving, and partnering with those in need.

ADRA seeks to identify and address social injustice and deprivation in developing countries. The agency’s work seeks to improve the quality of life of those in need. ADRA invests in the potential of these individuals through community development initiatives targeting Food Security, Economic Development, Primary Health and Basic Education. ADRA’s emergency management initiatives provide aid to disaster survivors.

ADRA Sao Tome and Principe is present in São Tomé and Principe since 1992 and in 1998 ADRA became officially registered in the country. In the last 5 years ADRA managed more than $1,500,000 in assistance to promote development and alleviate poverty impacting in more than 30.000 lives.

About the Country

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Background: Discovered and claimed by Portugal in the late 15th century, the islands' sugar-based economy gave way to coffee and cocoa in the 19th century - all grown with plantation slave labor, a form of which lingered into the 20th century. While independence was achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not instituted until the late 1980s. The country held its first free elections in 1991, but frequent internal wrangling between the various political parties precipitated repeated changes in leadership and two failed coup attempts in 1995 and 2003. The recent discovery of oil in the Gulf of Guinea promises to attract increased attention to the small island nation.

Location: Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator, west of Gabon

Population: 179,506 (July 2011 est.)

Infant mortality: total: 53.21 deaths/1,000 live births

Major infectious disease:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
animal contact disease: rabies (2009)

Religions: Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 84.9% male: 92.2% female: 77.9% (2001 census)

Sources:

CIA Factbook
ADRA International