Furaha Africa Relief Association (FARA) is a non-profit organization that works in developing nations such as Uganda, South Sudan and the D.R.Congo to:

1. Support the most vulnerable children, youth and families in East Africa through a child sponsorship program.

2. Relieve poverty of people in need by providing basic necessities of life items to individuals and families to help them earn a living.

3. Relieve poverty for families and individuals by providing food, basic necessities and financial assistance for health care.

4. Advance the Christian faith through preaching and training sessions and seminars, providing financial assistance for transportation to attend these sessions and seminars and also providing bibles to individuals and families in need.

Our Mission

Our mission is to relieve poverty by providing basic necessities such as education, nutrition, medical and health care, as well as social services to vulnerable children in East Africa.

To view FARA’s Privacy Policy click here.

Meet the Board

The day to day operations and oversight of Furaha Africa Relief Association (FARA) are carried out by our Board of Directors, with support by a team of volunteers. Each member of FARA’s Board has been personally impacted by East Africa and they have made it their mission to support East Africa through FARA. The Board reports to the membership, who are supportive of the mission and values of FARA.

Ken Wiebe

Ken has spent all of his working life in southern Ontario, has a mechanical background and has served in various positions on a local church and the regional church level of the Church of God there.

In 1988, when Ken’s wife Julie started the Furaha Child Sponsorship Program with the Church of God in Eastern Canada, he assisted her by keeping the financial records of the program and accompanying her on the many trips to Uganda that are part of operating and auditing the program.

Ken is now involved in getting FARA established and serves as President of the Association. He is actively seeking other volunteers to assume various responsibilities to ensure the Association is a continuing success.

Delbert Pierce

Del Pierce is a retired minister who resides in Camrose, Alberta with his wife Lauretta. They have three daughters and four grandchildren. Del's public schooling was in Carrot River and Regina. After graduating from Central Pentecostal College in Saskatoon he was ordained for ministry by the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. In 1998, after serving 27 years as pastor for rural congregations he accepted a role at Gardner College, the Church of God college in Camrose, Alberta. In 2008 he became the Executive Director of Deer Valley Meadows Christian Camp and Retreat Centre and received ministry credentials from the Church of God.

Del and Lauretta retired to Camrose in 2019. They have been sponsoring a child with the Furaha Sponsorship Program since 2002. Del is a member of the Board and is now serving as Treasurer for the Association.

Wendy Inscho

Wendy served for 36 years as Administrative Assistant for the Canadian Church of God Ministries and has retired from this position effective December 31, 2021.

She is married to Keith, and they currently reside in Morden, Manitoba, where Keith serves as the senior pastor at the Morden Church of God. Keith and Wendy have two married daughters and four grandchildren whom they adore. Wendy also enjoys scrapbooking, crafting, gardening and baking up a storm in her kitchen. They have been sponsoring a child with the Furaha Sponsorship Program since 2003.

Wendy is a current member of the Board of Directors and serves as Secretary for the Association. 

Kathy Smith

Kathy has lived her whole life in Ontario, but has had opportunities to travel the world, both as a tourist and in recent years serving on short term mission trips. Her main focus for missions has been South America and Africa but has also been to Southeast Asia.

Kathy’s work career was with a utility in Ontario for just under 45 years. She started in their Service and Billing department and ended up in I.T. building interfaces for this same area. She is recently retired and now working part-time as a receptionist at her church (Evangel Community Church).

Currently she serves on the board of directors for Loads of Love Humanitarian Aid & Mission Society as their treasurer. She also enjoys walking her dog, Baxter, traveling, crocheting, reading and when time permits scrapbooking.

She joined Furaha Africa Relief board as a director in 2023.

Meet our Partners

Furaha Africa Relief Association (FARA) is incredibly blessed to partner with Colleen Stevenson, Missionary for Global Missions in East Africa. Our Sponsorship Program and other projects are enabled by the Stevenson’s giftings, training, dedication and experience, along with their support staff in East Africa.

Colleen Stevenson

Through an agency agreement with Colleen Stevenson, FARA is able to carry out the work of the Sponsorship Program and our outreach projects that reach throughout Uganda, South Sudan and the D.R. Congo.

Volunteers

Furaha Africa Relief Association (FARA) is seeking volunteers to support a number of different functions to carry out the Association's mandate. These positions include adminstration, correspondance work and financial recording keeping. 

We invite you to contact us for details about opportunities to serve.