Our Story

The Adventist Aid and Development Agency (ADRA) was established in November 1956 by the Seventh-day Adventist Church to provide humanitarian aid and welfare. Originally called Seventh-day Adventist Welfare Service or SAWS, the name was changed to Seventh-day Adventist World Service in 1973.
In 1958, saws declared relief shipments to 22 countries with a total value of approximately $485,000. Four years later, the number of countries had risen to 29, for a total value of $2.3 million in shipments. During this period, many countries benefited, particularly those in South America and the Middle East, the scene of major disasters.
In the mid-1970s, the organization began to broaden its mission from disaster relief to programs leading to long-term development. In 1983, SAWS underwent another name change to better reflect its global mission and activities, becoming the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA).
ADRA's work expanded rapidly, with major programs in several countries focusing on community development, food distribution, institutional development and disaster relief. From an initial global staff of around 600, ADRA's activities soon included: building health clinics in Africa, helping hurricane victims in Central America, teaching hygiene and health to children in Asia, and raising awareness of global humanitarian needs through ADRA's Global Village in the USA.

ADRA is currently one of the world's leading non-governmental relief organizations. In 1997, the United Nations granted the agency General Consultative Status, a unique opportunity to give ADRA an additional voice in the international community. In 2004, it helped nearly 24 million people with over $159 million in aid. More than 4,000 ADRA staff are currently working in 125 countries. As new challenges and needs arise, ADRA continues to strive to fulfill its mission of reflecting God's love through humanitarian acts of service.
 
In TOGO, in response to a call from members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Togo to bring aid to the needy and to contribute effectively to the economic and social development of the Togolese population, the Agency was created in 1988, in accordance with the terms of reference adopted by the Togolese government.