Make A Donation
Click Here >
Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People
The clouds opened up, dropping heavy rain and forcing members of the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People (SDOP) to huddle under a thatch roof to meet with members of the Trio Farmers’ Cooperative in Belize. SDOP recently spent a week visiting villages in remote sections of the country to see how work has progressed in enterprises that have received SDOP financial support.
A little more than six years ago, the families living in remote villages in the Toledo region of Belize were facing some serious problems. Children were undernourished, barely attending school, and there was little income to be made.
Belize has been described as a country of contrast. The Central American nation is bordered by Mexico, Guatemala and the Caribbean Sea. To the tourist, it is a beautiful vacation getaway with sandy beaches, abundant marine life and various cultural attractions. But members of the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People (SDOP) have found much more beyond this tourist image
The Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People has a long list of volunteers who champion the ministry’s mission. For the Rev. Johnny Monroe, its been a lifelong commitment.
Low-income residents and immigrant communities in the Washington, D.C., area are getting help from a local nonprofit that’s supported in part by the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People. ONE DC is working to improve social and economic equity by organizing, training and educating residents in the Shaw neighborhood and the District.
Wesley Woo spent years on the staff of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). During this time, he developed a keen interest in the work of the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People (SDOP), but because he was on staff, he could not serve on the committee.
Each year, on a Sunday during Lent, Presbyterians take a day to celebrate the mission and ministry of the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People (SDOP). For nearly 50 years SDOP has helped poor, oppressed, and disadvantaged communities by establishing partnerships within those communities to address issues such as mass incarceration, labor and worker rights, clean water and natural resources, youth empowerment, and ending the exploitation of immigrants.
