The Christian Urban development association

SCROLL DOWN

The Christian Urban development association

Urban development

as the promotion of total wellbeing

The Christian Urban Development Association is a non-governmental, non-profit, faith-based organization that empowers vulnerable communities in urban Peru to overcome cycles of poverty. Our vision of justice, wellbeing, and joy in the city leads us to promote physical, psychological, social, and spiritual wellbeing through projects in the areas of education, health, finance, and the environment.

Our mission

CUDA’s mission is to promote holistic wellbeing among vulnerable urban populations. CUDA networks resources and carries out programs that empower sustainable improvement in individual, family, and community quality of life.

Our goal is holistic wellbeing

Our measure for urban development is holistic wellbeing. That’s what we aim for. We implement processes that focus on empowering people in sustainable ways. Long-term development must be focused on processes that lead to long-term results, not short-term products. For example, with our Living Libraries program, we do not just put a library in a school. We give the school a process to follow (over the course of three years) that empowers the school to do literacy education better in the long-term.

We empower vulnerable communities in Arequipa, Peru through processes in the areas of education, health, finance, theology, and the environment.

“People and processes, not projects and products.”

— When Helping Hurts

How we serve

Empowering sustainable holistic development

How we serve

Empowering sustainable holistic development

Sustainable, high-impact, long-term development involves:

(1) Being learners first.
(2) Forming relationships with the people we serve.
(3) Working with and empowering community members.
(4) Employing available local resources and appropriate external resources.
(5) Serving the whole person.

We value

CHRISTLIKENESS

As a Christian organization, CUDA strives to imitate the love and service of Jesus. His vision of good news to the poor and his humble, relational style frame our work. CUDA projects are no-strings-attached, but field workers share their faith openly, and all clients are aware of what motivates us.

Holism

Because we see the person as an integrated whole, CUDA promotes total wellbeing. While it is impossible to be comprehensive, CUDA projects aim at addressing multiple factors in human development and quality-of-life.

Empowerment

The poor have their own resources and abilities. CUDA seeks to collaborate with the poor in ways that respect and unlock their potential.

Sustainability

The simple need for funds in order to carry out projects can often create dependency in development work. CUDA is committed to managing assets and projects in ways that promote independence and sustainability. We want our work to continue as long at it is beneficial, and we want development to continue in our absence whenever possible.