SAM global
Swiss Christian non-profit organisation focused on personnel development cooperation through education and self-help across Africa, Asia, South America and Switzerland.
Last updated September 29, 2026
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Overview
SAM global (until 2017 Schweizer Allianz Mission, or Swiss Alliance Mission) is a Swiss Christian non-profit organisation headquartered in Winterthur. Its acronym originally stood for Schweizer Allianz Mission; since 2017 it stands for "serve and multiply". The organisation works in personnel development cooperation, with a focus on education, vocational training and help for self-help, aiming to improve livelihoods and to let people of different cultures and religions experience Christianity in practice. SAM global operates through a head office in Winterthur and branches in Ecublens (Romandie), France and Belgium. It reports roughly 80 European staff, numerous volunteers and many local staff. Its country programmes span Africa (Angola, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Cameroon, Chad), Asia (India, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka) and South America (Brazil), plus work among migrants in Switzerland. The official website lists 10 countries plus Switzerland, 92 projects, 17 staff in Switzerland and 35 staff abroad. Parts of these country programmes are supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC/EDA) within the institutional programme of Unité 2025–2028. Its main areas of engagement are primary and vocational education, building small businesses (Business for Transformation, B4T), medical work and health prevention, theological education and practice, livelihood improvement, and awareness-raising. According to Wikipedia, in 2017 1,236 pupils and 234 vocational students attended a school founded by SAM; 3,300 surgical interventions were carried out; 342 people were trained in theology and pastoral services; and 42,721 people were supported in improving their livelihoods. The annual budget in 2013 was CHF 7.5 million. SAM global is a member of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Evangelischer Missionen and the Schweizerische Evangelische Allianz. Its German-language information organ is SAM FOCUS (formerly SAM-Bote); the French-language magazine is SAM Allons. The organisation is structured as an association (Verein) whose highest governing body is an honorary board (Vorstand) that decides strategic direction, with boards in Switzerland, France and Belgium. It has been led by Jürg Pfister since 2008. The organisation's communication follows the seven guidelines developed by Alliance Sud and adopted in Bern on 10 September 2020, and it frames its work around the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
History
The roots of SAM global reach back to the 19th-century faith mission movement. In 1865 the China Inland Mission was founded by the British physician and Baptist missionary Hudson Taylor. In 1889 he helped Fredrik Franson and Carl Polnick establish the Deutsche China-Allianz-Mission. In 1896 the first Swiss, Ernst Fröhlich, travelled to China as a staff member. In 1897 Héli Chatelain founded the Philafrikanische Mission in Angola. In 1902 a Swiss committee of the Allianz-China-Mission was formed. As a consequence of the First World War, all German missionaries were expelled from China in 1919, but the neutral Swiss were allowed to remain; from 1922 the organisation was therefore called simply Allianz-China-Mission (ACM). In 1940 the Swiss association Allianz-China-Mission was founded. In 1951 the last Swiss staff had to return from communist People's Republic of China, and shortly afterwards cooperation began with the Philafrikanische Mission active in Angola. In 1953 a new field of work opened in Japan, and in 1963 in Brazil. Because of the Angolan independence war of 1961–1974 and its aftermath, staff were increasingly sent to Brazil. In 1967 the Allianz-China-Mission was renamed Schweizer Allianz Mission (SAM), while the Philafrikanische Mission became Alliance Missionnaire Evangélique (AME) from 1968. In 1977 the staff member Gandhi Marinova was abducted by the Angolan resistance movement Unita and released only in 1978. In 1981 medical work began in Guinea at the invitation of the government. Since 1992 SAM was active in Sri Lanka. In the same year SAM and AME merged while keeping their names. In 1999 the staff member Therese Fuhrer was murdered in Angola. In 2000 a strategic change took place, and since then the focus has been on partnership-based project work. Various projects have since been handed over to local staff and their organisations. Since 2008 the organisation has been led by Jürg Pfister. In the same year SAM handed over its work in Japan to the Überseeische Missions-Gemeinschaft (ÜMG). In 2011 the relief organisation Vision Africa (VIA) was integrated into SAM, making Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Chad SAM countries of operation. In 2014 SAM received renewed publicity because staff in Macenta, Guinea, worked in the area of the Ebola outbreak, continued to provide medical care and did not leave the country during the epidemic. Since 2016 SAM has been active in India and Cambodia. In 2017 a project among migrants in Switzerland was started. In the same year SAM and AME changed their names to SAM global, with SAM now standing for "serve and multiply". Primarily through education and help for self-help, livelihoods are to be improved. The organisation's communication follows the seven guidelines developed by Alliance Sud and adopted in Bern on 10 September 2020, and it frames its work around the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
- 2017
Project among migrants in Switzerland started; SAM and AME renamed SAM global, with SAM meaning 'serve and multiply'.
- 2016
SAM begins work in India and Cambodia.
- 2014
SAM staff work in Macenta, Guinea during the Ebola outbreak.
- 2011
Vision Africa (VIA) integrated into SAM; Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Chad become SAM countries.
- 2008
Jürg Pfister becomes director; work in Japan handed over to ÜMG.
- 2000
Strategic change towards partnership-based project work.
- 1999
Staff member Therese Fuhrer murdered in Angola.
- 1992
SAM active in Sri Lanka; SAM and AME merge while keeping their names.
- 1981
Medical work begins in Guinea at government invitation.
- 1978
Gandhi Marinova released.
Products and positioning
Christian non-profit organisation focused on personnel development cooperation, education and help for self-help, working with local staff and partners across Africa, Asia, South America and Switzerland.
Education and vocational training
Primary and vocational education, including schools founded by SAM.
Business for Transformation (B4T)
Building small businesses and micro-enterprise support.
Medical work and health prevention
Medical care and health prevention, including during the Ebola outbreak in Guinea.
Theological education and practice
Training in theology and pastoral services.
Livelihood improvement
Support for people to improve their livelihoods.
Awareness-raising and migrant work in Switzerland
Engagement among migrants and awareness-raising in Switzerland.
SAM FOCUS magazine
German-language information organ (formerly SAM-Bote).
SAM Allons magazine
French-language magazine.
Sources6 sources
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