Photo Credit: Us/Leah Gordon
By Mike Brooks, Us
Communities in Africa already have skills and resources to help overcome poverty and transform their lives. What they need is encouragement to take charge of their own destiny – rather than relying on the intervention of outsiders.
This is the view of the Revd Fedis Nyagah, who is working through churches to co-ordinate local community development in Zimbabwe with the Christian charity Us (formerly USPG).
Speaking at the Us Annual Conference this week, Fedis said: "In African communities, we have looked to the West for so long, always on our knees begging. But God has already given us skills and resources to become what God has called us to be."
Rather than offering hand-outs or telling people what to do, Fedis works through local churches to encourage communities to identify their own skills and needs – then work together to implement solutions.
She explained: "It can be very easy to offer solutions; it’s a very human thing to give advice. But let’s focus on empowerment instead. Let’s give communities an opportunity to decide their destiny for themselves. They have the skills; they only need to be encouraged."
A trainer of community facilitators, Fedis has seen that attitudes do not change overnight. Communities used to feeling powerless can find it difficult to start asserting themselves and taking responsibility for their own lives. But, working through local Anglican churches, change is starting to happen.
"The whole idea of the local church is very central. We are enabling the church to stand out and help the local community. We are creating a forum where people can look at issues in their communities and, at the same time, find solutions.
"It’s about enabling people to identify their needs and resources. So we are developing and training facilitators and volunteers who work alongside these communities, helping the poor to experience the kingdom of God now."
Fedis worked with Us in the village of Zimunya, in Zimbabwe, where the people identified the manufacture of peanut butter as something they could do well. They sold this product and raised funds to support people with HIV. This represented a big change in attitude. Previously the village considered that only NGOs could make such things happen.
Fedis said: "Now the people – the church and the community – are doing development work themselves. Once a begging church, the church in this village is now a giving church that is supporting other communities."
Chris Chivers, Chair of Us Trustees, said: "Our message is that people have the power to change their own lives. Our role is to walk alongside these communities, listening and encouraging as they realise what they can do for themselves. We are training facilitators and leaders to be agents of change in communities."
Us (formerly USPG) is a Christian charity working alongside Anglican churches around the world. Together, we work with local communities to improve health, put children in school, tackle discrimination, give a voice to women, and much more. We were founded in 1701. For more information about the work of Us (formerly USPG), visit www.weareUs.org.uk
[Editor's note: Why not read a feature about how the Mothers' Union in Mozambique is applying this principle to improve their communities. Click here ]