LINKS
Participatory Awakening Programme (PAP)
Yei
Goals
Empower 8 churches and their wider church communities in the Yei area, with the capacity to facilitate holistic ministry and be agents of transformation at community level.
Objectives
1. Train the “Awakeners”, who are voluntary change agents who are active in and representing the churches, in basic bible studies; on foundational bible knowledge, responsibility of Christians for their community and for reconciliation, and on responsibility for the environment.
2. Train the Awakeners, and through them a much larger group of Christians, in community analysis, with a focus on the God-given resources the community and churches have.
3. Train the Awakeners, and through them a much larger group of Christians, in developing and carrying community action planning, drawing on own strengths and resources.
4. Facilitate the church communities, to access external support to their community by linking them with development initiatives / programmes.
Outputs
¨ The PAP process has been a long one, it has taken over 3 years for 6 church communities to go through the process outlined by objectives 1 to 4, but 6 church communities demonstrated concrete outputs. Six church communities have built, or are in the process of building, church buildings. In 3 communities classroom blocks were built to improve the local schools while at Longamere ECS, the church community built also a police post, court house and office for the local Boma chief; i.e. the church joined hands with the community to built their civil administration.
¨ There are also other impacts, less visible in terms of buildings, but equally important to community development. In Pisak, the church was concerned about girls’ education and (too) early marriage and was able to motivate the community to impose heavy fines on any man marrying a schoolgirl.
¨ Another example, at Ronyi the church community built latrines at their own homes, and at the church and school compounds.
¨ In addition to the 6 church communities that went through the PAP process from 2004 up to 2007; Goja, Ronyi, Imukwara, Aworo, Kembe Dolo and Pisak, an additional 2 church communities at Longamere and Mongo joined the process later, but caught up quickly.
¨ Most of the actual work has been done by a core-group of 11 Awakeners. Some Awakeners left their voluntary work in 2006 (in 2004 / 2005 PAP started with 24 Awakeners), but the remaining group is very committed.
Tranformation and empowerment
The new Facilitator and Asst. Facilitator called all the Awakeners and Pastors for a general meeting. A renewed commitment was made to the process, resulting in the following:
Some Awakeners who have lost interest resume effectively.
The churches were urged all members to participate fully.
Churches and communities are doing their work together in one spirit.
The communities come up with a plans to address issues facing them such as idleness etc.
The spirit of voluntary work and ownership of the process improved in the communities as well as in the churches.
Time allocation for PAP programmes, training workshops, homework and individual activities was considerable.
Awakeners' visits to the pilot and practice Churches have strengthened churches and communities to come up with projects which will help them address needs.
Awakeners are empowered and have analysed the community and churches charts and have tried to write the baseline.
The Women in the communities and in the churches have formed their groups of different activities that can generate for them income.
Community Leaders: Payam Administrator, Boma Administrator, Chiefs, sub-chiefs and headmen are also committed to the process and are encouraging the communities to work hand in hand with the Churches for the development of the nation.
Achieving our Mission
Through the PAP, rural churches in Yei River County have been able to learn biblical truths together about what a church really is and should be.
This is the foundation the PAP begins with, and what has been sustaining their work. In very practical ways, church communities have been empowered to be the Salt and Light to their communities with deep material and spiritual needs.
The churches have been able to bring about transformation in their communities and society.
The mission of Sudan Health Center; to build the church and community leading to Sudan being renewed, has been largely achieved, through the partnership with Tear Fund UK, who has been funding and providing technical and inspirational guidance over the past several years.
Future plans
The programme is now at a crossroads having to decide how long and in which way to continue providing partnership support to the participating church communities. Due to the very high expectations in society in the new peaceful Sudan for improved living conditions, in an environment where many other local and international NGO’s try to deliver rapid development results without enough time or space for community participation, there is much pressure to reward the participating church communities with external assistance. Facilitating the linking of these churches with other organizations, together with continued training on project identification and –monitoring, is appropriate and planned for the future.
In addition, the programme also plans to have an in-built revolving fund for loans to income generating activities by church communities.
Continuing refreshment training, and possibly also a learning tour to like-minded church communities involved in community development in Uganda and/or Kenya is planned.