Donating money for a well is easily measurable. You know the project is a success when the well is finished and used. But what an investment in an African church community yields has so far been difficult to gauge.
"One euro for an African church is turned into seven euros
and sometimes goes over 28 more times after that."
New research by UK research firm State of Life shows that one euro for an African church turns into seven euros in social impact. In some cases, the social value goes as high as 28 times over and becomes 211 euros. The study calculated the monetary value of improving residents' wellbeing. Well-being cannot actually be monetised; when it comes to poverty reduction, this impact is valuable.
Umoja
"It is a holistic approach, where unity and restoration are paramount," Pastor Kudinha Thanks tells . "We used to call it Umoja. That's Swahili for 'together'. Now each country has its own name for the method." After the training, the church itself, with its own resources, goes about building community.
Pastor Thanks
Pastor Kudinha Thanks is one of the church leaders who was trained in this originally East African method. He lives and works with his wife in Dora Pindo, a remote area of Zimbabwe. "We are now 10 years on and the change has been tremendous. Before we started these trainings, everyone was on their own church island. There was no trust and sometimes even hatred between different church communities. In addition, the community was struggling with addictions, domestic violence and poverty."
Thanks explains that the rural community where he works is made up of many different ethnicities. "This is because of British colonisation. Different peoples were forcibly relocated to this place. These groups used to be pitted against each other, creating a lot of resentment. But we are actually bringing reconciliation now. The churches are leading the way in connecting."
There are 10 different church communities all working together these days, Thanks tells us. "This makes people trust the church again," he says. In addition, the church leaders are committed to building people and therefore communities. "For example, we build communal gardens in the villages. But we also proclaim that God has given us talents that we may use. We give hope that change is possible. That we as a community can support each other to get out of poverty."
Witchcraft
Pastor Thanks speaks fondly of his thriving community. Yes, that one euro does multiply seven times in the well-being of his community. "People engage in social initiatives themselves. And we help them break free from old habits like witchcraft. We here in Africa suffer a lot from the influence of witchcraft on people's way of thinking. For instance, it is common in this area to think that if someone becomes rich, he can be cursed and therefore die quickly. This ensures that no one wanted to excel."
Thanks and the other church leaders are trying to restore trust in each other and in God.
Mindset
Pastor Thanks talks about how addictions are decreasing in his village. That there is a decrease in domestic violence. That there is better food because people work together to tend their fields. "Especially people from outside the church also benefit from this method. They see a change in their community and want to contribute. Some therefore join the church." But he stresses that the method and changing mindset is precisely about involving everyone, including people who are non-believers. That is the power of investing in people, he reveals. "If we unite and speak with one voice, we can achieve much more."
