Kenyan communities' inspiring engagement with United Church partner organizations is creating lasting impact, writes Jordan MacDonald
While participating in the Pilgrimage of Learning Delegation to Kenya, I encountered a number of personal firsts—first time meeting with my fellow pilgrims, first time participating in a United Church of Canada organized event, and first time travelling to the Global South. The cultures, languages, contexts, and livelihoods of the people we met were different from my own. But the core sense of what it meant to be delivering impact, sustaining deep collaborative partnerships, and striving to improve the lives of those we serve were very much the same.
I have been told I serve in the ministry of administration. In my work life, I manage a small non-profit community economic development organization. We have a limited staff and rely on grants and contributions from various levels of government to supplement our self-sourced revenue. As a volunteer, I devote time supporting organizations involved in housing, seniors’ care, and creativity, along with my local congregation and pastoral charge. Witnessing the work of our partners in Kenya allowed me the opportunity to deepen my understanding of community and participant roles in transformative initiatives.
My fellow pilgrims Chris, Sherri, and Natalia have shared the good work of our United Church of Canada partners in Kenya. What resonated most with me from these brief encounters has been the supportive people and partnerships behind the initiatives we saw.
The agricultural livelihoods projects carried out by the Organization of African Instituted Churches and the National Council of Churches of Kenya operated with the dedicated support of program staff who were knowledgeable, from the regions they were working in, and were driven by the desire to see change in the lives of their participants. Depending on location, these initiatives also leveraged the support of government extension services, international donors, research institutions, and other stakeholders.
But these projects would not be possible without the active participation of individuals and their families. These members of local groups have come together with a shared interest in learning new techniques and practices that offer the opportunity to enhance their quality of life.
One local partner noted that the work they’re doing is leading to a transformation of the participating family. But for this to happen, the family needs a willingness to be open to change, be vulnerable, and stand apart from the status quo. They place their trust in our United Church partners and fully commit to the path laid before them.
These participating families also continue the practices they have learned—including agricultural techniques, engaging with the market, or managing the household and family relationships—after the official program is completed.
We saw how this transformation continued beyond initial participation by seeing village savings and loan associations in operation, meeting with local governance and management boards of earth dam projects, and engaging with local leaders championing activities after official projects have ended.
In coming back to Canada, I was reminded that social change and transformation relies on the willingness of people to step up, participate, and carry through on the goals of the initiative. It requires the interest and energy of builders who seek to address challenges using the resources at hand, and sustainers who are willing to carry forward the mission following the initial spark.
I owe immense gratitude to the people involved with our United Church partners who opened their homes, farms, fields, and offices to us so that we could learn and share in the collective energy nurturing these seeds of change. Our engagement only scratched the surface of how these initiatives are carried out. We were told of the individual and community meetings, champions’ and leaders’ work in building trust and support amongst local residents, discussions on allocating financial, physical, and labour resources, and much more.
As volunteers and non-profit workers, we know the effort this takes, and we give thanks to those who do this work. For it is this work that underlies the transformation we seek.
Through partnership principles that empower, our United Church people in Canada and partners throughout the world catalyze community for transformative impact.
Thank you for sharing these lessons with us.
—Jordan MacDonald is an active member of O'Leary United Church and volunteers in the wider community of O'Leary, Prince Edward Island.
The views contained within these blogs are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of The United Church of Canada.