How does World Renew, as an organization committed to working with the poor, respond to a world that is becoming increasingly urban every day? According to one study, civilization reached a turning point in 2008 when more than 50 percent of the global population was located in urban areas. Fifty years ago this number was 30 percent.
According to one study, civilization reached a turning point in 2008 when more than 50 percent of the global population was located in urban areas. Fifty years ago this number was 30 percent. A century ago it was ten percent. By 2050, it is likely that this number will increase to 70 percent if this trend continues. And, as the world becomes increasingly urban, there is also an increase in the number of urban poor.
For those that live in poverty, these statistics imply that many more people will have limited access to livelihood, health and education opportunities as well as experiencing marginal housing and general insecurity. In addition, this urbanization is happening increasingly in developing countries: while the largest cities in the world used to be located in developed countries, there is a shift taking place so that the majority of new cities with populations of a million or more will be located in the global South. Managua, Nicaragua, where we live, is already one of them.
In Nicaragua the Nehemiah Center, a partner of World Renew, began a pilot project to respond to this urbanization trend. The cornerstone of the program’s strategy is to engage the local church to play a lead role. Church leaders are trained in community development principles and then organized into local transformation teams that apply what they learn in the communities around their churches. A key assumption in this work is that in an urban environment, there are tremendous assets already existing in the form of knowledge, skills, and physical assets that are underutilized. Our challenge is to engage people to share these assets with each other.
“There are many changes using this urban transformation strategy; the church has gone beyond the walls into the community. Leaders commit to serve in their community and tangible changes are taking place as proof.”
Asset-based Community Development (ABCD) is helpful in identifying the assets that exist in a community. An asset can be anything from recognizing the skill of a retired barber to a shop owner who has experience running a small business. The challenge is to match the people who have the assets with the people who will benefit from the asset. Resources from outside the community are less important than those within it, and most of the Nehemiah Center’s time is spent training and facilitating learning.
The initiative, which began in 2010, is now active in five neighborhoods. One of the first steps in the ABCD process is engaging the local leadership in a prayer walk in their neighborhoods while noting the needs of the community. Roberto Armas, the coordinator of the program for the Nehemiah Center, explains why this project is unique.
“First, this is an opportunity for service to the community with people from the local church. It is a ministry that is very unique in that it promotes the development of the community by using the resources and potential that the community already has. Furthermore, it is a program that incorporates Christian values and seeks transformation from a biblical perspective.”
At the beginning, the activities are simple. The first project was initiated by a woman who organized Saturday handicraft classes for the teens in her community. Then, a women opened a fruit stand with the advice of a mentor. Later, computer courses and a children’s day care center began. Night security—a huge problem—was organized and gradually more complex issues were addressed. Soon, local government offices began to be influenced by these bold community leaders. In one community, a water project was organized and now all 54 houses have potable water piped to their homes!
Roberto says there are changes he has seen in the communities as a result of the Nehemiah Center’s ABCD programs.
“There are many changes,” he says. “Among them is the fact that the church can serve the community now. Using this urban transformation strategy, the church has gone beyond the walls into the community. Leaders commit to service in their community and tangible changes are taking place as proof.”
The program is not without its challenges, Roberto notes program participation is overwhelmingly female, which is likely due to the fact that men are working during the day. Also, it takes time to build credibility, and Roberto would like to involve more local organizations to begin to establish a stronger community network, but he points out that the program is still young and this can come with more time.
Prayer
In the middle of April we will be evaluating this pilot project to determine its effectiveness and how it can be improved. Pray that we have ears to listen intently to the stories being shared and the wisdom to make decisions to move the program forward.
Mark VanderWees
World Renew Nicaragua