MOZAMBIQUE – Effective community visioning and planning are always essential to solid growth. In Mozambique, where a massive debt crisis has created alarming economic instability, development work that calls upon community leaders and members who understand local conditions is critical.

For the past quarter, World Renew and our partners in Niassa Province and Zambézia Province have been empowering local community members to design strategies for growth that build on community assets.

With our commitment to caring for the vulnerable and being good stewards of resources, we ensure that this visioning and planning are based on input from a broad and inclusive cross-section of residents or community members. Vulnerable groups from within the 63 communities where we work are asked to participate and contribute with solution-building that will produce sustainable long-term success.

Alberto Sairessi is a 51-year-old father of six and community leader who took part in a World Renew planning session on November 8, 2018. The experience of being asked for his insights was life-changing for him and his own words say it best:

“I didn’t know how to make community plans before and making it participatory with the entire community felt impossible. Many NGOs [non-governmental organizations] visited us in the past and I always waited for them to come up with a vision and plans. I thought that people from the outside would have better vision and plans for us without community members’ input.

After the community officers from the Anglican Diocese of Niassa took us through our own community visioning and planning, I realized that it was something serious and that the community themselves should be in charge of this process.

I was delighted when, at the end of the session, we were able to produce our own vision and plan. It was impressive to see community members engaged and participating. Everyone was happy and looking forward for its implementation.

Personally, this experience was a learning opportunity and I hope to share this same knowledge with other community leaders that are not part of this project while continuing to motivate my own community to work towards our objectives: building a proper school for our children as well as creating a community trust fund to help the most needed and vulnerable people in the community. I feel transformed!“

World Renew seeks measurable, sustainable change in the communities we serve.

We are committed to engaging local people in assessing their own strengths and needs and solution-seeking.

We seek to ensure that all people in a community have a voice in this process so that solutions serve everyone, even the vulnerable.

 

Blessings,

Juvêncio Mataria

Program Advisor
World Renew Mozambique