Listening to Local Voices - MidAtlantic Orphan Summit

Friends who were able to come to the midatlantic orphan summit, THANKS! At the event, I promised to post some reflections from Remmy, myself and a pastor named Ian Campbell from West Shore Evangelical Free Church in Mechanicsburg, PA...the home church that helped launch Forgotten Voices. Ian will be traveling Monday with Remmy, myself, and 3 others (MORE ON THIS SUNDAY).

For now, here are notes from today's session, followed by our VERY simple GAP Assessment tool.

THANKS again for coming to the summit! May God equip you mightily for His plans ahead.

All the best,
Ryan


LISTENING TO LOCAL VOICES
a workshop from Forgotten Voices International

“EQUIPPING CHURCHES IN SOUTHERN AFRICA TO MEET THE PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF CHILDREN ORPHANED BY AIDS”

Remmy Hamapande, Zambia Director: Remmy@ForgottenVoices.org
Ryan Keith, President: Ryan@ForgottenVoices.org

Ways to connect to the local voices (From Ian Campbell, Missions Pastor, www.WestShoreFree.com):
• be the prayer wall: allow the local people to "pin" on you what they know and believe
• be the magnifying glass: draw attention to what is essential, and champion the emergence of local leadership
• be the bridge: facilitate the converging of vision, people and resources
• be the fuel: model servant leadership that causes others to increase

How to Unlock Local Voices -- Methods used for success
• Gap Assessment
– Identifying gaps in Water, Food, Education, Health
– What is church doing, community, and what’s left?
• Action Plans, based on Gaps
– Putting leadership in place to act on gaps
• Prayer and Project Reports
– Reporting back on progress of Gaps & project
– Explore unintended changes to church & community

Consider Possible Advantages of Local Voices Approach
• More accurate targeting of the issue facing community, as they are typically hidden & multilayered
• Often more cost effective in long-run
• More likely to be self-sustainable
• Community owned
• Dignity of people often restored and protected
• Less exploitation by donors that simply want to feel good

Consider Possible Disadvantages of Local Voices Approach
• Often more time consuming or appear that way
• Often tougher sell to congregation or group, as "results" may take longer
• Changing narrative may cause alarm, as priorities change as local people figure out their own priorities
• Democracy is sometimes messier, creating observed tension within communities
• Opening other community wounds, such as women's empowerment, chiefdom power struggles, etc
What has worked for you? Share it on our blog at www.ForgottenVoices.org, then click NEWS.

Click here to view a GOOGLE DOC of FORGOTTEN VOICES' GAP ASSESSMENT TOOL: