Africa Water and Life represents the effort by a small group of people to put into practice the many lessons Christ-centered development workers and organizations have learned over the last half-century. That can sound like our work among the Arsi Oromo in Southern Ethiopia is some sort of experiment or practicum, where communities serve as our 'labs' for testing new theories. Nothing could be further from the truth.
When we begin seeking to help our new friends in Ethiopia solve the water crisis, we were quickly faced with the sickening reality that their dignity was significantly diminished by the persistent dependence on foreign aid to lead them out of poverty. This breaks our heart in some ways more than the lack of water or basic hygiene. So, we have sought to find out what other, experienced development workers have done and believe about replacing despair with hope and building capacity instead of dependence. Thankfully, we are just launching our little rickety skiff into a big current God is orchestrating among churches and non-government organizations in the West and across the developing world. One great resource for understanding is the Disciple Nations Alliance. Based in Arizona, DNA's vision is to see the global Church rise to her full potential as God's instrument for the healing, blessing and transformation of the nations. They provide a rich set of resources for understanding a theology and practical methodology of development. A great place to start is the short book they provide online for free called Against all Hope: Hope for Africa. It's a quick but powerful read which I highly recommend. I'll share some reflections on the subjects it raises later this week. - CR
When we begin seeking to help our new friends in Ethiopia solve the water crisis, we were quickly faced with the sickening reality that their dignity was significantly diminished by the persistent dependence on foreign aid to lead them out of poverty. This breaks our heart in some ways more than the lack of water or basic hygiene. So, we have sought to find out what other, experienced development workers have done and believe about replacing despair with hope and building capacity instead of dependence. Thankfully, we are just launching our little rickety skiff into a big current God is orchestrating among churches and non-government organizations in the West and across the developing world. One great resource for understanding is the Disciple Nations Alliance. Based in Arizona, DNA's vision is to see the global Church rise to her full potential as God's instrument for the healing, blessing and transformation of the nations. They provide a rich set of resources for understanding a theology and practical methodology of development. A great place to start is the short book they provide online for free called Against all Hope: Hope for Africa. It's a quick but powerful read which I highly recommend. I'll share some reflections on the subjects it raises later this week. - CR
