All The World (October-December 2017)

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES SPECIAL ISSUE

Engage Equip Empower

A GUIDE TO GOOD DEVELOPMENT

Celebrating PARTNERSHIPS HAITI recovers and prepares

VOL 55 NO 4

Holistic projects in MALAWI BUILDING people’s capacity

OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2017

CONTENTS

OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2017

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Visit ALL THE WORLD at: www.salvationarmy.org/alltheworld

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UPFRONT From the Editor

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MALAWI Listening and learning

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HOME AND AWAY Thoughts from here and there

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PARTNERSHIP Engaging and sharing

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FACTFILE Community Projects and Mission Support

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MISSION SUPPORT Supporting and giving

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HAITI Equipping and adapting

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CAPACITY BUILDING Empowering and ‘uplifting’

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SNAPSHOTS News from around the world

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Front cover photo by Rute Venancio Manjate

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Not so bad ‘DON’T PANIC’ – these words appear on the cover of Douglas Adams’s comedy/ science fiction classic The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, as a reminder to the reader that, however bad things get, panicking will not help.

Reading the news or flicking through social media feeds, it’s tempting to think that the world is in a terrible way, that things are worse now and getting even worserer. Even grammar, spelling and the use of proper English ain’t what they used to be!

Perhaps ‘DON’T PANIC’ should be on everyone’s phone or computer, just as a reminder.

Because while I agree that there are many terrible things happening all over the world, I’d argue that some of the problem is down to our desperation to know what’s going wrong – and overreaction to what appears to be a relentless tide of horror. Newspapers and TV media – and social media feeds – aren’t full of bad news stories by accident. Bad news and spectacular failure sell.

The Titanic story is familiar to many people, for instance, but how many know anything about the RMS Mauretania or Aquitania? Both vessels predated the Titanic and went through years of newsunworthy successful sailings. But their lack of disaster means they are relatively unknown in comparison to a ship that met with an untimely end.

What is it about problems and disaster that draw our interest? And why can the bad deeds or thoughtless words of a relatively small number of people make us think badly of whole groups, churches, faiths, communities or even countries?

This habit of accentuating the negative is actually not a new phenomenon. When

Kevin Sims, Editor

UP FRONT

FROM THE EDITOR

‘There may well be terrible things happening around this world, but they are far outweighed by the wonderful, loving and God-led relationships which allow people to be given a helping hand out of poverty’

Jesus came up against the Pharisees, every Pharisee got painted as a hypocritical, pious ‘baddy’. But actually, on the whole the Pharisees were the ultra-religious good guys, following the Law to the letter.

The word Pharisee even comes from the Greek for ‘separated ones’, so pretty much the same meaning as ‘holy’ – and I dare say most people wouldn’t use ‘holy’ as an insult!

This International Development Services special issue is a timely reminder to ‘DON’T PANIC’. Every article tells a good news story, even while featuring some of the world’s poorest communities.

They also show how the thinking behind development has come a long way in

recent years. Gone are any ‘dropped-in to help’ strategies, replaced by an approach that values and learns from the people who need a helping hand.

There may well be terrible things happening around this world, but they are far outweighed by the wonderful, loving and God-led relationships which allow people to be given a helping hand out of poverty.

And over all, despite our 24-hour news bombardment suggesting otherwise, things are getting better. Amazingly, in the past hundred years or so average life expectancy around the world has more than doubled (from 34.1 in 1913 to 71.4 in 2015) and child mortality – the percentage of children dying before their fifth birthday – is an eighth of what it was in 1920.

By anyone’s standards, these are signs of things getting better.

More can be done, of course, and this world is far from perfect. But if there are two lessons that can be learned from this issue of All the World, they are that 1) by working together, even the worst situations can be improved; and 2) there really is no reason to panic!

EDITOR Kevin Sims

FOUNDER William Booth

DESIGN AND ARTWORK Jooles Tostevin

GENERAL André Cox

EDITORIAL OFFICE The Salvation Army International Headquarters 101 Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4EH, United Kingdom

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Major Martin Gossauer

© The General of The Salvation Army 2017

Tel: [44] (0)20 7332 0101

Published by André Cox, General of The Salvation Army

Email: IHQ-alltheworld@salvationarmy.org

Printed in the UK by Lamport Gilbert Printers Ltd

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Holistic and participatory the development dream team

by Mathews Tulombolombo and Elise Belcher

‘IT

was a dream we thought would never come true; there was no hope that I would one day drink clean water in this community. This was impossible for us to do on our own – unless a miracle happened.’ These are the words of Christine Nseele, a 34-year-old mother of six living in rural Malawi. Christine had long dreamed of the day when she could rest from the pain caused by walking long distances to collect dirty water or when she would no longer have to seek regular medical treatment for diarrhoea.

Villagers collected water from a stream that dried up during hot seasons. When that happened, Christine and others had to wait for hours in a long line to draw water from an unprotected well dug near the stream. ‘We have always longed to have access to clean water but where could we get it?’ Christine asked. ‘We have been suffering so much from diseases like dysentery, diarrhoea and bilharzia. Diarrhoea was rampant among children because of drinking dirty water, but this is no more.’

The community gathered in a meeting with The Salvation Army and said: ‘We do not want [food] relief. If we have water, we will grow our own food.’

For some, this stark cry from a vulnerable rural community might be a shock to the

system. In international development, we can be guilty of pitying ‘poor people’ that we meet and rushing to provide their needs for them. These actions often provide initial benefit to those we are helping and give us the feel-good factor, but unfortunately they are often short-lived and don’t change the situation the community faces. Because of this, despite those initial benefits, more harm than good can be done.

Good development requires full participation from the community, and a holistic approach to ensure that poverty, in its complex forms, is addressed.

The starting point is strong relationships between community members, and also between the community and The Salvation Army. As the programme to address the water issue started, 27 community mobilisation Below: taking crops to market

and sensitisation meetings were conducted across the nine communities that were to be involved. It was a time to listen and learn from Christine and her neighbours who gathered.

Ideas were also shared about what could be achieved and, more importantly, what could be done together.

From these relationships, participation in the programme began and the community members were able to make key decisions together about what could be done. They identified people who could form ‘water user committees’ who were trained in roles and responsibilities such as simple bookkeeping, ‘the sanitation ladder’ (helping people to identify their

‘27 community mobilisation and sensitisation meetings were conducted across the nine communities that were to be involved. It was a time to listen and learn’ 4 | ALL THE WORLD | O C TOBER-DEC EM BER

2017

MALAWI

Left, above and right: community members learn about conservation farming through sharing experiences and by visiting each other’s plots

own options for improving sanitation, while realising that this can be a gradual process) and Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS), safe water chain, and simple borehole repairs. Before any construction work was completed, the committees collected some initial operation and maintenance fees.

This is because another key factor in good development is local contribution.

Even in the most vulnerable communities, it is important to identify their strengths, skills, assets and resources to ensure that they can be empowered by being centrally involved in the issue being addressed.

And so the ‘project’ work began. New boreholes were drilled, existing boreholes were repaired, rainwater catchments were utilised and water storage provided. The Salvation Army also initiated hygiene education for communities as a disease prevention activity.

And the local contribution continued.

The communities gave their time, skills and resources to make borehole fences, construct soak pits and drainage systems, and establish community borehole byelaws with support from local leaders.

A hundred people built their own toilet facilities with locally-sourced, affordable materials. Groups were formed to promote hygiene and sanitation messages through music, drama and dance.

Water user committees were linked to the District Water Department which they could approach in the event of breakdowns at a negotiated fee standardised by the district on major repairs. The relationship and participation of the local government meant that they were ready to contribute their part as well.

More than 220 people in Dedza, Christine’s home village, have access to

safe, clean water from a new borehole.

Christine, other women and their children now have enough time to study and engage in income-generating activities since safe water is easily available.

Christine’s niece, Mary (12) – an orphaned child – remembers the difficulty she used to face in waking up at 5am to help her mother fetch water before getting OC TOBE R-DE C E M BE R 2017 | ALL THE WORLD |

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MALAWI

Above: Kibron Mehari, from the Swiss office, celebrates the harvest with community members; above right: a group tends to a person’s plot – this is the way most plots are cared for; right: a bumper harvest

to class at seven. ‘This used to cause me not to go to school, which is also far [three kilometres],’ she explained. ‘I now have enough time to study, learn and help Aunt Christine water her garden.

‘We are really grateful to The Salvation Army WASH [Water, Sanitation and Hygiene] project for this borehole. This is why on the day the borehole was launched the entire community gathered to sing, dance and eat all night to celebrate the blessing that we thought would never come.’ Good development allows us to celebrate achievements together.

We can’t quite stop the story just yet.

So much was achieved by addressing the lack of water access, but results are limited if community members are unable to pay to maintain the borehole, and they still faced struggles in other areas. Woven through the water activities were two more components – savings groups and organic agricultural practices.

Nine Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) have been established, each consisting of 30 members. VSLA

is a system of saving, borrowing and lending of money generated entirely from village contributions. Together the groups decide how the joint savings should be invested, and interest earned is divided annually. Whenever possible, VSLAs are now established in villages after a well or sanitation system has been installed and, because people have a financial stake in the project, they are far more committed to maintaining the boreholes.

Eme is a mother of eight and previously depended on her husband for everything.

When his business was not doing well, life was hard for the family. The VSLA has changed that. ‘I don’t have to ask for money to buy salt or soap,’ she says. ‘Actually, I think I pay for almost half the household expenses now! Ever since I became a member my life is no longer the same. My eyes are opened now. I started growing rice which, when I sell it, provides money for household items as well as something to buy shares at my VSLA. When we shared our savings, I had not yet made a plan of how to spend it so I lent my K70,000

‘Ever since I became a member my life is no longer the same. My eyes are opened now.

I started growing rice which, when I sell it, provides money for household items’ 6 | ALL THE WORLD |

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[approximately £77] earnings to rice farmers who needed it. The agreement was that, instead of giving back the money, they would give back rice. When harvest season arrived, I was able to get an extra 25 bags of rice, which I then sold. The money enabled me to support my school-going children with learning materials and school fees for the whole of the year!’

VSLA is a programme that unites schools and communities, as they collectively manage the facilities and monitor the water user fees (money paid by the members of the community) to keep the borehole working. This is also an enormous benefit when addressing other problems.

Conservation farming completes the programme. Having less than one hectare of land from which to produce food, large households are benefiting from increased yields by producing enough food from small parcels of land using organic techniques such as mulching and natural weed control.

Lead farmers who quickly engage with the idea are introduced to the techniques and then teach their community peers.

Groups work together to help prepare each other’s land, so there is a joint commitment involved but the approach

MALAWI

Lessons learned from the project in Christine’s village: For a project to be successful, community involvement and participation are vital. Clustered villages are an added advantage for the project to be successful, guaranteeing security of the water installation.

The participation of women was very encouraging but their inclusion on committees may not necessarily mean their greater involvement in community decision-making because some women feel inferior. Time should be taken to consider sensitively how to change this.

Sanitation and hygiene education components require a longer period of time to bring about change when compared to a water supply component. This is mainly because such interventions deal with the change of people’s attitudes, beliefs, behaviours and practices. allows for people to engage when they are ready, because it is quite a change from the norm. As perceptions change, farmers ask what their neighbours are doing differently and then work together to spread conservation agriculture further, farmer-tofarmer.

The story still isn’t complete. Poverty hasn’t been completely eradicated, so the community will continue to face concerns and challenges. And there should always be room for reflecting, learning, adapting our techniques, and being flexible when things don’t go to plan.

However, because of the foundations of relationship, participation and contribution, the communities have been empowered to continue their development journey with hope, not just as a dream but as an achievable reality.

Mathews Tulombolombo is a programme manager in The Salvation Army’s Malawi Territory; Elise Belcher is Community Development Coordinator (Africa) for International Development Services

Poorer communities which may lack organisational structure need a lot of time and investment in capacity building to enhance their potential.

Reaching more communities with conservation agriculture and agroforestry will ensure people have enough food for themselves and surplus to sell so they can afford to contribute towards the water source fees/VSLA and be able to feed their children and send them to school.

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church.

Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in his name without discrimination.

WHAT IS THE SALVATION ARMY? OC TOBE R-DE C E M BE R 2017 | ALL THE WORLD |

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HOME AND AWAY

A SERIES LOOKING AT THE THOUGHTS AND EXPERIENCES OF PEOPLE WORKING FOR THE SALVATION ARMY IN THEIR COUNTRY OF BIRTH AND OTHERS GIVING SERVICE ABROAD

LIEUTENANT BEN COTTERILL Lieutenant Ben Cotterill is a British Salvation Army officer serving in the United Kingdom

What is your role in The Salvation Army?

I’m a corps officer (Salvation Army minister) in Keighley, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland.

What would be your typical day?

There is no typical day but tomorrow I’ll visit someone in hospital, help an asylum seeker and do some planning!

HOME

How did you meet The Salvation Army?

My parents took me along as a baby.

Do you have a ‘hero of the faith’?

Thomas is my favourite apostle as I like to question and wrestle with things. I love his inquisitive nature (John 14:5) and his demand for evidence (20:24-29). However, I am learning to nurture the contemplative side of who I am as rational thinking can stop you falling into the beautiful mystery of faith.

What is your favourite Bible verse?

Well, apart from Jesus giving advice about how to burgle a house (Mark 3:27), I’ve always tried to hold myself accountable to Philippians 2:3-4: ‘Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others’ (New International Version).

Above: Ben (centre, front) with his wife Lieutenent Rebecka Cotterill (left) and David Longstaff (holding the flag) at Keighley with 15 new members who were enrolled at Pentecost 2017. Ben says: ‘All have different stories, from meeting us through refugee work, food bank and family ministry’; below: training for the London Marathon in 2013 – Ben raised £7,000 for The Salvation Army’s ‘Watershed’ water-provision initiative

What skills do you use most in your work?

Listening and faith-based facilitation.

What skills do you have that you would like the opportunity to use more?

Writing.

How would you like to be remembered?

As a person of integrity who made the most of opportunities in life.

What’s so special about The Salvation Army?

Our bias to the poor.

What is your favourite Salvation Army song?

A song I heard at the Boundless International Congress in 2015 called ‘Soldier’s Hymn’ by Phil Laeger and Marty Mikles.

How do you think that working in the UK differs from elsewhere?

Being the founding nation of the Army leaves us holding in tension a perceived – and sometimes real – expectation to uphold the traditions and practices of the Army versus unleashing the creativity to reimagine the Army for today.

What aspects of another country’s culture do you wish were present in the UK? Having lived in Sweden for two years I wish we could be more consensual in our decision-making and be less hierarchical.

If you were elected General, what would be the first thing you would change?

Set up a review of membership criteria to ensure a more inclusive approach to who is ‘in’ and who is ‘out’.

If you could choose to work for The Salvation Army anywhere else, where would you choose and why?

My background is in international development so anywhere I could be of use, really.

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Photo: Faramarz Gosheh

What do you like most about the UK? I like our blend of humour, tradition, eccentricity and innovation.

&

away

CAPTAIN ROCHELLE MOFFATT Originally from New Zealand, Captain Rochelle Moffatt is currently serving in Sri Lanka

What is your role in The Salvation Army?

I am the Projects and Child Sponsorship Secretary, Sri Lanka Territory.

How did you meet The Salvation Army?

I am pretty sure that my first baby blanket was a Salvation Army flag!

Do you have a ‘hero of the faith’?

Although there have been many great Sunday school teachers, mentors, family, friends and work colleagues that have helped to shape my life, I would be totally lost without the guidance and example of my Mum and Dad. Their faith and commitment have been, and continue to be, an inspiration and a benchmark on which I endeavour to base my life and ministry.

What is your favourite Bible verse?

Micah 6:8 (Living Bible): ‘No, he has told you what he wants, and this is all it is: to be fair, just, merciful, and to walk humbly with your God.’ I just love the profound simplicity of this verse!

What is your favourite Salvation Army song?

‘My Jesus, I Love Thee’ (878, The Song Book of The Salvation Army), which contains the lines: ‘My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art thou, if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.’

How do you think working in Sri Lanka differs from working elsewhere?

I have really begun to appreciate the value of communication.

Learning Sinhala and Tamil is proving to be a challenge, but the balance of these two beautiful languages existing side by side here in Sri Lanka demonstrates a real celebration of diversity.

&AWAY

What do you like most about Sri Lanka?

I love terminology which accentuates the positive. For example, Sri Lanka does not have homes for the ‘disabled’, but instead has residential accommodation for the ‘differently abled’. How refreshing!

What do you miss most about New Zealand?

Family and friends, and the changing seasons (especially the snow!).

What aspects of New Zealand’s culture do you wish were present in Sri Lanka?

New Zealand has a wonderful ‘freedom of expression’ which acknowledges and respects an individual’s right to choose his or her belief systems, and actively encourages harmony between the myriad of faith beliefs represented across the country. I am certainly not suggesting that New Zealand has it sorted, but to see a growing desire for this kind of focus towards honouring and respecting one another in every country and community would be amazing.

If you were elected General, what would be the first thing you would change?

I can’t help but imagine what a worldwide Acts 2:44-45 movement would look like. (‘And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything with each other, selling their possessions and dividing with those in need.’)

Rochelle (front left) with children from a community where she delivered food ration packs as part of a disaster response after flooding in 2016

&AWAY

What would be your typical day?

Aside from the compulsory giant cup of coffee as soon as my feet hit the floor in the morning, no two days are alike!

If you could choose to work for The Salvation Army anywhere else, where would you choose and why?

As the chorus of song 944 states: ‘Just where he needs me, my Lord has placed me, just where he needs me, there would I be!’

What skills do you use most in your work?

Administration. But there is also plenty of opportunity to journey with corps officers and staff as they work in their respective communities.

Exploring ways of creatively developing their ministry and outreach, and assisting them to find the necessary resources, is a real joy.

Listening, developing projects, assisting with the implementation and reporting of those projects, and celebrating the ‘wins’ are all part of this role. I also love the opportunities to network with other churches and NGOs (non-governmental organisations). Why reinvent the wheel when sharing skills and expertise is so much more productive?

What skills do you have that you would like the opportunity to use more?

I love working with children, so having opportunity to use previous experiences and training to develop projects and resources which support the growth and discipleship of children is something I am hard-wired to pursue more of!

What’s so special about The Salvation Army?

The world is becoming increasingly complex. The Army is a movement that does not shy away from the tough moral questions and issues, but continues to delve into and deepen its understanding of a biblical response to these questions. An openness to continue dialogue, while working out our God-given mission to meet needs without discrimination, promoting honour, peace and love, will continue to provide incredible opportunities for the Army to be a true witness for Christ.

&AWAY

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PARTNERSHIP

Partnerships, principles, possibilities – and dissolving (Or how the major found her

by Major Heather Poxon (assisted by Stephen Poxon)

‘Whatever their necessity, closed borders are symbols of lost trust’ General Arnold Brown, international leader of The Salvation Army, 1977-1981

T

he major took her seat, acutely aware of the fact that she knew no one else in a room full of development professionals.

In her mind, the ‘border’ between her and them was closed, and her trust in any hope of developing mutually beneficial partnerships between equals was, she felt, lost.

The major was silent, overcome by a feeling of inferiority, highly conspicuous in her Salvation Army uniform.

Mindset issues that first of all imagine borders (barriers), then quickly assume those borders to be closed – how quickly they liquefy hopes of solid trust before trust has had any opportunity to enhance and seal fledgling partnerships. How are those issues recognised and then overcome, lest they repeatedly thwart partnerships that have barely drawn breath? How are the mind-barriers lifted so that partnerships may come to flourish?

The major wondered what, if anything, she might be able to ‘bring to the table’. Maybe, she thought, she was only kidding herself that she could hold her own in this company.

Yet, as such encounters continued, she gradually overcame her stuttering uncertainty, slowly realising – to her relief – that The Salvation Army could (and indeed should) contribute to the discussion.

Borders of uncertainty and fear are, in the main, phoney giants that begin to dissolve as courage rises. So too, borders of prejudice and suspicion (between departments, organisations, individuals, nations, teams) and the correlating crippling disconnects.

Maybe, the major thought, those around her were not all that dissimilar in their doubts or in their experiences.

Embracing vulnerability (the ‘maybe’) as a bedfellow of courage – taking risks – leads to sharing; reaching out, forging new contacts. Daring to open new doors of opportunity leads towards previously undiscovered empathies, as we come to realise that our fears and hesitations are surprisingly common ... and the anti-partnership giants continue to dissolve.

Theological differences can be aired and not hidden. Varying approaches in policy may be heard and healthily considered, without the dread clank of the falling barrier being anticipated.

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PARTNERSHIP

giants voice) Right: in the Democratic Republic of Congo, The Salvation Army is working with ‘Songa Nzila’ to teach people how to raise caterpillars for food

And so, in such schools of bravery, the voluntarily vulnerable edge towards each other’s ideas and worldviews, and partnerships are born, or resurrected. Structures developed upon mutuality are seen to take shape, principles are handled and enshrined in fresh respect and, beautifully, possibilities emerge, blinking into the sunlight.

And then, what?

Learning to gladly freewheel within the privilege of burgeoning partnerships, principles that might have been held close to the chest – defensively, as shields – are laid down, placed in the arena of robust debate and courteous inspection; not surrendered (nor expected to be), but compared, discussed ... exchanged, even, as we are taught our future.

Strengths and weaknesses are explored, and (often shaky) houses of preconception begin to crumble; accepted traditions, for example, founded upon neo-colonialism, the unjust distribution of wealth, controlling mentalities, stances of superiority ... one giant after another dissolves.

As author and journalist Fergal Keane, whose experiences are flavoured by his work in South Africa, put it, we learn to ‘step out

of the privilege of skin’, dropping any bias of colour or ethnicity.

Likewise, Jonathan Ingleby, the author of Beyond Empire, promotes a need to ‘combine global cohesion with local empowerment’, whereby the timid and the timorous (the major in the room) are allowed their voices.

Recipients are invited to ask questions, and are no longer cowed by the notion that only donors are entitled to do so. Thus, a dignity that had previously been at best overlooked and at worst trampled, is recognised and blessed. Crucially, windows of mutual accountability are opened, and the fresh air of humility breezes through, with healing in its wake. Shared risk proves exciting and productive.

James Hudson Taylor, famously an Englishman abroad as a missionary in China, when criticised for embracing mission colleagues from denominations other than his own Methodism, responded with reasoned logic and eloquence: ‘The great work of the mission field, which is a call to us all, overrides theological differences, and our motto remains, “All one in Christ”. Surely it goes as in creation: there are strong and beautiful oak trees, but there are also little flowers of the meadow; and both the oak and flower have been placed there by his hand.’

Long may The Salvation Army engage in courageous partnerships that mould and shape principles, releasing new and refurbished possibilities.

‘Many giants, great and tall, Stalking through the land, Headlong to the earth would fall If met by Daniel’s band.’

(The Song Book of The Salvation Army 521)

‘Surely it goes as in creation: there are strong and beautiful oak trees, but there are also little flowers of the meadow; and both the oak and flower have been placed there by his hand’ OC TOBE R-DE C E M BE R 2017 | ALL THE WORLD |

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FACTFILE

COMMUNITY PROJECTS

Community and Mission Info Since 2012, $163,615,088 has been invested in Community Projects

% KEY:

Protection Livelihood Health Education

Every Community Project addresses one or more of the following human needs identified by the community

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Livelihood Agriculture Income Generation Employment Savings/Micro-Enterprise

2017

Protection Anti-Human Trafficking Disaster Risk Reduction Gender Based Violence Conflict Resolution

FACTFILE

graphics MISSION SUPPORT

Mission Support Allocations

by Category

Infographics researched and created by Samuel Shearer during his time as a member of The Salvation Army’s International Development Services team

Education Schools Training Rights Empowerment Informal Education Programmes

Health Water, Sanitation & Hygiene HIV/Aids Care Medical Clinics

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MISSION SUPPORT

Stronger together

I

remember, many years ago, as a junior soldier in the Salvation Army Sunday school, learning about Chikankata Hospital in Zambia and being encouraged to save my pennies in the ‘Self-Denial’ money box we were given.

The Self-Denial campaign is something The Salvation Army has run every year for more than a century, with its 1.6 millionplus junior and senior members along with others who attend The Salvation Army being encouraged to donate money that can be used to expand the Army’s mission around the world. In the UK – where The Salvation Army began – the initiative is still called Self-Denial, but in some of the other 127 countries where the Army is at work it is known as World Services.

Having this personal history, then, in 2006 I felt very privileged to visit the Chikankata Mission and to see for myself the fantastic work being done through The Salvation Army. I had a much better appreciation of the difference my money could make in supporting the Army’s work, and my eyes were opened to the Army world that existed outside of the UK. And now I find myself working within the International Development Services Section of the Programme Resources

by Pamela Hunter

Department at International Headquarters (IHQ), where I coordinate Mission Support projects for territories all around the world, funded by the annual Self-Denial appeal.

Often when people think of ‘projects’ within an international Salvation Army context they think of hospitals like Chikankata or maybe kindergartens, schools, feeding programmes, community empowerment programmes and other such similar initiatives, which The Salvation Army supports worldwide.

However, the portion of funding from the Self-Denial appeal specifically identified for Mission Support projects does not fund such things. The aim of the Mission Support programme is to support Salvation Army territories in a way that helps them to move towards financial self-sufficiency and strengthening infrastructure. Essentially, the Mission Support process helps to fund the work of the ‘church’ rather than the community. This might be in a territory, division or local corps (church) setting. This then enables the church to be present in the

community and to engage further with its local community through what most people understand as development projects.

Each year, the Mission Support fund amounts to around US$10 million and territories are given an allocation of funding for which they can submit proposals to IHQ to utilise their allocation. There are guidelines for expenditure, with projects relating to investment or advancement within the territory being the main priorities to be funded.

This might be a new corps building, an officer’s quarters or a vehicle. It may be a project aimed at increasing spiritual development among soldiers, or perhaps a leadership development course for young people. It could be a project to buy a piece of land in a new area in order to establish an outpost, or funding to enable regular campaigns in a town where there is currently no Salvation Army presence.

‘The aim is to support Salvation Army territories in a way that helps them to move towards financial self-sufficiency and strengthening infrastructure’ 14 | ALL THE WORLD | OC TOBER-DEC EM BER

2017

MISSION SUPPORT

Opposite page: dedicating to God a new solar power plant in India Northern Territory; above: a new officer’s quarters in Kalluvathukkal, India South Western Territory; left: a new minibus for Kingston Central Corps (church), Caribbean Territory

Additionally, projects that help to build the capacity of the territory in specialised areas such as finance, property, child protection, or governance and accountability, can be submitted for funding through Mission Support.

Many territories are supported financially with their day-to-day running costs through an operational grant administered by IHQ, and are being encouraged to generate local funding within their territory to support this in future years. Therefore, the Mission Support funding may also be used to fund incomegeneration projects for a territory as it seeks to find new ways to raise this money. In line with this initiative towards self-sufficiency, the Mission Support funding is restricted in its use for operational items, with a maximum of 10 per cent being available for this purpose.

The Mission Support process aims, where at all possible, to match projects within ‘Partners in Mission’ groups. Where

you are located in the world will determine who your Partners in Mission territories are (territories from the developing world are linked with those from developed countries so that funds can be shared round as fairly as possible). The Partners in Mission may be featured in the Self-Denial/ World Services promotional material prepared by a particular territory – the UK Territory with the Republic of Ireland, for instance, features work from the Ghana, Mozambique, Pakistan and South America East Territories, each of which – (along with Finland) – is the UK’s partner in mission.

Other territories choose to show a wider range of projects from all around the world, giving some great examples of the work being done through The Salvation Army.

I would say to Salvationists and friends internationally that, whatever is shown in your particular materials, be encouraged that these projects only happen through the generous giving of individuals connected with The Salvation Army, whether that be

officers, soldiers, adherents, junior soldiers or friends.

I pray that as people grow in understanding of how the Self-Denial/ World Services initiative is managed they will prayerfully consider all that God has given them, and that they will give as much as they are able to extend God’s Kingdom here on earth through the work of The Salvation Army.

Pamela Hunter is Mission Support Coordinator for The Salvation Army’s International Development Services

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EQUIP

HAITI

Linking relief, rehabilitation and development

by Ruth Samuels

T

he field of international development is always – and should always be ... developing! As the sector’s understanding of the causes of poverty and inequality has grown, practitioners have developed and adapted approaches to tackling poverty. These aim not only to provide instant relief from a visible problem in the short term, but also to address the underlying root causes and contributing factors that result in the problems we can see on the surface.

These shifts in approach have been happening over the past 30-or-so years. For instance, back in the 1980s poverty relief was understood primarily as ‘humanitarian aid’ – sending provisions such as food and clothing into poor areas of the world.

However, by the early 2000s many people outside of development specialists could complete the proverb: ‘Give a man a fish ...’*. There had been a shift in understanding away from handouts and towards empowerment.

But things didn’t stop there. It started to become clear that numerous factors contribute to the persistence of poverty in many communities. What happens if, when this man from the proverb has learned to fish, waste from the factory upstream spills into the river, contaminating that resource?

What if poverty in the community is not about the accessibility of fish at all, but instead the fact that women and girls are prohibited from accessing legal rights to land, or going to school? What if poverty is not about lacking material resources, but social resources such as family?

Of course, all this is not to say that food, water, and non-food item distribution should not happen. These provisions are particularly vital in an emergency situation,

‘What if poverty in the community is not about the accessibility of fish at all, but instead the fact that women and girls are prohibited from accessing legal rights to land, or going to school?’

in order to provide relief to communities which have been hit by disaster.

This is something The Salvation Army has been doing well for decades (please see the All the World Emergency Services special issue from October 2016 for stories of this great work). What has changed, however, is the way in which we understand the relationship between development and disasters, and the benefits of an integrated way of working.

Previous understandings of this relationship had painted a linear picture from disaster to relief, from relief to recovery (or rehabilitation), and then on to long-term development. Across the disciplines, emergency response practice had its focus on reacting to disaster events, with not much accounting for long-term

* ‘Give a man (or woman) a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for life.’

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HAITI Left: anti-cholera Community Action Team members from The Salvation Army’s Bethel Clinic; below: water purification tablets

‘In October 2016, Hurricane Matthew tore through the Caribbean, with communities in the south of Haiti being among the hardest hit in the region’

Haiti

development, while development policy lacked awareness of the positive impact of preparing for natural hazards and conflict.

However, in recent years it has become increasingly clear that the people most affected by hazard events – both natural and man-made – are those whose social, economic and physical environments are underdeveloped. It is this sad truth that has led The Salvation Army, along with many other organisations, to move towards a more holistic approach to disasters and development.

The Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development (LRRD) approach recognises that both community development initiatives and disaster responses are capable of strengthening communities and building towards a better future. It dispels

the notion that relief and recovery efforts only restore communities to their predisaster state, and that only development projects can improve the general standard of living or quality of life. As a result, The Salvation Army’s International Development Services (IDS) and International Emergency Services (IES) have been working together to develop resources to help territories around the world to build strong, resilient communities. On a very simple level, a resilient community is one which is able to weather a multitude of storms (both metaphorical and literal), emerging with the ability to continue progressing. We are now starting to see territories engaging in work that illustrates the principles of LRRD.

In March 2017, I joined IES representatives on a monitoring and evaluation visit to Haiti, to see the work carried out by The Salvation Army in response to Hurricane Matthew.

In October 2016, Hurricane Matthew tore through the Caribbean, with communities in the south of Haiti being among the hardest hit in the region. Even before the hurricane reached the island, The Salvation Army’s approach to the situation showed community development working hand-in-hand with emergency response, in order to reduce the impact upon the community.

During the day before the hurricane, the Community Action Team (CAT) in Desruisseaux patrolled the community in order to collect vulnerable people and bring them to the safety of the corps (church) building. That night, a total of 150 people were sheltered at the corps and were protected from the hurricane.

The following day, CAT members conducted a community walk to assess the damage sustained, during which group members took photos and sent the information to the CAT programme

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HAITI

Above: The Salvation Army’s school in Perigny lost its roof in the hurricane

manager at Haiti Divisional Headquarters.

During the assessment walk the members discovered that many farmers’ crops – which had previously been growing successfully – had been completely destroyed by the hurricane. As a result, an emergency response proposal was developed to provide affected farming families across the south with seeds and tools, to enable them to recover their means of making a living.

Food distributions also took place but, rather than focusing solely on addressing short-term issues of hunger, Haiti Division saw that it was crucially important to help get peoples’ livelihoods up and running again.

Along with the severe flooding that followed Hurricane Matthew, cholera began to affect numerous communities.

Cholera outbreaks during times of flooding have become common in Haiti since the 2010 earthquake. The Salvation Army’s Bethel Clinic carried out vital work to contain and treat cases of cholera, while thinking ahead to the future. In the wake of the hurricane, the clinic sent out community health workers (CHWs) into 60 communities across the south of Haiti, providing cholera prevention kits, and decontaminating homes that had been affected by the disease. The CHWs also provided education on cholera prevention within the communities visited, helping to equip them with the knowledge needed to reduce the risks of future outbreaks.

The cholera treatment and prevention work happening as part of the Hurricane

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‘It is encouraging to see that shifts in approach over the past few decades in the development and emergencies sectors are not just the “nice ideas” of policy makers’ Matthew response has triggered conversations in Haiti Division around the need for improved sanitation in other parts of the country, in order to prevent serious outbreaks of cholera in those areas.

Driving away from Bethel Clinic, encouraged by the work we had seen, conversation quickly turned to the Army’s ability to do more than respond to crises when they arise. ‘We need to address the root causes,’ said Major John Bundu, Haiti Divisional Projects Coordinator. ‘There are communities in other parts of Haiti with no sanitation facilities. The risk of cholera spreading when heavy rains come is very high. It is very important to address this’.

Conversations like this are really exciting! It is encouraging to see that shifts in approach over the past few decades in the development and emergencies sectors are not just the ‘nice ideas’ of policy makers.

Those who live in communities that continually suffer damage as the result of climatic hazards or conflict are themselves steering towards approaches that will reduce their vulnerability to disaster. This, ultimately, is what good development enables: resilient communities with the power to divert their course away from struggle, and towards strength.

Above: Major John Bundu (divisional projects coordinator) and another divisional representative speak about the school to corps officers Envoys Geold-Auguste and Eveline Chatelier Oredy in their quarters, the roof of which was severely damaged by the hurricane

Ruth Samuels is Community Development Coordinator (Americas and the Caribbean) for The Salvation Army’s International Development Services

CAPACITY BUILDING

by Ben Gilbert

EMPOWER

Left: Captain Padma, from India Central Territory, holds the Learning Pathways booklet she has been working through for eight months; below: (from right) Ben Gilbert and Isa Guha present Jeevan Roy with his Learning Pathways certificate

What on earth is ‘Capacity Building’?

by Ben Gilbert

‘I met Captain Padma after she had been on the Learning Pathways programme for six months and the change I saw in her was remarkable’

I

must confess that I can be guilty of using jargon. But I haven’t always been this way. Before moving into international development I started my working life as a primary school teacher. Using simple understandable language was critical to me in the classroom.

As a teacher, I learned quickly that overcomplicating instructions to my enthusiastic pupils would only confuse and frustrate them. At best I would have to repeat myself constantly or, at worst, I’d be dealing with a very upset child or children who just didn’t get what I was going on about (it often involved tears!). I realised quickly that how I communicated was just as important as what I was communicating.

One thing I noticed immediately when moving into the development sector was the excessive use of jargon. And now I am a culprit – although I do try to stop myself.

Words and phrases like ‘when in the field’, ‘beneficiaries’, ‘community tools’ and ‘capacity building’ flow easily!

This was all new vocabulary to me when I was fresh into this line of work but now, if I’m not careful, I catch myself

loudly blabbering on about ‘participatory processes to strategically engage key stakeholders’ and, unless I’m talking to other development workers who speak the same jargonised language, I can find that what was meant to be a simple comment is being met by blank stares.

These phrases do have their (limited) uses – especially when everyone in a conversation understands their meaning – but we (and I include myself!) do tend to throw them around to make our ideas sound more interesting or cleverer than they actually are!

So when I was tasked with running a project to ‘build the capacity of officers and staff involved in community development’, my first instinct was to get to the bottom of what we actually mean when we speak of ‘capacity building’.

I’m thankful that there are many people who have already done a huge amount of work in breaking this phrase down into something practical and relevant. This is what has led to The Salvation Army’s International Development Services working closely with the Global University

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CAPACITY BUILDING

for Lifelong Learning (GULL) to create Learning Pathways.

This could be seen as yet more jargon, so I’d better explain Learning Pathways.

At its core, Learning Pathways recognises that building someone’s capacity cannot rely on a one-off workshop approach, where people are brought together for a few days of intense training and then sent back to their workplace or community with little follow-up or support.

Although intensive training is necessary, unsupported workshops are not usually the most effective way of enabling people to practically apply their learning in their own context. This is especially true for skills necessary in project management, where capacity is built through handson experience rather than theoretical knowledge.

A learning pathway has two parts; personal and technical. The personal part is a structured programme, completed in situ, where each participant sets his or her own targets for personal growth. It provides a systematic way for people to improve in areas that are important to them and their role. For example, a Salvation Army officer may decide he or she needs better time management and organisation to give them a healthier work/life balance.

Captain Padma, from the India Central Territory, is one such officer. When she joined Learning Pathways in September 2016 she spoke very little English and

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had limited computer skills, even for such simple tasks as typing and using Microsoft Office. She identified these two areas as personal targets for her learning pathway and committed to learning a few new English words each day as well as finding a colleague to teach her computer skills.

Over the course of a few months she documented her progress using the learning pathway. I met her after she had been on the programme for six months and the change I saw in her was remarkable. She was significantly more confident in her English and told me eagerly about how she has sent an email for the first time in her life, at the ‘young’ age of 40!

The technical part of the process addresses topics that are specifically designed to improve a person’s abilities in community development. For this, participants are expected to demonstrate their learning by providing evidence of their improved ability or skill. For example, an officer might train in specific skills to be able to practically engage with a community in order to assess underlying root causes of issues they are dealing with. This technical understanding and knowledge is then formally recognised through simple levels of certification.

Above: four officers from India Central Territory – including Captain Padma (right) – with their certificates after successfully completing Level 1 of the Learning Pathways programme

Major Yesupadam started the Learning Pathways programme in late 2016. He was responsible for overseeing new admissions to some of the territory’s children’s homes.

When I met him after he had completed the first stage of the programme, he told me he had already started using some of the new skills he had learned. This included trying out some of the methods that involved parents by helping them find solutions to issues they may be facing.

In turn, his new skills enabled him to work closely with very poor families. He is now able to work with parents to help them care for their children in their own homes, rather than putting them into institutional care.

This approach has been trialled with two territories so far. For me, it’s been a fascinating process of discovering the actual mechanics of what capacity building really is and what can make it work well.

‘He is now able to work with parents to help them care for their children in their own homes’

CAPACITY BUILDING

THE ESSENTIALS By developing Learning Pathways I have realised that there are a few essentials – described here as ‘uplifters’ – that need to be in place for anyone to truly benefit from the initiative. And equally, there are ‘weights’ that can limit its effectiveness.

Encouragement UPLIFTERS

Recognition

Encouragement – Developing a ‘culture’ of new learning needs to be underpinned by being allowed to fail and learn from those failures Recognition – Having people who are important to me acknowledging my achievement inspires me to keep going Incentives – Working towards realistic targets, where I can pause, reflect, and continue to move along a clear path Access – Important to keep any learning accessible to all; financially affordable, availability of resources and language Keeping positive – Focusing on strengths and building on these keeps the focus on things moving forward Motivation – Any skill or personal development is only relevant if it improves a learner’s situation Focused – Achieving little things builds momentum over time and new skills bring new opportunities Confidence – Becoming self-assured in our ability to lead and make decisions

Incentives Access Keeping Positive Motivation Focused Confidence

WEIGHTS

Forced – If skills development is solely a requirement it becomes a duty rather than a passion Fear of mistakes – Being expected to get things right every time with big consequences if there are any mistakes Irrelevant – If content does not apply to someone’s immediate situation and need Unachievable – Certificate levels and other points of recognition are very broad or out of reach for most, so there is no chance to build momentum Unstructured – Learners are not given clear direction/instructions on how to progress

CAPACITY BUILDING

Forced

Unstructured Fear of mistakes

Irrelevant Unachievable

The diagram above illustrates both the factors that promote healthy capacitybuilding initiatives and the things that can weigh it down. As I have worked with designing and running Learning Pathways I have tried to ensure that we cut the ropes on the weights so we can fly ever higher!

Ben Gilbert is Community Development Coordinator (South Asia) for International Development Services

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COUNTRY OR THEME

SNAPSHOTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS

All together now Together – A Journey of Neighbourhood Conversations (#TogetherFilm) is a new film that follows Salvationists Dr Ian Campbell and Alison Rader Campbell in their visits to four neighbourhoods – in China, India, the USA and Zambia – to encourage and enable conversations between community members. It demonstrates the power of families and neighbourhoods working together to overcome their problems, with the Church playing its part through integrated mission and encouraging community conversations. The Salvation Army has a prominent role in the stories, which are gathered from India, the USA and Zambia.

The film was launched at The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters in London, where the Army’s international leader, General André Cox, said it demonstrated that ‘in every situation there is hope’. He also told the invited audience of officers and employees from IHQ, along with guests from a number of faith-based organisations, that the film ‘sits well with The Salvation Army because we are a people of hope – we believe in transformation’.

Introducing the film, the director, Neil MacInnes (below), shared some of its background, saying that he had been ‘challenged and changed’ while visiting some ‘extraordinary places’.

An exhibition of photographs taken by Ian Campbell was also launched.

The film, photos – in the form of an online virtual gallery – and other resources can be accessed online at www.affirmfacilitators.org/together

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Above: General André Cox and Commissioner Silvia Cox look round the exhibition; right: Dr Ian Campbell addresses the audience; below: Alison Rader speaks with IHQ officers

MALAWI

The skills to pay the bills In December 2013, 16-year-old Kenneth Mishek was living at The Salvation Army Children’s Centre in Mchinji, Malawi. While there he had the opportunity to learn carpentry through a vocational training programme funded by Norwegian Church Aid. Among the items he made was a beautiful table In 2015 Kenneth left the centre to go and live with his aunt but, earlier this year, Mr Jim Haswell (Assistant Superintendent) accompanied staff from Norwegian Church Aid to visit him and see how he was doing.

They were delighted to find that Kenneth – now 20 years old, married and with a six-month-old daughter, is doing very well.

He has taken the training he received at the centre and turned it into a successful carpentry business. He makes beds, chairs, stools, benches and shelves, and also does maintenance and repairs. His earnings through his business bring in enough money to pay the rent for his business site and home, buy food and basics for his wife and baby and also assist his aunt, who is his only relative.

Kenneth said he enjoys his work and is looking forward to extending his business by obtaining tenders with local schools and other institutions – some of which have seen the quality of his work and have already approached him to use his skills.

KENYA

Fighting for peace Salvation Army peacemaking promotion initiatives in Kenya, set up to help avoid a repeat of the terrible violence and bloodshed that followed the 2007 elections, appear to have helped, with only a few outbreaks of unrest reported.

Two weeks after the election, the situation remains tense but any concerns are being addressed through the courts rather than – as has previously been the case – through a call to action.

A specially written song, ‘Kenya, My Home’, was featured on national television and radio, and watched more than 100,000 times on YouTube.

The song for peace, set to a Kenyan beat and beginning with rhythmic sounds made by everyday items, was written by children across the country and uses different tribal languages. It includes contributions from Christians, Muslims, children who are blind, others who live on the streets, some at school and some living without families, to show through words and music that ‘everyone is somebody’ and ‘Kenya is my home ...

I choose peace’.

People across Kenya and beyond were encouraged to share the song and its accompanying video, which shows a powerful message of peace and unity, on social media using the hashtag #KenyaMyHome. The Twitter campaign received a huge boost when it was shared by 800-metres world record holder (and double Olympic champion) David Rudisha, one of the country’s most-admired sportsmen. David has more than 235,000 followers on Twitter. The video was also watched more than 25,000 times on Kenya East Territory’s Facebook page.

The song was part of a wide-ranging joint venture organised by The Salvation Army’s two Kenya territories (Kenya East and Kenya West) in partnership with International Development Services and International Emergency Services (both based at International Headquarters in London). Technical and creative services were provided by a partner organisation,

The video for ‘Kenya, My Home’ and a documentary can be downloaded from sar.my/kenyamyhome.

Community Albums (www.communityalbums.com).

A training session for representatives from both territories inspired delegates to start creating their own peace banners as soon as they returned to their various corps (churches).

‘Kenya, My Home’ launch events were arranged in the Kenya East and Kenya West Territories. In Kenya East the video was premiéred at a ‘pizza and praise party’ for 80 people at Kabete Children’s Home. The children loved it so much that they insisted on watching it three times!

Kenya West launched the song at territorial headquarters, at Kakamega Citadel (church) and in a showing to children from the Martha’s Closet street kids project in Kakamega. Other peacemaking activities included school competitions, sports activities, peace messages on car stickers and banners, sermons, Bible studies and marches.

As part of the wider initiative, Salvation Army brass bands gathered at each of Nairobi’s eight city gates before marching

SNAPSHOTS

to a rally in the centre of the city to promote peace. On another occasion, the Kenya East Territorial Ladies Band was invited to participate in a march and rally attended by the country’s first lady.

In Nairobi’s Kibera slums, a Baptist minister was so impressed with the peacemaking initiative he saw being put into action that he asked the local Salvation Army officer to speak to a Baptist peacemaking gathering to be held in Rwanda. Work in Kenya’s slum areas – which saw some of the worst violence in 2007 – was an important part of the peace-building initiative, including the providing of training – and opportunity to share – for 170 community leaders from 15 slums.

The overall feeling is that The Salvation Army helped to reflect and encourage a national approach that violence was not the answer to perceived election issues.

This was particularly shown in the attitude of young people, who related strongly to the ‘Kenya, My Home’ song and video.

CHILE

Fit for life

exercise that they can carry with them through their lives.

Fitness comes first at The Salvation Army’s Las Acacias Kindergarten and Baby Centre in the El Bosque community of Santiago, Chile. Exercise equipment has been installed to help 77 children aged two to six to avoid becoming part of the country’s obesity problem.

The Chilean Government is addressing the issue through a campaign called ‘Choose to Live Healthy’ that includes healthy feeding initiatives and also creates spaces for exercising in public parks. Schoolage children have their size and weight recorded twice a week in order to address

any potential problems at an early age.

Sadly, the neighbourhood is not safe enough for children to be able to play outside, but new equipment at the centre will introduce children to a healthy lifestyle and give them the opportunity to learn the benefits of

The initiative also had an unexpected benefit for two-year-old Isaías, who has autism and rarely interacted with other children. The brightly coloured new machines caught his interest and he has started to use them, working with other children to get the best out of the equipment.

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