IMPROVING CHILDREN’S NUTRITION IN GAMBELLA

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Revolution by MU1500 in Gambella Ethiopia

At this very moment, a small revolution is spreading throughout the Gambella region of Ethiopia. It’s a peaceful revolution but one that has the potential to bring immense change.  The agents of change are not your stereotypical revolutionaries. They are women: members of the local Mother’s Union, mostly middle aged, many of them illiterate. Apart from a few cooking pots and other demonstration materials, their weaponry is not visible. Instead, they have recently been armed with knowledge. Their mission is to share this knowledge so that other women, children and families might benefit from the life-changing news they have received. The messages they carry are deceptively simple: Small things we can’t see without “glasses” (microscopes) cause disease. Just like we need wood, mud and grass – all three – to make houses, we also need protein, vitamins and energy foods – all three – to make strong bodies. Some can’t merely be told, they must be demonstrated: how to construct a vertical garden, how to weave mats to earn an income, how treat common illnesses in children. Together, they promise to overturn the basic yet entrenched problems that have long hampered the region, making it one of Ethiopia’s poorest: poverty, health and inter-tribal tension. The epicentre of change is Gambella Anglican Centre. From here, a train-the-trainer program is empowering women to affect change in their own communities. Firstly, thirty Mother’s Union representatives received health, livelihood and biblical training. These thirty women then returned to their communities, sharing their knowledge through structured programs for a further 1,500 Mother’s Union members across 15 centres. Each of these Mother’s Union trainees will soon become a trainer, inviting one community guest to attend a program at one of 70 local churches. It is hoped that, in time, change will filter down into communities, through informal conversations and the obvious positive effects of lifestyle change. Over three years, for only $35 per woman, the Mother’s Union will provide training courses for 3,000 women every two months. The project has been designed by Dr Wendy LeMarquand, a doctor with over 30 years experience in family medicine as well as training and experience in tropical medicine and village medical practice. Dr Le Marqualand has already overseen a similar project in Kenya. If you would like to join the revolution you can do so by joining Revolution Gambella

Down Under: In Depth Community Work Dave Andrews - Review

The Loss of Community

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 “There are many tragedies of the 20^th century. Among the least spectacular, but most significant, was picking at the threads of our relationships so much, that we unravelled the entire fabric of many of our communities. Now we find ourselves without the support we need from our human safety nets.”

Dave Andrews’ book will have most people committed to finishing the whole book after the first two pages, where, citing research, he demonstrates that connectedness leads to better outcomes for people in health, happiness, honesty, generosity, non-economic prosperity and safety. When one considers community development broadly speaking, these are outcomes most people working in the community sector would see as positive outcomes in their roles.

At its heart this book is a call to get back to relationships in human services and community work. However its deeper message is about authenticity and being true to one self.

Prior to developing his main thesis, Dave Andrews undertakes a quick survey of how communities and connectedness has diminished. He attributes this loss of community to numerous factors. Materialism, the advent of large shopping malls leading to the “privatisation of public spaces,” the rising numbers of people leaving smaller rural communities to live in cities and the impacts this will have in developing nations such as China and the correlation between commuting to work, where he suggests a 10 minute commute will decrease by 10% the ability to develop meaningful relationships. Churches have not been immune, as some churches establish regional centres at the expense of local churches involved in their communities.

The underlying reason he advances for the decline in community is the increasing focus on self through the pursuit of money, fame and influence at the expense of relationships and experiencing the love of others altruistically. Research shows that between 1970 and 1990, the proportion of students motivated to go to college by money rose from about half to three quarters.

 

The Professionalisation of social work and bureaucracies

Dave Andrews goes on to demonstrate how this has all led to a loss of community volunteers with no special skills other than interest and concern; historically, this group have done the things which met the needs of people.  The professionalising of community development has resulted in communities losing their soul. His exposition of the ten dangers of professionalisation of community work and the seven propositions that disempower communities makes this book a required text in all social work educational settings. Those who go into social welfare with good motives, often end up part of “the system”, more concerned with the professional work they do than the people they assist.

Focussing on the original meaning of the word “profession,” the author then goes on to suggest a remedy lies in a return to vocation and he spends some time developing this idea, referring to Henri Nouwen, Carl Jung and Viktor Frankl to suggest people need a call. “Our own call may come to us in our own small voice, a small still voice from somewhere deep inside us: ‘our vocation acts like a law of God. It makes demands upon us. It demands our best and at times even better than our best. To liberate. To redeem. To transform.’”

Having worked in disability, his references to Jean Vanier, who spoke about the suffering of the disabled and their families at the hands of the powerful (defined as doctors, psychologists, social workers and others), resonated powerfully. He advocates deconstructing and reconstructing the professions, so that people seeking to assist really care (rather than empathising as they have been taught) and use their skills and relevant knowledge to serve rather than accumulating power and prestige. This he posits will result in “amateur, radical and revolutionary activists”.

This leads into an analysis of bureaucracies and counter bureaucracies. Counter bureaucracies being defined “in theory, as well as practice, not actually committed to the work, but simply maintaining the system.” In NSW this was evident to me as the politics of NSW ensured a bureaucracy, compliant to its political masters rather than really seeking to serve and deliver for the people it was designed to serve.

Rabbi Jonathon Sacks is quoted at length to make a point about the use of power and fear to control people. He expounds Jewish thought on the Genesis account of the creation of humankind to tell two stories about moving from unbearable isolation to tolerable association. These stories gave me a profound understanding of the roots of Anabaptism, community and non-violence. I am not sure if this was the intention of the author, however the analysis of Genesis 2:23 by Sacks was enlightening.

Most readers of the book will identify with the analysis of bureaucracies and counter bureaucracies. Dave summarises the conflicts inherent in both, suggesting that there are two policy options in which both operate – love and fear or community and security. This is neatly summarised in a helpful table which contrasts characteristics and behaviours of both. Compliance and resistance to bureaucracy and counter bureaucracy is examined and helpful suggestions given to assist practitioners resist compliance with bureaucracies.

Unlike many books that theorise about subjects such as this and leave readers trying to contextualise how this works in reality, Dave Andrews provides studies based on TEAR Australia and TEAR Fund (UK). Transformation into bureaucracies as they grew but not wanting to lose the “spirit” in how they operate are described. Spirit was defined and is not religious in its definition. Many books have been written about spirit in the workplace and Jossey-Bass publishers have a catalogue of books on the topic.

The TEAR study describes the practical outcomes of open conversations which were facilitated by Dave Andrews. These resulted in affirmations and suggestions which are person centred and relational, prioritising relationships over bureaucracy. In England, the director of TEAR Fund has authored a paper quoted in this book, describing three qualities of new systems – agility, relationality and glocality.

The book concludes with an amazing account of community work undertaken by Ange, Dave’s wife who has worked with refugees in Brisbane since 1989.

I identified with this book as someone who has resisted bureaucracy while working in large bureaucracies. The practical examples contained in it may assist others challenge the powers. Often people are fearful of large institutions simply because they are large institutions. As government approaches to community services changes throughout Australia, the opportunity is there once again to get back to grass roots and engage with people and communities.

The political motive may be that government has recognised its inability (read lack of resources) to do everything and has recognised the community resources and assets better able to engage with communities. Place-based planning and decision making is the focus in NSW government policy, and the opportunity is there for people and local organisations and churches to engage locally as governments seek to devolve decisions and resources to locals.

This is a must for all idealists graduating from social work and other humanities courses to learn how to “avoid becoming the system they inhabit” (p88).

Care grants target community groups | News

Care grants target community groups | News
I was privileged to be part of the panel that chose the successful grant applications.